Today (6 June) the Department for Transport and Active Travel England has announced a £20 million investment to resurface roads and create cycle lanes across Yorkshire and the North East of England.  

This funding has been allocated specifically to improve connectivity and enhance the health benefits of active travel for cyclists and all road users. Well maintained roads, footways and cycle infrastructure are key to encouraging more people to walk, wheel and cycle, improving accessibility and safety. 

CIHT recently released a policy brief that highlights the importance of physical activity for health benefits.  

The CIHT policy brief, Making a Case for Active Travel, highlights the benefits associated with a proactive approach to allocating funding. Greater investment in dedicated active travel infrastructure directly leads to reducing the level of resource needed to be invested in managing chronic physical and mental health conditions.  

Minister for the Future of Roads, Lilian Greenwood MP, said: 

By investing in better roads, we’re delivering [the government’s] Plan for Change – encouraging more women and girls to hop on a bike, easing pressure on the NHS and building healthier, stronger communities.

The government said this will potentially lead to 43,000 fewer sick days a year across the country and add £1.4 billion to the UK economy. 

The CIHT Making a Case for Active Travel policy brief serves as a reminder of the power of prevention in the context of the current trend towards an ageing population and high levels of physical inactivity. 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. 

The CIHT policy brief Making the Case for Active Travel is available to read here.  

More information on the government funding announcement is available to read here.  

CIHT has additionally announced an impending policy brief advocating for longer term funding settlements for Local Authorities.  

Longer term funding settlements for local authorities will enable approximately 5 – 10% efficiency savings over a five-year period, which can be reinvested into the transport network, through schemes such as announced above. 

CIHT looks forward to continuing to work with Active Travel England and the Department for Transport, to promote the increased physical activity through active travel and increasing connectivity across the UK’s transport network.