More than £100 million in government funding has been allocated to encourage walking, wheeling and cycling across England, with a focus on improving access and confidence for people of all ages.
Announced by Active Travel England yesterday (30th March), the three-year investment will support a range of training schemes, school initiatives and community programmes designed to make active travel more accessible. The funding aims to help people choose cheaper and more sustainable ways to get around, while contributing to wider goals around public health, road safety and reducing carbon emissions.
£78 million of the funding will go towards the long-running Bikeability programme, which has delivered cycle training to millions of children since its launch. Local authorities will distribute the funding, supported by guidance from the Bikeability Trust.
Walking initiatives will also receive a boost, with £16.1 million awarded to charity Living Streets to expand its Walk to School Outreach programme. The scheme works with primary schools to encourage more families to incorporate walking into their daily routines.
Cycling UK is set to receive £8 million to deliver the Big Bike Revival programme, which helps adults return to cycling, with a particular focus on groups such as women and disabled people.
Meanwhile, Modeshift will be allocated £3.1 million to continue its work with schools through the STARS accreditation scheme and its Active Travel Ambassadors programme, which supports secondary school pupils in promoting sustainable travel among their peers.
Additional funding includes £2 million for National Park Authorities to improve accessible walking and cycling routes and develop future projects. Up to £1 million will also be shared between selected ports and airports to support planning and engagement work aimed at making it easier for staff and visitors to travel actively.
The funding package is intended to remove practical barriers to active travel and expand opportunities for more people to integrate it into their everyday lives.
Director of Behaviour Change at Cycling UK, James Scott, said: ‘After 10 years of success with Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival, it’s great to see the project continue for another 3 years with funding from ATE. During that time, we’ve supported more than 800,000 people to get back on their bikes, replaced nearly 10 million car trips, cut over 9,000 tonnes of CO2 and delivered more than £56 million in wider economic and social benefits.
‘This programme works because it reaches people who don’t usually cycle. Despite the gender divide in cycling, nearly half of our participants are women, with a quarter coming from ethnic minority communities. With continued funding and support, we intend to deliver more skills and confidence sessions, free repairs, and rides that make cycling feel like a real option for everyday travel. Not just for the committed few, but for everyone. Regular walking and cycling have been shown to cut sick days, reduce pressure on the NHS, lower carbon emissions, and save people money on travel costs.’
Photo: adrian2019
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