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The Bikeability Trust CEO responds to active travel funding cuts

Emily Cherry responds to the latest announcement from the Department for Transport.

March 10, 2023

The Walking and Cycling Alliance (Bicycle Association, the Bikeability Trust, British Cycling, Cycling UK, Living Streets, Ramblers and Sustrans) and Women in Transport have today responded to the Government’s Transport Update, published on 9 March, 2023.   In a statement the Alliance said:

“It is heart-breaking to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to UK economic, social and environmental prospects.  

“It simply doesn’t make sense to withdraw investment in active travel at this time, particularly as it contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021.   

“Representing a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in safe infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling, these cuts are a backward move for active travel and will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years. These cuts will leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere.  

“Promised Government targets of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, and for the UK to be Net Zero by 2050, are made impossible by these cuts.  

“People walking, wheeling and cycling take 14.6 million cars off the road, saving 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.  

“More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel or cycle, and these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting our choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.”  

The group has also written to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to urge him to commit to maintaining the funding set out in CWIS2 back in July 2022. Read the letter. 

This is in response to the government which has announced funding cuts to the Department for Transport budget. This will result in delays to capital infrastructure projects across road, rail and active travel. Capital projects are infrastructure including new roads, bus routes and cycle lanes. As it stands, no funding cuts have been announced for revenue projects, which includes behaviour change programmes like Bikeability but this is currently being scrutinised by government.   Read more here.  

We stand together with our fellow Walking and Cycling Alliance members in calling for government to reverse the significant cut to active travel capital projects. We believe these are vital in helping to activate the skills and experience we teach children and families through Bikeability and help government reach its 2030 targets.  

In response to the announcement Emily Cherry, CEO at the Bikeability Trust added:  

“Without investment, it will be impossible for the Bikeability Trust to deliver the government’s manifesto pledge to offer Bikeability cycle training to every child. No increase in funding will lead to children leaving school without the life skill of cycling, which in turn could condemn them to adulthood behind the wheel, navigating dangerous neighbourhoods and breathing dirty air.    

“Properly funding Bikeability is about so much more than cycle training. It’s about giving children transport choice and independence, helping families save money on fuel costs and creating more pleasant places to live. Enabling more people to leave the car at home and choose active travel is essential for the health of environment, economy and nation. Without sufficient funding for both capital projects and behaviour change initiatives like Bikeability, we risk abandoning an entire generation by failing to equip them with the skills they need to live a greener, healthier and happier life. We urge Government to protect the full active travel budget.”  

If you are a Bikeability professional and want to know how this announcement impacts you, please talk to your employer, who has received a communication from the Trust this afternoon.   

Additional information

This also means spending nationally over the next 2 years, outside of London is just £1 per head per year, this compares to £8.90 per head per year in London’s funding settlement. The Home Nations outstrip this funding significantly with Wales funding at £19 per head per year, Scotland expected be over £50 per head per year. In Ireland they are also in excess of 50 euros per head per year.  

London , paragraph 20 

Wales , paragraph 5  

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A joint letter to the PM following cuts to the Active Travel fund

The UK Health Alliance on Climate Change joined several organisations to support a letter addressed to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 14th March 2023 regarding reversing cuts to the active travel funds. As outlined in the letter, the overall funds have been drastically reduced from £3.8 billion to £3 billion and more than £200 million cut to develop infrastructure to support active travel. This comes at a time when the nation is in the middle of a cost-of-living and NHS crisis, which would be further exacerbated by the ongoing climate crises. 

Active travel, that is cycling and walking, is beneficial to health and planetary health. The transport sector is the largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions (24%) in the UK and we need to shift from motorised transport to active travel as the primary mode of transport to achieve the net-zero 2050 targets. Further, active travel helps improve health through increased physical activity and improved air quality. From an equity perspective, it would help empower women, children, the elderly, people with disability and the economically deprived who are unable to drive or afford cars. The economic benefits from active travel in 2021 are estimated to be £36.5 billion, about 10 times the invested amount. 

For active travel to become the primary mode of transport in the UK, we need capital investment to develop infrastructure, create awareness and support the transition away from motorised vehicles for the majority of the population. The recent cuts also push us further away from achieving the government’s targets of achieving 50% of all journeys to be made through cycling or walking by 2030. Thus, it is a disappointing and backward decision from the health, climate change, environmental and economic perspectives.

• Government Slashes Funding For Cycling And Active Travel

by Hannah Dobson March 10, 2023 37

Yesterday’s announcement that HS2 is being delayed to reduce costs has grabbed most of the headlines, but buried in the statement was the news that Active Travel funding is also being cut. Understandably, there’s a lot of anger and disappointment about this among those working to improve active travel opportunities.

We remain committed to supporting all forms of transport and have invested over £850m in active travel between 2020/21 and 2022/23. Despite the need to deliver efficiency in all areas of our budget, we will still commit to spend at least a further £100m capital into active travel over the remainder of the spending period, as part of a total of around £3bn investment in active travel over this Parliament, including from City and Region Sustainable Transport settlements and National Highways. We will review these levels as soon as practically possible. Mark Harper, The Secretary of State for Transport

This statement doesn’t make it clear what the previous spending commitments were, compared to the previous budget, but Sustrans has tweeted that it believes it’s a £200million cut.

⚠ The active travel budget has just been cut by two-thirds ⚠ It’s heartbreaking to see vital active travel budgets being wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential. It simply doesn’t make sense.👇 pic.twitter.com/IBZjo1jctK — Sustrans (@Sustrans) March 10, 2023

In a joint statement, organisations representing the Walking and Cycling Alliance and Women in Transport, said:

“It is heartbreaking to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to UK economic, social and environmental prospects.

“It simply doesn’t make sense to withdraw investment in active travel at this time, particularly as it contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021.

“Representing a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in safe infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling, these cuts are a backward move for active travel and will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years. These cuts will leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere.

“Promised Government targets of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, and for the UK to be Net Zero by 2050, are made impossible by these cuts.

“People walking, wheeling and cycling take 14.6 million cars off the road, saving 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

“More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel and cycle, and these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting our choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.”

The Walking and Cycling Alliance includes: Bicycle Association; Bikeability; British Cycling: Cycling UK: Living Streets: Ramblers: Sustrans. It has calculated that this means that spending nationally over the next 2 years, outside of London is just £1 per head per year. This compares to £8.90 per head per year in London’s funding settlement. The Home Nations outstrip this funding significantly with Wales funding at £19 per head per year, with Scotland expected be over £50 per head per year. In Ireland they are also in excess of 50 euros per head per year.

In September 2021, the All Party Group for Walking and Cycling made the following recommendation :

Welcome as the £2 billion announced in May 2020 (approximately £7 per person per annum) is, the necessary magnitude of growth in active travel implies a much greater level of spend. The sum required will be determined by the national active-travel target … but £25 per person per year appears to be a reasonable working estimate. This is more than the sector can spend at the moment given its current capacity, which is why we recommend a five-year settlement that “back-loads” funding towards the final years. All Party Group for Walking and Cycling CWIS2 Inquiry Report: Reaching Our Active Travel Potential

Their tweet yesterday puts the cut at £380million, rather than Sustrans’ £200m:

NEW: Significant cuts announced for walking and cycling £710m was approved for active travel in the 2021 Spending Review. £230m has been spent so far. Today’s announcement of £100m for the remaining two years, means a cut of £380m. https://t.co/Wf3bO2kkWC — APPGCW (@allpartycycling) March 9, 2023

Either way, yesterday’s spending cut falls far short of their £25 per head estimated need, and means that instead of ‘back-loading’ spending, the government is reducing spending in the later years of the budget – just when there is more capacity in the system to deliver improvements. The All Party Group has issued the following statement:

It is incredibly disappointing that the active travel budget has seen stock such extensive cuts at a time where we need to really make progress on decarbonisation and when people need cheap transport choices. We’ve witnessed the popularity of active travel increase in the capital, but other parts of England will now not benefit from the same quality transport system in London now has three times as much funding per year for active travel than the rest of England combined. We understand that there are pressures on the public purse but active, travel schemes frequently have much higher benefit. It cost ratios than road building schemes, many of which are still going ahead, despite falling value for money for taxpayers. No other mode of transport will deliver the same health benefits and actually save the NHS money. If we are serious about decarbonisation and giving people real choices on how they move, active travel needs to be properly and consistently funded. Joint statement by Selaine Saxby MP and Ruth Cadbury MP, co-chairs of the All Parliamentary Group on Cycling and Walking.

Active Travel England opened its office in York yesterday. We look forward to working with local authorities nationwide to enable more trips in towns and cities to be walked, wheeled or cycled #activetravel 👟🚲🛴🦽 pic.twitter.com/croUtsyDBG — Active Travel England (@activetraveleng) February 23, 2023

In a move that might have you wondering if the dog knows what its tail is doing, Active Travel England (ATE) only opened its offices a few weeks ago, after around a year of recruitment to roles across the organisation. It is not clear whether the cuts will affect its funding or scope, and ATE would not comment on yesterday’s announcement, referring all queries to the Department for Transport. We’ve asked the DfT the following questions and will update the story when we hear back:

• What will spending in England on active travel be per head following yesterday’s announced cuts?
• What percentage reduction in active travel funding does this equate to?
• Will Active Travel England’s funding be cut?

Update, 4:25pm, Fri 10 March

We’ve just received this response from the Department for Transport:

A DfT spokesperson said: “This Government is committed to supporting active travel, and is investing £3bn up to 2025, even in a tough economic climate where we are having to manage the pressures of inflation.”

Background:

• ATE will continue to play a major role, for instance in the planning system and overseeing the delivery of schemes supported across various funding streams.
• Schemes that are already underway will not be affected; nor will those that will shortly be announced as part of the latest £200m round of funding.
• The Department for Transport is investing £100m for the remainder of the spending period, on top of £850m from the department already provided.
• In total, we’re investing more than £3bn from across Government into active travel up to 2025.
• This includes existing funding for active travel schemes, including through the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements and National Highways to level up access to active travel across the country.

We’ve pointed out that this doesn’t actually answer the questions we asked… again, we’ll update if we hear back…

The National Audit Office had just announced this week that it was undertaking an audit of the government’s progress on Active Travel. Due to report in summer this year, we might be able to take a guess at what it’s going to say?

In 2017 and 2022, the Department for Transport (DfT) published cycling and walking investment strategies. These set out objectives for increasing rates of active travel in England by 2025 and beyond and funding to support investment in active travel initiatives. DfT owns active travel policy, but investment in it is expected to address several cross-government priorities, such as the health benefits from increased physical activity. Local authorities lead on implementing active travel schemes as part of their transport responsibilities. Our study will examine whether government is set up to achieve its ambitions for increased cycling and walking by 2025 and beyond and deliver value for money through these investments. National Audit Office

At a time when climate change should surely be top of the government’s agenda, this seems like a short sighted move. Campaigners we spoke to were frustrated at the lack of coverage given to the issue so far, with HS2 grabbing the headlines, and they are hoping to raise more awareness of the cuts and their likely impact over the coming days. If this gets you riled, write to your MP, support the Walking and Cycling Alliance members, and try not to weep with frustration.

Update 14 March

Selaine Saxby MP, co-chair of the All Parliamentary Group on Cycling and Walking, asked a parliamentary question on the matter. Does the answer actually answer the question?

It was good to hear from @transportgovuk Minister, @HuwMerriman , his ongoing commitment to decarbonising our transport networks and delivering active travel schemes. @allpartycycling @CEN_HQ pic.twitter.com/ETMqscVeyR — Selaine Saxby MP (@SelaineSaxby) March 14, 2023

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I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

• This topic has 37 replies, 26 voices, and was last updated 1 year ago by RNP .

Utterly crazy in light of the climate crisis and need to change our habits.

Yes, as always I strongly recommend anyone with an interest gets involved in their local active travel campaign group.

Happy to be DM’ed by anyone wanting to get involved in Greater Manchester.

As predictable as all the Lockdown cyclists chucking their bikes back in the shed never to see the light of day again.

Unlike other major infrastructure projects, the level of cuts effectively puts a halt to the modest progress the current administration had made at increasing cycling and walking over the last 10 years.

During this period, local authorities have slowly developed the staff expertise in implementing active travel measures. With the latest cuts, unlike in advanced manufacturing or major projects like HS2, this expert knowledge will not be retained and councils will have to start from scratch when funding returns.

It’s an outstanding own goal, when we’ve got a cheap cost efficient, green sustainable and healthy transport solution, which can help address some of the issues we have with cost of living, environment and health and wellbeing.

But hey ho, so long as those boats are stopped…

I don’t think it’s a simple as that – time and again, surveys have shown that 2/3 of drivers would cycle more if they feel safe doing so, and without the infrastructure that just isn’t going to happen. It’s easy to say, for example, that we aren’t the Netherlands but it’s only like that because they made a choice in the 1970s to build it.

This is just a government that lacks the imagination to think that many journeys are possible without a car if they do something to enable that, and that investing relatively small amounts of money in active travel reaps longer term benefits in terms of health, due to less inactivity and air quality, inequality, as people who don’t have access to a car are less isolated, and the environment.

I have relatives in London… hadn’t ridden since childhood… bought bikes in lockdown… still commute on them. New habits sometimes just need a kickstart… the pandemic has been a horrific one… we need to think of more benign ways to get people started… most of which don’t come free… we need more government (national and local) spend on these things, not cuts in the plans we already have.

I have relatives in London… hadn’t ridden since childhood… bought bikes in lockdown… still commute on them.

They’ll be fine

London now has three times as much funding per year for active travel than the rest of England combined.

What we need, stealing the subtitle of 1970s book Small is Beautiful, is economics as if people matter. And not the usual Goverment of the profit, by the profit, for the profit.

Yes they will.

And it’s working.

Slowing and/or reducing the investment in active travel will only serve to increase the delivery cost if/when any gov decides to really take it seriously. It’s treasury orthodoxy yet again – it stinks, is unjustified and unjustifiable. Short term, narrow minded, blinkered thin king.

I have relatives in London… hadn’t ridden since childhood… bought bikes in lockdown… still commute on them

‘Nearly all’ then. Your relatives certainly aren’t the norm. No point kidding yourself they are.

I can see other budgets being cut. Not going to hit the carbon targets at this rate !

‘Nearly all’ then.

I didn’t say that.

Someone else said (no doubt exaggerating for effect) that “all” the lockdown cyclists have stopped riding, and they haven’t.

Cycling journeys in London are still up approx 25% on pre-pandemic levels IIRC.

Get people to try cycling, create the infrastructure, support the idea as normal… and many people can get the into the habit. Obviously not all, probably not even the majority, but many will stick with it.

If you build it, they will come seems to be the message though; even the temporary pop-up stuff got used loads (not that we had any in Rochdale).

However, it’s hard to see councils building AT infra until the message gets through that bike lanes are part of highways, and that probably means they’re going to have to be funded that way. But as above, unless a lot of people are writing to councillors/MPs/whoever it won’t, which is why I think people need to get involved with their local WalkRide or equivalent group, even if it’s just watching what’s going on and filling in the odd consultation/email.

Got to find the money for all those charter flights to Rwanda from whichever pot Tory voters care the least about.

I have relatives in London… hadn’t ridden since childhood… bought bikes in lockdown… still commute on them ‘Nearly all’ then. Your relatives certainly aren’t the norm. No point kidding yourself they are.

Nobody ever expected all of those lockdown cyclists to continue, but what was expected, and observed since, is that a decent number would carry on riding. I see more cycle commuters on my daily ride into work than pre-Covid, and the numbers of bikes on the weekend on the seafront cycle path is significantly increased from a few years ago. Of course, it would be better if that number was higher again…

Update: Response from the DfT that doesn’t answer the questions I asked added.

None of this is healthy for the keys on my laptop.

‘Tories cut funding’. News? ‘Tories effectively support carbon-heavy, tax-producing, carbon economy’. News?

These people have failed in every way to develop the U.K. and the U.K. economy. And yet they are still the government.

@stwhannah thanks for calling out this ‘good day to bury bad news’ bad news. That some outlets chose to take the headline PR bait and dig no deeper is disappointing.

Edit. On the ‘money for other things’ indeed: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/france-britain-strike-migration-deal-paving-way-for-new-entente/ar-AA18tf4p

Wonder how many bike paths we could have had for 500 million ?

Or that 350 million each and every week the moronic 52% believed ?

If I was the French I’d take the 500 million and buy better boats for the poor souls to cross more safely in.

doesn’t surprise me. whilst this forum will be massively for active travel there are many many voters that are against anything that is perceived to impact thier car journey. the ranting you get on local forums about cycle lanes in my area is ridiculous.

That’s whose teeth I heard grinding at 4:45!!

So frustrating and counter-productive. The manner of the HS2 cuts was an attempt to cover up that all of the Northern plans were not happening! But hey a footballer dissed the Home Secretary.

@prettygreenparrot Aha! I wondered what they were spending their money on this week. I did look around for an announcement to contrast the cut to, and that news wasn’t out yet. Probably just as well, I was really struggling to contain myself while writing this. Very nearly gave it the headline ‘Climate change is small potatoes as small boats take priority over bikes’.

So sad – every day something else this government does/says to make our lives worse.

doesn’t surprise me. whilst this forum will be massively for active travel there are many many voters that are against anything that is perceived to impact thier car journey. the ranting you get on local forums about cycle lanes in my area is ridiculous

Guy I used to ride with, ‘used to’ being the pertinent phrase, refers to any none mtbing cyclist as ‘kerb rats’

A cynic might roll their eyes at the notion of career politicians, who can see the writing on the wall, trying to shore up popular votes by spending on headline grabbing initiatives. Unfortunately, to the cost of work that could bring long term benefits to the broader public.

Last weekend I was out riding with my partner, we met a old friend. This guy used to work in a bicycle coop and rode Paris Breast Paris several times. He had changed to a gravel bike and was riding more off road because of driver behaviour and not feeling safe. When people who have cycled for decades and ridden lots of miles feel intimidated something needs to change. Cycle lanes are great in urban areas but something needs to happen for other roads. Cars drivers need to understand that they share the roads with cyclist and pedestrians and need drive appropriately. Research by Direct Line using eye tracking found that 22% of drivers didnt notice at cyclists at all. Cars driven quickly are frightening, impatience and poor driving and punishment passes are all making using the road unpleasent and dangerous. The majority of drivers can and do behave quite well but the others need to slow down take care and stop playing with their phones. Sorry if this is a bit ranty but I have been doing more road to avoid driving to go mountain biking, I don’t want my day constantly ruined by dangerous car drivers.

I agree. I had stopped commuting by bike just before covid because the driving in Southampton had got past the point of acceptable. one road I could guarantee if I rode at lunch I would get abuse / close passes. I’m not exaggerating. every time. last time I rode with a few guys from work I mentioned it, and got a hideously close pass going out, and a car slowing down and shouting abuse on the way back!!!! rownhams Road in Southampton if anyone knows it….

In a single week I had 2 cars just pull out in front of me when I was chipping along at around 25mph. one was so close I swerved onto the other carriage. thank f. there was no one coming the other way.

so I gave up. just too aggressive and damgerous. and I am a seasoned commuter in all weather for nearly a decade.

more cycle routes have been built but they are often badly laid out and badly maintained. wet leaves / broken glass etc… make it safer to stay on the road where now car drivers think its even more of their right to get close and be abusive.

so I know its counter thinking, but I think cyclelanes might actually be making it worse for cyclists

I’m with you on poor cycle lanes making it worse for cyclists.

And no cycle infrastructure seems to be built with good transitions. How do you get cycles on and off this infrastructure that is being built? If I cannot get on and off it safely, I’ll not be using it thanks.

@Bruce – Freudian slip?

Its actually Brest :-)

Active Travel England’s mandate is to support active travel in cities in England. Obviously the MP for Barnstaple (pop 23,000) isn’t going to see much spending in her area. She is also a councillor at the council, and a Tory under a Tory government.

Meanwhile – how many of elected councils that actually give a shit about urban active travel? How many projects did your council apply for? How resolute are your neighbours about preventing active travel? How many of you wanted a mayor with revenue raising powers, and elected a mayor with a cast iron commitment to public and active transport?

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/active-travel-england-framework-document-for-working-with-department-for-transport

Cars drivers need to understand that they share the roads with cyclist and pedestrians and need drive appropriately.

There are a fair few police forces and councils putting the work in here… creating and publishing ads about safe passing distances and cyclists not being pushed into the gutter. The comments they get on social media when they use their adverts are insane… read them and you’ll never feel safe on the roads again. Depressing hostile stuff.

It really does need to change – i.e. investent in infrastructure. I was another that stopped the commute for 6 years – I was wiped out again by a driver, but left with very bad injuries. I didn’t touch the road bikes or roads again for 5 years. Started going out on the road bike again at lunch on quiet routes and away from traffic a couple of years ago. Started commuting to work after the first lockdown, but used the canals. I’ve modified the commute but it’s still 80% off road, and any road is quiet, or has a half decent cycle lane. Road riding is still when it’s quiet.

I’m hoping they don’t put an end to the ride to work scheme .

I’ve not seen anything suggesting that, but there’s a philosophical question about whether spending the money on R2W or on infra is likely to result in more people actually commuting by bike.

Not freudian, I can’t spell. I especially can’t spell French and Welsh!

Really a sad state this country is in when it comes to politics. Not a shred of decency or common sense.

Ah… Rochdale I do a Daily commute From Norden to Rochdale and back and I think they must have spent 1pence on active travel and cycling infrastructure in the last 100 years. There is supposedly a cycle lane on Bury road but you can barely see it and it’s usually blocked by queuing traffic.

Everyday is a battle to work and get home safely, which it really should not be and due to my daily experiences on the roads I will not let my children cycle on the roads round here which is awful and the opposite of what the government and councils should be aiming for. It’s shit that people in power can’t recognise that anyone under 17 will likely have/want to walk, cycle, skateboard, use public transport etc… to get around as it will give them some independence yet barriers seem to keep being put up to stop making this easier meaning that they have to rely on their parents to drive them to places adding to more cars on the roads.

There are so many existing or potential routes that are away from roads that could be made suitable for everyone (by giving them proper surfaces) but they tend to be muddy boggy messes in anything other than hot summers and frozen days, fine on the mountain bike but crappy on a road/commuter bike or walking but they also need safe crossing points over the roads to join these together and make it safer.

If Rochdale is anything to go by then it’s not great Outside of cities for commuting by bike, cycling and other forms of active travel seem to be barely supported, although the other side of the hill in Whitworth/Bacup/Rossendale has had some decent surfaced traffic free routes on disused railways I think thanks to Sustrans.

Whitworth/Bacup/Rossendale has had some decent surfaced traffic free routes on disused railways I think thanks to Sustrans.

Yeah there are some good segments but they aren’t joined up – there is a good route from Ramsbottom through to Accrington and Rawtenstall is good through to Bacup/Whitworth but Rawtenstall is a big obstruction in the middle of both of them with no cycling provision. There is a disused path that could link them and I pointed it out at the time but I think they ran out of funds

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High Court grants judicial review into government’s active travel funding cuts

27 Oct, 2023 By Tim Clark

The government will face a judicial review into its decision to cut funding for walking and cycling schemes.

The High Court has granted active travel campaigners from Transport Action Network (TAN) the right to call a judicial review into the decision to slash funding for walking and cycling by 75% , stating that the move had ignored legal requirements relating to climate change, air quality and equalities measures.

Mr Justice Jay gave permission for a full hearing, saying the issue was “potentially an important case” concerning a legal provision that had not been looked at before.

Modelled on road and rail investment, the Infrastructure Act 2015 requires the Department for Transport (DfT) to publish walking and cycling objectives, plus the resources to be made available to achieve them, in a Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS).

According to TAN, the central target of half of urban journeys being walked or cycled by 2030 forms a key part of the UK’s climate and air quality plans. Campaigners have stated that even before the budget cuts, the DfT’s own forecasts predicted that the government would fail to meet its target.

TAN director Chris Todd said: “It’s fantastic to be making legal history. This could set a hugely helpful precedent for healthy travel. When they cut funding in March, ministers promised to find additional cash as soon as possible.

“ Yet of the £36bn saved from cutting HS2 this month, not a penny was dedicated to active travel. There wasn’t a single example of a walking or cycling scheme in the huge list of projects the prime minister was promising. 

 “It’s obvious that ministers are no longer serious, whether about their commitments to cut congestion, improve travel choices, address climate change or clean up our air. We’re disappointed that we had no choice but to take them to court. However, we’re delighted the judge agreed this important case deserves a full hearing.”

The High Court ruling came the same day that the government responded to the Climate Change Committee's 2023 progress report, which stated that transport emissions were not due to fall fast enough to meet the government’s own 2050 net zero goals. 

Leigh Day solicitor Rowan Smith, acting on behalf of TAN, said: “Transport Action Network believes that these cuts to national cycling and walking funding massively undermine the government's plans to address climate change and air pollution.

“It appears the Government hasn't followed its own statutory rules in this area, so TAN is delighted the Court today has agreed to a full hearing to question whether the minister's decision was lawful.”

A DfT spokesperson said:   “We have already done more than any other government to promote active travel, investing over £3bn in active travel over the period to 2025 and our recent Network North announcement will also see more funding going to local authorities to take forward local schemes in their areas which could include walking and cycling schemes.

“We remain committed to our ambitious active travel targets and stand ready to defend the Secretary of State’s decision at the hearing in due course.”

A full legal hearing is expected in early 2024.

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Sustrans says cycling schemes and 21 jobs are at risk due to potential £500,000 cut to Scottish government active travel funding

Active travel charity Sustrans has claimed that 21 jobs and a range of schemes designed to encourage cycling amongst schoolchildren and people from Scotland’s poorest areas are at risk due to ongoing uncertainty over the Scottish government’s support for active travel.

According to a Sustrans spokesperson, despite the SNP and Green Party-led government’s pledge to significantly increase active travel funding and cut motor traffic by 20 percent by 2030, a threatened £500,000 cut to its funding – which has yet to be confirmed – could lead to the closure of hundreds of cycling initiatives across Scotland, including free bike schemes for young people.

“We have been asked to make substantial savings in our behaviour change programme,” Sustrans told the Scotsman this week. “This work includes training children on safe cycling, supporting people to walk and cycle to work, and giving marginalised communities the opportunity to access walking and cycling.

“With less Scottish Government funding, we are left with no choice but to make cuts, which will reduce our impact on changing the way people travel every day. As a result, 21 of our Sustrans colleagues in Scotland are now at risk of redundancy and there will be an end or reduction to programmes right across Scotland.”

> “A backward move” – Government slashes active travel budget for England

The spokesperson also told the newspaper that while spending on cycling infrastructure is still likely to continue, though it may be reduced, schemes to encourage cycling in targeted areas were essential if the government is to meet its active travel targets.

“Building the infrastructure is critical, but uptake will be greatly reduced without encouragement, support, and engagement with communities,” they said.

“Scotland is leading the way amongst the UK nations in funding and delivery of active travel. We cannot afford to lose this momentum if Scotland is to have any hope of achieving its net zero targets.”

> Cycling's modal share in Scotland up fivefold during lockdown

The charity also expressed fears over whether the planned funding increases – set to rise from £139 million in 2022/23 to £320 million in 2024/25 – would materialise given the current uncertainty.

“We understand there is continued commitment to the promises in the Programme for Government and the Bute House agreement [between the SNP and the Green Party], which proposes increasing the budget to £320m by the end of the parliament,” Sustrans says.

"These cuts, however, are a worrying development and we hope it will not put that commitment at risk.”

> Scottish government tells campaigners it won't back default 20mph speed limit

The Scottish Conservatives’ transport spokesperson Graham Simpson described the confusion over the government’s active travel funding, and the potential cuts to Sustrans’ budget, as “absolutely scandalous”.

“Cutting Sustrans’ budget and putting staff at risk of redundancy is not going to get people out of their cars and onto alternatives. This decision must be reversed,” he told the Scotsman.

However, the government’s Transport Scotland agency informed the newspaper that funding was still subject to approval and no decision had yet been finalised, but that its priority is to build infrastructure and that it remains “absolutely committed” to increasing Scotland’s active travel funding to £320 million next year.

“Over the last few weeks, we have had very constructive engagement with our funding partners including Sustrans,” a Transport Scotland spokesperson said. “We greatly appreciate their patience and support in providing additional information and evidence at this time of heightened scrutiny of all programmes. That work means we expect to be able to confirm further funding for programmes very soon.”

> England’s active travel spend 5,000% less than Scotland’s after budget slash

Just last month, the SNP’s Gavin Newlands questioned the UK government’s ambitions of reaching net zero following the cuts to England’s active travel budget announced in March.

Speaking in the House of Commons , the Scottish MP said: “The Government had a relative positivity of ambition on active travel before slashing the budget, as they now plan to spend less than £1 per head in England outside London, compared with £17 per head in Wales and £50 in Scotland — that’s 5,000 percent more.”

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Ryan joined road.cc in December 2021 and since then has kept the site’s readers and listeners informed and enthralled (well at least occasionally) on news, the live blog, and the road.cc Podcast. After boarding a wrong bus at the world championships and ruining a good pair of jeans at the cyclocross, he now serves as road.cc’s senior news writer. Before his foray into cycling journalism, he wallowed in the equally pitiless world of academia, where he wrote a book about Victorian politics and droned on about cycling and bikes to classes of bored students (while taking every chance he could get to talk about cycling in print or on the radio). He can be found riding his bike very slowly around the narrow, scenic country lanes of Co. Down.

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13 comments.

Anyone care to do the maths on how many thousands per cent it is of the English active travel budget now?

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Quote: The Scottish Conservatives’ transport spokesperson Graham Simpson described the confusion over the government’s active travel funding, and the potential cuts to Sustrans’ budget, as “absolutely scandalous”. “Cutting Sustrans’ budget and putting staff at risk of redundancy is not going to get people out of their cars and onto alternatives. This decision must be reversed,” he told the Scotsman.

Of the 5 parties standing in my council ward at the last election, which one stood alone in wanting to remove an LTN before the experimental period had finished? That's right, Graham. Yours.

Scottish Greens, the very definition of incompetence. As far as I can see they have done absolutely nothing for the environment since they have been in power. The proposed budget cut to active travel is just a small fraction of what they have wasted so far on implementable bottle return and GRR. Can I take them to court for fraud under the trades description act?

Let's be frank. Cycling in Scotland is likely to result in death without consequences. What I want to know is. Will the local constabulary send the cyclist's next of kin the bill for any costs sustained in the course of annihilation? I give you, Blackadder: I remember Massingbird's most famous case: the Case of the Bloody motor. A man was found next to a murdered body. He had the motor at his side. 13 witnesses had seen him run over the victim. And when the police arrived, he said "I'm glad I killed the bastard." Massingbird not only got him off; he got him knighted in the New Year's Honours List. And the relatives of the victim had to pay to wash the blood out of his radials!

Fuck..cycling in Scotland.....

I can certainly recommend cycling in Scotland.

I can't recommend all the infra (where it exists). Not can I defend the policies of Polis Scotland.

Plenty of scenery though. And atmosphere. And Edinburgh's one of the better places for cycling I've lived in, in the UK. Including York and Bristol. (Time back though. )

The cars didn't get me yet!

I love the Scots. I'm a Celt, myself. But reading the harrowing stories and lack of any justice. Takes its toll. I'd imagine city riding is like anywhere else. But traversing the Highlands sounds terrifying.

Totally agree that Scotland is right up there with the worst of the UK (Lancs police?) in being soft on road crime, soft on the causes of road crime.

Rural Scotland is just more remote than much of England (or even Wales).  I'd say that's mostly good in that there aren't many other people on the road.  Of course with that also comes other people not expecting others on the road.  Or driving in a "sporty" manner because they know the road.  Or possibly driving back from the hotel at the end of the evening because the nearest one's 5 miles away.

Then there are fewer roads so you have to take A-roads.

Apart from a few memorable scares though my worst experiences away from urban areas have all involved small insects...

Fignon's ghost wrote: I love the Scots. I'm a Celt, myself. But reading the harrowing stories and lack of any justice. Takes its toll. I'd imagine city riding is like anywhere else. But traversing the Highlands sounds terrifying.

If you are going to ride in the highlands or Cairngorns, pick your roads carefully, or get a gravel bike or MTB and barely touch the tarmac.

Or, come to the Scottish Borders - not as dramatic, but there are miles of all but deserted roads, good climbs and descents, and interesting stuff to visit (e.g. Samye Ling Tibentan Centre). Plus miles of forest roads that provide great gravel bike/all-road bike routes on their own or yet more options if mixed with the country roads.

I rode Etape Caledonia in 2021. Lots of scenery and atmosphere as you say. Roads closed to traffic for the event, great day out on a bike. It very nearly wasn't, had the Blair Athol distillery tour the day before taken a slightly different path. 

We have some rather excellent HeliMed crews, and speaking from experience, the ramp from the helipad in to QEUH is somewhat exciting (especially if floating off your tits on ketamine like I was ...)

The area that ride in is certainly getting better, although I can safely say I get more close passes within the 3 miles between the M8 and the A71 than I do the preceeding 35 miles, including about 8 miles to clear Glasgow.

Having commuted for decades into London, and now for the last 15 years into Glasgow, I can honestly say Glasgow is eons better. However, I also left London before the "cycling revolution" and widespread superhighways and such. But I can say Glasgow now is better by far than than London pre-2010. Road surfaces however, are brutally bad, and I wallow in the luxury of the road surfaces the English complain about every time I head down south to visit rellies.

Having swapped Glasgow for London in 2010, my experience is the reverse (although both are now better). Entirely agree about the Glasgow road surfaces though (Edinburgh's are no better).

But was is that in percentage terms...?

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Anger as Government announce cuts to Active Travel Funding

While the big news was the delay to parts of the HS2 line and the mothballing of two road schemes, transport secretary Mark Harper managed to slip in the news that the active travel budgets was being slashed. By what exact amount is not clear but the lowest estimate is £200m, two thirds of the budget.

Organisations opposed to the cuts were quick to point out that active travel c ontributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021, t ook up to 14.6 million cars off the road and prevented 2.5m tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

The government’s target of 50% of all journeys being walked or cycled by 2030 now looks more remote than ever.

Sustrans – the charity whose objective is to make it easier for people to walk or cycle – issued a joint statement  alongside organisations representing the Walking and Cycling Alliance and Women in Transport : ‘It is heartbreaking to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to UK economic, social and environmental prospects. ‘It simply doesn’t make sense to withdraw investment in active travel at this time, particularly as it contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021.  

‘Representing a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in safe infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling, these cuts are a backward move for active travel and will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years. These cuts will leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere. 

‘Promised Government targets of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030, and for the UK to be Net Zero by 2050, are made impossible by these cuts. 

‘More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel and cycle, and these cuts will impact those that would have benefited most, limiting our choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.’

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Cuts to Active Travel funding

The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA

14 March 2023

Dear Prime Minister,

RE: Cuts to active travel funding

We are writing to you as a diverse coalition of charities, professional organisations and businesses representing millions of citizens, asking you to reverse the proposed cut to active travel funding.

In a written statement on 9 March, the Transport Secretary announced that overall active travel funding for the current parliamentary term is being reduced from £3.8 billion to £3 billion. This includes a two thirds cut to promised capital investment in infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling, from £308 million to only £100 million for the next two years.

We were disappointed to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to the UK’s economic, social and environmental prospects.

We believe these cuts are a backward move for the economy, the climate and health. This cut will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years, driven in part by the commitments to cycling made in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto, the active travel funding you announced as Chancellor, your ongoing commitment to Net Zero and the commitment to cycling you made in the 2022 Conservative leadership race.

We are concerned that the Department for Transport appears to have varied the financial resources for its second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), without considering its own and Active Travel England’s ability to meet the objectives defined in that strategy.

Indeed, this cut will mean the Government will not be able to achieve its target of 50% as set out in CWIS2 of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030. These cuts call into question the Government’s commitment to this statutory strategy, especially given their relatively small impact on overall spending versus their benefits and significance.

These cuts will also leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, where per capita investment is many times higher, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere.

The benefits of supporting active travel far outweigh the costs. People walking, wheeling and cycling took 14.6 million cars off the road in 2021. This saved 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, prevented 138,000 serious long-term health conditions and avoided more than 29,000 early deaths. Active travel routes also provide green corridors to help cool our cities and allow people to access nature.

Overall, we estimate that active travel contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021, with a relatively modest investment from Government when compared to other transport modes.

More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel or cycle. These cuts will impact those that would have benefited most and limit choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.

Over a third of people on low incomes and a similar proportion of disabled people do not have access to a car. For many that do, it is becoming prohibitively expensive to run. In the current economic climate, this funding is more important than ever to help everyone walk, wheel or cycle to access the things they need.

In light of the clear need to support active travel at this critical time, we urge you to commit to maintain the funding set out in CWIS2 back in July 2022. Furthermore, we seek your reassurance that revenue funding levels will remain at the levels promised.

Yours sincerely,

The Walking and Cycling Alliance

The Bicycle Association, Phillip Darnton OBE, Chairman Bikeability, Emily Cherry, Executive Director British Cycling, Caroline Julian, External Affairs Director Cycling UK, Sarah Mitchell, CEO Ramblers, Ross Maloney, CEO, Living Streets, Steven Edwards, CEO Sustrans, Xavier Brice, CEO

Action Vision Zero, Jeremy Leach, Co-founder Active Travel Academy, Dr Harrie Larrington-Spencer, Research Fellow Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport, Mark Kemp, President Association of Directors of Public Health, Professor Jim McManus, President Asthma + Lung UK, Sarah Woolnough, CEO British Medical Association Brompton Bicycles Ltd, Will Butler-Adams, CEO Campaign for Better Transport, Paul Tuohy, CEO Canal Rivers Trust, Richard Parry, CEO CPRE, Tom Fyans, Interim CEO Cycle to Work Alliance, Adrian Warren, Chair Disabled Ramblers, John Cuthbertson, Chair Faculty of Public Health, Professor Kevin Fenton, President Frog Bikes, Jerry Lawson, Founder Medical Women’s Federation, Professor Scarlett McNally, President-elect, Modeshift, Ross Butcher, Chair Mums for Lungs, Jemima Hartshorn, Co-founder Town and Country Planning Association, Fiona Howie, Chief Executive Transport and Health Science Group, Dr Stephen Watkins, Co-Chair Transport for All, Caroline Strickland, CEO Trek UK, Nigel Roberts, General Manager UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, Dr Elaine Mulcahy, Director Urban Transport Group, Jonathan Bray, Director Voi Technology, Jack Samler, UK General Manager Walk Ride GM, Cazz Ward Wheels for Wellbeing, Isabelle Clement MBE, Director Women in Transport, Sonya Byers, CEO

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5 Ways to Improve Your Fitness on Vacation

Fitness experts share their tips for managing your workout routine while traveling.

By Anna Maltby

The next time you’re trying to fit in a workout on a trip, it might be comforting to know that even fitness experts don’t necessarily recommend a “no excuses” attitude.

Cedric Bryant, the president and chief executive of the American Council on Exercise, said you should prioritize balance and your well-being when deciding whether — or how much — to exercise on vacation. “The key is to be smart enough to listen to your body and your mind, and do what feels right for you,” he said.

Still, making a little time to move has clear benefits: Physical activity helps reduce stress and lower cortisol, which can enhance how relaxed you feel, Dr. Bryant said. Plus, staying active can help regulate your sleep, which could make it easier for you to adjust to a new time zone.

Here are a few ideas from fitness trainers and coaches for how to approach your exercise routine while traveling.

Use exercise to explore the area

Most people walk a lot more on vacation than at home without realizing it, said D’Annette Stephens, a personal trainer and the fitness programs coordinator at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Walking, running and biking are all excellent ways to experience a new place — and get some cardiovascular exercise while you’re at it. Walking just 4,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of dying from any cause, according to one study from last year.

A hotel, resort or studio in another city can be a good place to try a new fitness class, said Jamie Carbaugh, a weight-inclusive online personal trainer: “It’s a great chance to explore something outside your comfort zone without the worry that your co-worker might show up right next to you,” she said.

If you’re visiting somewhere with outdoor recreation access, activities like hiking or kayaking can also be great options. Paul Valukas, a strength and conditioning coach in Madison, Wis., likes to mountain bike on trips to Colorado with his wife. That way, they can get outside while challenging themselves physically.

“I’m not going to go sit in a squat rack in Crested Butte,” he said.

Pack light equipment — if you’ll use it

Resistance bands are easy to pack and can be used for a variety of strength training exercises, Dr. Bryant said. A looped band can go just above your knees for hip strengthening exercises like clamshells and monster walks, and you can use a longer band with handles for overhead presses and rows, Ms. Stephens said. Resistance training can improve both muscle strength and cardiovascular health .

Then again, if you can’t realistically see yourself doing a banded workout in your hotel room or on the beach, don’t bother packing them, Mr. Valukas said. Bring what you’ll actually use.

In case you need extra motivation: Strength training can help reduce the aches and pains of travel, Ms. Stephens said, whether from walking, sitting on airplanes or sleeping on hotel mattresses.

Embrace bite-size routines

If sightseeing or that juicy airport paperback is demanding most of your time, don’t stress about finding the hours for a long, involved workout. Focus on what you can get done in a few minutes — ideally in the morning, before the fun of the day pulls you away, Ms. Carbaugh said. Numerous studies suggest that even short bursts of exercise offer real health benefits .

A short walk or dynamic stretching can help you warm up quickly. Then, try a few sets of simple body weight exercises. Ms. Carbaugh suggested 10 to 15 reps of things like squats with heel raises, push-ups with hands on a park bench (or sturdy table) and a dynamic stretch like downward dog with alternating bent knees. Cool down with some chest openers and lower-body stretches.

For something higher intensity that you can easily do in a hotel room, Mr. Valukas said to consider an AMRAP workout, short for “as many rounds as possible.” Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and cycle through four reverse lunges on each leg and six dead bugs on each side as many times as you can before the timer goes off.

Focus on recovery and supplemental work

If you often think about stretching or mobility work but never actually make time to do it, vacation can be a great opportunity to practice — especially if you can pack a small massage ball or borrow a foam roller, Ms. Stephens said.

The same applies to lower-intensity — but still challenging — workouts like Pilates and yoga , or even just squeezing in some core exercises . These are the things people tend to skip at home, Ms. Stephens said, but they’re a great way to keep your body feeling good.

Or … give yourself permission to rest

Rest and recovery are an important part of a well-rounded exercise regimen, Mr. Valukas said. “We don’t get stronger when we’re lifting; we get stronger while we’re recovering,” he said. “Even athletes have breaks built into their year.”

If you’re anxious about losing the fitness progress you’ve made by taking time off, don’t be, Dr. Bryant said. While the effects of a rest from exercise varies based on your age, activity level and overall health, research suggests that it takes longer than a week or two off to see a significant impact on cardiovascular health and muscle strength . “For a lot of people, that time off can be just what the body needed,” Dr. Bryant said.

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If you hate exercise, here’s an easy 10-minute routine to get you started that  requires no equipment.

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Stop active travel funding cuts

We've joined a coalition of organisations to write an open letter to the Prime Minister urging the government to reverse the proposed cut to active travel funding.

The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP

Prime Minister 10 Downing Street London SW1A 2AA

14 March 2023

Dear Prime Minister,

RE: Cuts to active travel funding

We are writing to you as a diverse coalition of charities, professional organisations and businesses representing millions of citizens, asking you to reverse the proposed cut to active travel funding.

In a written statement on 9 March, the Transport Secretary announced that overall active travel funding for the current parliamentary term is being reduced from £3.8 billion to £3 billion.

This includes a two-thirds cut to promised capital investment in infrastructure for walking, wheeling and cycling, from £308 million to only £100 million for the next two years.

We were disappointed to see vital active travel budgets wiped away in England, at the exact time when they are most essential to the UK’s economic, social and environmental prospects.

We believe these cuts are a backward move for the economy, the climate and health.

This cut will counteract the tremendous progress we’ve seen in recent years, driven in part by the commitments to cycling made in the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto, the active travel funding you announced as Chancellor, your ongoing commitment to Net Zero and the commitment to cycling you made in the 2022 Conservative leadership race.

We are concerned that the Department for Transport appears to have varied the financial resources for its second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS2), without considering its own and Active Travel England’s ability to meet the objectives defined in that strategy.

Indeed, this cut will mean the Government will not be able to achieve its target of 50% of all journeys in English towns and cities being walked or cycled by 2030.

These cuts call into question the Government’s commitment to this statutory strategy, especially given their relatively small impact on overall spending versus their benefits and significance. 

These cuts will also leave England lagging far behind other UK nations and London, where per capita investment is many times higher, at a time when we need to be raising the bar everywhere.

The benefits of supporting active travel far outweigh the costs. People walking, wheeling and cycling took 14.6 million cars off the road in 2021.

This saved 2.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, prevented 138,000 serious long-term health conditions and avoided more than 29,000 early deaths.

Active travel routes also provide green corridors to help cool our cities and allow people to access nature.

Overall, we estimate that active travel contributed £36.5 billion to the UK economy in 2021, with a relatively modest investment from Government when compared to other transport modes. 

More than ever, people want and need support to walk, wheel or cycle.

These cuts will impact those that would have benefited most and limit the choice to travel healthily, cheaply and emissions-free.

Over a third of people on low incomes and a similar proportion of disabled people do not have access to a car. For many that do, it is becoming prohibitively expensive to run.

In the current economic climate, this funding is more important than ever to help everyone walk, wheel or cycle to access the things they need.

In light of the clear need to support active travel at this critical time, we urge you to commit to maintaining the funding set out in CWIS2 back in July 2022.

Furthermore, we seek your reassurance that revenue funding levels will remain at the levels promised.

Yours sincerely,

• The Bicycle Association, Phillip Darnton OBE, Chairman
• Bikeability, Emily Cherry, Executive Director
• British Cycling, Caroline Julian, External Affairs Director
• Cycling UK, Sarah Mitchell, CEO
• Ramblers, Ross Maloney, CEO
• Living Streets, Steven Edwards, CEO
• Sustrans, Xavier Brice, CEO.
• Action Vision Zero, Jeremy Leach, Co-founder
• Active Travel Academy, Dr Harrie Larrington-Spencer, Research Fellow
• Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport, Mark Kemp, President
• Association of Directors of Public Health, Professor Jim McManus, President
• Asthma + Lung UK, Sarah Woolnough, CEO
• British Medical Association
• Brompton Bicycles Ltd, Will Butler-Adams, CEO
• Campaign for Better Transport, Paul Tuohy, CEO
• Canal & Rivers Trust, Richard Parry, CEO
• CPRE, Tom Fyans, Interim CEO
• Cycle to Work Alliance, Adrian Warren, Chair 
• Disabled Ramblers, John Cuthbertson, Chair
• Faculty of Public Health, Professor Kevin Fenton, President
• Frog Bikes, Jerry Lawson, Founder
• Medical Women's Federation, Professor Scarlett McNally, President-elect,  
• Modeshift, Ross Butcher, Chair
• Mums for Lungs, Jemima Hartshorn, Co-founder
• Town and Country Planning Association, Fiona Howie, Chief Executive
• Transport and Health Science Group, Dr Stephen Watkins, Co-Chair
• Transport for All, Caroline Strickland, CEO
• Trek UK, Nigel Roberts, General Manager
• UK Health Alliance on Climate Change, Dr Elaine Mulcahy, Director
• Urban Transport Group, Jonathan Bray, Director
• Voi Technology, Jack Samler, UK General Manager
• Walk Ride GM, Cazz Ward
• Wheels for Wellbeing, Isabelle Clement MBE, Director
• Women in Transport, Sonya Byers, CEO
• +118 cycle training providers employing over 3,000 staff.

Read more from Sustrans

• Read our report on the benefits of active travel on the cost of living crisis
• See how we're giving disabled people a voice in making our cities more accessible
• Download our Walking and Cycling Index
• Find out more about Sustrans