Leicester City Council is set to receive nearly £400,000 from the UK government to improve active travel options across the city.
Active Travel England (ATE)—an agency of the Department for Transport—has awarded £396,000 to the local authority from its Capability Fund.
The money is intended for investment across a range of active travel schemes, including:
- Developing a local plan of cycling and walking infrastructure to ensure travel options are well-connected;
- Using the strategy to support the ongoing development of a city-wide walking and cycling network;
- Providing training for council staff in accessibility standards so that cycling and walking infrastructure is as user-friendly for as wide a range of people as possible;
- Encouraging active travel through community events, including offering guided cycle rides and continuing the annual Walk Leicester festival.
ATE plans to invest £32.9m across the country to develop local knowledge of active travel across the UK, as part of a scheme announced last week.
The Capability Fund is intended to support local authorities across the country to train and retain local engineers and planners, creating a skilled active travel workforce able to collaborate with local communities through engagement and consultation sessions.
National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “If we want millions more people to walk, wheel and cycle to schools, shops and workplaces, we need to give them what they need to make the switch.
“Delivering schemes that offer an attractive choice takes technical skill, local knowledge, and community involvement.
“Survey after survey has shown people want the choice to be able to use the car a bit less and would love their kids to have more transport independence, so we aim to ensure they are at the heart of creating the right solution for their area.
“2023 is the year Active Travel England will start to make that happen.”
Leicester City Council has joined forces with Leicestershire County Council and behavioural change app Betterpoints to offer a rewards challenge, where users of the app can track their journeys and earn points for walking, running and cycling.
