Government commits £4.5bn to new cycling and walking routes

The news

The Department for Transport published its third cycling and walking investment strategy on 12 June 2026. The plan commits over £4.5bn to active travel and sets targets for 5,000 new walking, wheeling and cycling routes plus 10,000 safer crossings by 2030. Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the funding would help more people build exercise into daily routines. Current data shows 48% of short trips in towns and cities are already walked or cycled, with ministers aiming for 55% by 2035.

What's at stake

The strategy seeks to make walking, wheeling and cycling practical options for millions more journeys. It includes £135m for programmes training children to walk and cycle safely to school. Ministers want at least 60% of children aged five to 16 walking or cycling to school by 2035, up from 47% in 2023. The increase is projected to make 5.3m more people in towns and cities physically active. Delivery will involve Active Travel England and local authorities.

The plan also includes development of a national active travel network accessible on route mapping apps within five years. Government data shows the current share of children walking or cycling to school stands at 47%. The strategy forms part of wider efforts to reduce health inequalities across communities.

The case for

Dedicated routes and crossings will cut emissions from short journeys while improving public health. The investment supports the goal of 55% of short trips in towns and cities being made by walking, wheeling or cycling by 2035. Ministers say the changes will reduce pressure on the NHS by enabling more people to build exercise into everyday travel. Comparable targets already exist in other European countries that have expanded protected cycle networks in recent years.

The case against

The £4.5bn could instead address maintenance backlogs on existing road and rail networks. Critics argue that repairing current infrastructure delivers more immediate safety and reliability benefits than new active travel schemes. Funding allocated to thousands of new crossings and routes may divert resources from projects already in delivery, such as the Lower Thames Crossing where the Department for Transport has committed £1.655bn.

Why it matters now

If the strategy proceeds, 5,000 new routes and 10,000 crossings will be in place by 2030, with a national network available on mapping apps by 2031. If funding is redirected, the 55% active travel target for 2035 would require alternative delivery mechanisms. The next spending review will determine whether the £4.5bn commitment remains intact.

Further reading

edie.net · BBC News

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