Funding worth £200,000 to improve active travel in Brighton

The funding is part of government aims to ensure 50% of all journeys in England are made on foot or by bicycle by 2030.

Brighton and Hove City Council has confirmed that it has received £200,000 in government funding to enhance walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure.

The money will go towards a variety of projects, including an eBike commuter pilot project, support for new and existing School Streets and the city’s first Walking Festival in June.

This could help citizens to cut costs amid the cost of living crisis, as short journeys which are cycled instead of driven could save people an average of £126 per year in fuel costs alone, according to Cycling UK. 

Cllr Elaine Hills, Co-Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee said: ‘This is great news and means we can continue the great work that’s being done to encourage people to make sustainable travel choices.

‘We’ve seen how things like eCargo bikes can really benefit businesses and the great work schools are doing to get more children, parents and carers to travel actively. We need to do more if we’re to get more people walking, wheeling and cycling.

‘If we do that, we can help combat the climate crisis and free up space on the roads for those who really need it.’

Active travel is popular in Brighton and Hove, with the 2021 Census revealing that 25,137 citizens travel by foot or by bicycle to work in the city, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Cycling courses for adults and families, workplace travel initiatives and community walking projects are set to receive a funding boost to ensure this trend continues.

There also plans to deliver eCargo bikes to small businesses, to develop an online cycle map and work is also expected to continue on the ongoing Active and Inclusive Travel forum.

Funding has come from Active Travel England, a new agency formed last year, which aims for half of all trips in England to be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2030.

National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: ‘If we want millions more people to walk, wheel and cycle to schools, shops and workplaces, we need to give them what they need to make the switch.

‘Delivering schemes that offer an attractive choice takes technical skill, local knowledge, and community involvement.

‘Survey after survey has shown people want the choice to be able to use the car a bit less and would love their kids to have more transport independence, so we aim to ensure they are at the heart of creating the right solution for their area.

‘2023 is the year Active Travel England will start to make that happen.’

Photo by Ben Guerin