Local authorities invited to bid for share of £200 million in active travel funding

Active Travel England is inviting local authorities to apply for funding to make it easier for people to choose to walk or cycle for shorter journeys.

£200 million in funding is being made available to create and improve paths in rural areas, develop safer routes for children walking to schools and improve safety for cyclists and pedestrians and road junctions. Funding will also support work to make street designs more inclusive to those using wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Walking and cycling charity Sustrans has estimated that active travel generated £36.5 billion for the economy in 2021 through increased spending on high streets, reduced pressure on the NHS and better access to jobs. This latest investment is estimated to have the potential to generate up to 16 million additional walking and cycling trips a year.

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:

“This £200 million investment for hundreds of upgraded routes and paths across the country will help to reduce emissions, boost local economies and create jobs.

“These new schemes will make it safer for children to walk to school and will better connect rural communities, helping more people choose active travel as an affordable and healthy way to get around.”

Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said:

Active travel is convenient, cheap, low carbon and health-giving. It’s a choice we need to make sure everyone has. Sometimes it only takes relatively small changes, such as crossings on school routes or convenient places to park a bike, to give us the option to walk, wheel or ride.

Our job is to help local authorities across the country ensure that everyone has more attractive options for their daily trips and we are excited to help them deliver those options.

The funding could see more young people choosing a healthier and greener way to travel from home to the classroom. With less than half of children aged 5 to 16 walking or cycling to school, this investment aims to boost uptake. The government’s objective is to enable 55% of all primary school children to walk to school by 2025.

Studies show that 1 in 2 women feel unsafe walking after dark in a quiet street near their home. Local authorities will also need to show that their proposed schemes take women’s safety into account.