The government has published its £1.2 billion long-term plan to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys.
The government wants cycling and walking to become the norm by 2040 and will target funding at innovative ways to encourage people onto a bike or to use their own two feet for shorter journeys.
Plans include specific objectives to double cycling, reduce cycling accidents and increase the proportion of 5 to 10 year-olds walking to school to 55% by 2025.
The £1.2 billion is allocated as follows:
-
£50 million to provide cycling proficiency training for further 1.3 million children
-
£101 million to improve cycling infrastructure and expand cycle routes between the city centres, local communities, and key employment and retail sites
-
£85 million to make improvements to 200 sections of roads for cyclists
-
£80 million for safety and awareness training for cyclists, extra secure cycle storage, bike repair, maintenance courses and road safety measures
-
£389.5 million for councils to invest in walking and cycling schemes
-
£476.4 million from local growth funding to support walking and cycling
In addition, the government is investing an extra:
-
£5 million on improving cycle facilities at railway stations
-
£1 million on Living Streets’ outreach programmes to encourage children to walk to school
-
£1 million on Cycling UK’s ‘Big Bike Revival’ scheme which provides free bike maintenance and cycling classes