A dozen English mayors have pledged to work together to create a ‘national active travel network’.
The programme, which is scheduled to be launched in autumn of this year, would see the mayoral authorities work on a 3,500-mile network of active travel routes to connect housing to roughly 1,000 schools as well as local high streets.
Active Travel England said that it expects the network to be focused on ‘areas where health and air quality are poorest’.
The routes to and from schools would also be supported by school streets schemes (removing traffic at certain hours from roads with schools), traffic calming measures, new crossings and better pavements.
The mayors pledged to:
- Work with the Department for Transport, Active Travel England and local authorities to create a country-wide national walking, wheeling and cycling network, comprising local networks that are safe and easy to use.
- Deliver high-quality, safer routes to schools in neighbourhoods nationwide.
- Boost regional integrated transport networks by giving people easy walking, wheeling and cycling access to buses, trams and trains, which will link to new housing and support local economic growth.
On 1 July, Chris Boardman, national active travel commissioner, and Professor Sir Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical officer, met with seven of the mayors to sign the pledge, while others subsequently joined.
The regional mayors involved are:
- West Yorkshire’s Tracy Brabin,
- South Yorkshire’s Oliver Coppard,
- York and North Yorkshire’s David Skaith,
- Hull and East Yorkshire’s Luke Campbell,
- the North East’s Kim McGuinness,
- the West of England’s Helen Godwin
- East Midlands’ Claire Ward.
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's Paul Bristow,
- Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham,
- Tees Valley's Ben Houchen,
- West Midlands' Richard Parker
- Liverpool City Region's Steve Rotheram.
Transport minister Heidi Alexander, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and Mr Boardman have also added their signatures in support.
National active travel commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: ‘People will only consider travelling actively if it is easy and safe. That’s what the mayors have today pledged to do and that’s why government is backing them. It’s going to have a hugely positive impact on millions of people’s daily lives.’
The full joint statement can be found here.
