Reaction: Second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy

Yesterday the second instalment of the Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy was published with very little fanfare in the midst of political turbulence in the UK; at the time of writing no political statements have been made on its contents.

There have however been a few reactions from cycling organisations who will be directly involved in the deployment of its strategy.

Xavier Brice, CEO of walking and cycling charity Sustrans had this to say:

“Sustrans welcomes the Government’s refreshed Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which shows the urgent need to tackle inequality of access to active forms of travel, and for the first time includes wheeling alongside cycling and walking.

“Achieving the necessary revolution in how we get about is vital for our health, our wallets and our planet, but this won’t happen unless we make it easier for everyone to make this choice now.

“Long-term investment in reliable infrastructure, such as the National Cycle Network, alongside immediately tackling the plague of pavement parking, is critical to improving access to active travel.

“But we must all play our part, and local councils and city regions should embrace opportunities for change, so everyone has the chance to be free from expensive and pollutant car overuse.”

Meanwhile, BikeAbility CEO Emily Cherry blogged:

“We welcome the government’s renewed commitment to active travel in the second Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), including £4 billion of investment through to 2025 to deliver the Government’s Gear Change plan. 

“It is the government’s ambition to double the number of people cycling by 2025. To ensure the next generation of cyclists are confident and safe on our roads, more investment is needed to deliver cycle training.  

“As more people choose to cycle and scoot, whether that be human powered or with electric assist, approved training programmes need to be in place to ensure that active travellers can share the road safely with other users. With a 3,000 strong workforce of qualified, expert instructors, Bikeability is ideally placed to deliver all cycle  training programmes including micromobility.  

“Bikeability will be a crucial link in the chain that drives the active travel revolution. I urge the government to confirm the multi-year funding settlement for Bikeability training. Our instructors are ready to deliver on this ambition and we must not risk losing their commitment in uncertain economic and political times.”