What is active travel?

It’s a way of getting around that involves using your body, and it’s an important part of leading a healthy lifestyle. It helps to decarbonise transport systems in towns and cities, boosts health by increasing levels of physical activity and improves social connections. It also has environmental benefits, with a reduction in the number of cars on our roads helping to cut air pollution, congestion and greenhouse gases. Read more https://active-travel.uk/

Walking and cycling are the most popular forms of active travel, with people reporting that they walk or cycle on journeys of up to a mile in length for a variety of reasons including health, environmental benefits and convenience. It is generally accepted that a person who walks or cycles for these everyday journeys, as opposed to travelling by car, bus, taxi or train, will have a lower relative risk of death than someone who does not walk or cycle (World Health Organisation, 2012).

Pedaling Toward Sustainability: The Environmental Benefits of Cycling Infrastructure”

During the COVID-19 lockdown and now as we emerge from it, promoting walking and cycling as a means of getting to work, school or shops has been highlighted as an important measure to help prevent the re-emergence of ill health and congestion in our streets and towns. However, many people still do not meet recommended levels of physical activity and promoting active travel is key to getting more people to make the most of the opportunities available to them.

Evidence shows that the most effective ways to encourage active travel include promoting walking and cycling, making it easy for people to do so and providing incentives such as discounted or free cycle hire, better-connected off-road cycle paths and road safety improvements. This includes lowering traffic speeds on some routes and introducing cycle hubs or ‘stations’ where people can park, lock up and start their journey.