In an effort to boost the nations health and decarbonise transport the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, has announced a range of cycling and walking related initiatives. 

The long awaited Local Transport Note for Cycle infrastructure design LTN 01/20 has been published. This contains guidance for local authorities on designing high-quality, safe cycle infrastructure. The note, a term which is perhaps misleading for a 188-page document, sets out five overarching design principles for cycle infrastructure. These principles are that networks and routes should be: coherent, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive. Further, the note states that "Inclusive design and accessibility should run through all of the principles.".

Gear Change: a bold vision for cycling and walking, is the name of the government's new plan to boost walking and cycling in England. It sets out a long term vision to increase active travel and embed the benefits of walking and cycling into how we live, work and get around. One of the key actions to boost cycling levels will be to create 'first hundreds, then thousands' of segregated bike lanes. 

A Mini-Holland scheme in London (courtesy of Transport for London)

A new funding body and inspectorate, Active Travel England, will be created and led by a new national cycling and walking commissioner and is due to be established i the next few months. The role of this body will be to examine schemes for cycling and walking funding, enforce standards and time limits for projects. Overall, it's purpose is to generally raise performance for delivering walking and cycling infrastructure at local authorities. 

Further actions include:

• Creation of cycle, bus and walking corridors where a limited number of main roads will be closed to through traffic except for buses and access
• Less rat-running and more low-traffic neighbourhoods
• Increasing the number of school streets to protect children
• Creating more "Mini-hollands"
• Increasing spending on cycling and walking
• Creating a long-term cycling and walking programme and budget
• Conduct a series of national urban road audits to help inform future allocation of road space
• Increasing capacity for local authorities e.g. more officer posts and training
• Consulting on updates to The Highway Code to strengthen and improve safety for all road users

For more on "Mini-hollands" see this year's Healthy Transport Award's winning submission from Transport for London on their Mini-hollands programme here and listen to CIHT's latest podcast episode with Professor Rachel Aldred discussing cycling, Mini-hollands and more. 

The government also launched the £50 bike repair voucher scheme, which has already closed for applications. 

In related CIHT news, CIHT and the Department for Transport are developing a revised Manual for Streets which aims to improve place-making and walking and cycling for people. In CIHT's publication Improving Local Highways from March 2020 it was recommended that the government increased funding for local roads. It was found that achieving healthier lifestyles would not be achieved if we do not invest in the local road network to support active travel to encourage walking and cycling.