UK government commits over £100m to boost active travel initiatives
The UK government has allocated about £108 million in funding to encourage active travel, including a flagship Bikeability programme offering cycle training to children.
The government stated that the three-year funding settlement gives delivery organisations the certainty they need to retain experienced staff and qualified instructors, enabling them to plan effectively, maximising value for money and reach across communities in England.
Announced by Active Travel England (ATE), the three-year funding will include £78 million for the government’s flagship Bikeability programme, which has provided cycle training to more than five million children since 2007. Local authorities across England will receive a share of the funding, with the Bikeability Trust providing support, advice and guidance.
“The Bikeability Trust welcomes the announcement of new funding from Active Travel England to invest in giving more people the skills and confidence to cycle, walk and wheel. Bikeability is an essential skill, benefitting children’s health and happiness, and helping them make more sustainable travel choices for life,” said Emily Cherry, Chief Executive of the Bikeability Trust.
Moreover, Living Streets will receive £16.1 million to deliver its Walk to School Outreach programme, working with primary schools to help more children and families make walking part of their daily routine.
“This funding will allow us to work with even more schools to encourage their pupils to get active and to help them identify improvements to their local streets, so families feel able to choose the healthiest and happiest way to travel,” commented Catherine Woodhead, Chief Executive of Living Streets.
Cycling UK will benefit from £8 million to run the Big Bike Revival, which supports adults, particularly disabled people and women, to cycle again.
James Scott, Director of Behaviour Change at Cycling UK, said that the Big Bike Revival programme has supported more than 800,000 people to get back on their bikes for 10 years, reducing nearly 10 million car trips.
“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,” Scott added.
Other funding include £3.1 million to Modeshift for running the Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition travel planning award scheme and Active Travel Ambassadors programme, which empowers secondary school students to encourage peers to travel actively.
The package includes £2 million to support England’s 10 National Park Authorities to continue to develop accessible active travel networks. National Park Authorities will also use the funding to advocate for their active travel agendas and establish a pipeline of schemes that can attract future construction funding.
Additionally, Up to £1 million will also be provided to selected ports and airports across England to develop active travel network plans. Project activities range from network planning and scheme design to public engagement and bespoke training, enabling employees and visitors to travel sustainably to these major employment sites.
