This brand-new research highlights the benefits of active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling), identifies key challenges, and outlines CIHT’s recommendations for unlocking its full potential across health, transport, and planning sectors.

Sue Percy CBE, Chief Executive, CIHT said:

Through this report, we are looking to redefine the relationship between transport and health, recognising that travel choices directly affect public health, economic productivity, and environmental sustainability.”

“Amongst our recommendations are the need to have consistent national direction and political support if we are to realise the true benefits of active travel schemes. The (soon to be announced) Integrated National Transport Strategy, offers a real potential to unlock the health benefits from a better integrated national transport system in England.

The report identified the key benefits of implementing active travel schemes that show why they are critical for supporting much of the UK’s policy challenges. These include:

• High return on investment: £5.62 return for every £1 invested.
• Healthcare Savings: the potential to save £780m in mental health care and £540m in GP visits.
• Wider Impacts: supporting prevention-focused healthcare that improves wellbeing, whilst contributing to economic and environmental goals.

‘Overcoming the barriers to implementing active travel schemes’ was launched at the CIHT Learned Society Lecture. This year the lecture was delivered by Professor Chris Whitty who was made an Honorary Fellow of CIHT at the event. More information on the lecture will appear in due course.

‘Overcoming the barriers to implementing active travel schemes’ presents an opportunity to reframe transport as a public health tool with economic and environmental benefits. 

The research highlights that the benefits of promoting active travel (walking, wheeling, cycling) offers a strong return on investment: £5.62 for every £1 spent. This could significantly reduce pressure on our overstretched health services, potentially saving £780 million in mental health care and £540 million in GP visits.

The report also identifies the challenges that the UK currently face including fragmented policy, perceived public resistance, safety concerns, limited funding and space and poor integration with planning and other transport modes.

CIHT Recommendations

1. Political Support

• Appoint Active Travel Ambassadors to advocate benefits to local leaders.
• Conduct research on social care cost savings from increased activity.

2. National Direction & Funding

• Align transport projects with Integrated Care Boards’ health goals.

3. Land Use & Planning

• Adopt a holistic approach to land use via the National Planning Policy Framework.
• Increase funding to help local authorities meet housing and transport goals.
• Mandate safe bike parking at major transport hubs.

4. Changing Behaviour

• Ensure community engagement in project design.
• Run localised campaigns using trusted metrics (e.g., Healthy Streets).
• Promote car usership (e.g., car clubs, ride-hailing) over ownership.
• Encourage GPs to advocate active travel for health.
• Provide long-term funding for local roads and maintenance.
• Use multi-year budgets and cross-departmental pooling to avoid fragmented delivery.
• Publish data on effective interventions to guide future projects.
• Align local maintenance with the Well-managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice.

5. Accessibility

• Follow CIHT’s ‘Creating a Public Realm for All’ (2024) guidance for inclusive public spaces.

6. Parking & Traffic Orders

• Install EV chargers without disrupting walking/cycling routes.
• Ban and enforce against pavement parking.
• Streamline Traffic Regulation Orders to speed up infrastructure delivery.