CIHT launches new policy brief: Making the Case for Investment in Active Travel

20th May 2025

CIHT launches new policy brief Making the Case for Investment in Active Travel exploring the ways in which investment in active travel infrastructure and highways maintenance can help more people live healthier lives for longer.

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Today, 20th May, CIHT launches a new policy brief Making the Case for Investment in Active Travel, highlighting the benefits associated with a proactive approach to allocating funding, with greater investment in the provision of dedicated active travel infrastructure reducing the level of resource needed to be invested in managing chronic physical and mental health conditions. 

The policy brief highlights the importance of physical activity for health.  

Opting to walk, wheel and cycle for short journeys, or as part of longer journeys is a great way to incorporate physical activity into your daily life, helping to create healthy habits. 

Well maintained roads, footways and cycle infrastructure are key to encouraging more people to walk, wheel and cycle, improving accessibility and safety. 

The new CIHT policy brief explains how investment in projects designed to promote walking, wheeling and cycling offer excellent value for money, especially when viewed through a broad lens that recognises the cohesion between the transport and health sectors.  

The policy brief states:   

‘Encouraging more people to opt for active travel for short journeys serves as an effective and accessible way to enable more people to make physical activity a habitual aspect of their daily lives'.

Access the full policy brief: Making the Case for Investment in Active Travel  to understand:  

  • The importance of physical activity for health, exploring how giving people more choice in how they travel allows more people to integrate more physical activity into their daily lives.
  • The benefits associated with a proactive approach to allocating funding, with greater investment in the provision of dedicated active travel infrastructure reducing the level of resource needed to be invested in managing chronic physical and mental health conditions. 

Given the current trend towards an ageing population and high levels of physical inactivity, this policy brief serves as a reminder of the power of prevention. Offering people more choice in how they travel enables more people to build healthy habits into their daily lives, reducing pressure on strained health and social care services.     

>>> Access the brief here

Help & Support  

If you would like to know more about this project or have any queries, please email technical@ciht.org.uk 

Further resources  

Creating a public realm for all | CIHT 

A public realm for all: new directions in transport planning | CIHT 

Better Planning, Better Transport, Better Places | CIHT 

Creating better streets: Inclusive and accessible places | CIHT

New Walking Guidance for Transport Practitioners Available | CIHT 

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