Both rural & city regions are growing active travel capabilities in England
Active Travel England (ATE) has published its Local Authority Active Travel Capability Ratings for 2025, revealing that both rural and city regions in the nation have improved in the last 12 months.
Four authorities have increased from level 1 to level 2, and five have increased from level 2 to level 3. One authority decreased from level 2 to 1.
Chris Boardman, National Active Travel Commissioner at Active Travel England, said: “I’m delighted that nine more authorities have improved their capability rating this year, following eight last year. It’s particularly encouraging that 11 authorities are now rated at Level 3, reflecting their hard work and commitment to residents. And for the first time, it’s not just the large city regions leading the way – several rural county councils have joined them at the forefront of progress.”
When ATE formed three years ago, it found broad variation in local capability to deliver safe, high-quality infrastructure. Some authorities were already advanced, while others lacked the skills or resources to design active travel networks
ATE explained: “To address this, ATE developed a pioneering capability rating system to identify what type of support was needed for each authority.
“For areas with strong local leadership already in place, dedicated teams, and well-developed plans, the priority was funding to build. For others, the first need was training and technical support to develop local expertise. The impact of this tailored approach has been remarkable and driven a rapid improvement in quality – with funding and skills properly matched – and a significant increase in the number of authorities able to deliver life-changing projects.”
“The results speak for themselves: millions more people are now able to consider walking, wheeling, or cycling as part of their everyday journeys.
“2025 has been a landmark year for investment, with £616 million of capital funding committed in the Spending Review dedicated to active travel infrastructure through to 2030, giving local authorities the certainty to plan and invest in their long term futures.”
