£30 million boost to create safer walking and cycling routes in the West Midlands

Active Travel England has allocated £36,009,295 to the West Midlands Combined Authority to build more routes and deliver programmes such as School Streets and Bikeability to encourage more people to cycle and walk as part of their daily journeys.

The authority was given the second highest possible ‘capability rating’ of three, which measures its ability to organise, plan and deliver active travel schemes. It is the only one in the wider West Midlands to achieve the score.

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said he has made increasing active travel as a key part of his ‘Journeys for Everyone’ priority and the forthcoming Local Transport Plan.

He said: “This extra funding and high rating is a great show of confidence in our ability to deliver on active travel – and we will.

“This means more cycle lanes, road crossings, and better pathways to make it easier and safer for everyone to walk and cycle, especially for those shorter journeys like the school run or a trip to the local shops.

“Investing in active travel is how we will reduce gridlock on our streets, clean our air, and build a happier and healthier community.”

Earlier this year the Mayor appointed Beccy Marston as the West Midlands Active Travel Commissioner to work with councils, organisations and communities to further increase levels of walking and cycling.

She said: “This funding allows us to further improve the safety and accessibility of walking, wheeling and cycling within our communities.

“I’m proud of the commitment demonstrated by our regional officers and the politicians who have championed this work, resulting in the retention of our capability rating.

“We will invest this money to continue building a connected, safe network that supports independent travel for young people and helps people make healthy choices for short trips, baking physical activity into daily routines.”

National Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said: “The aim of Active Travel England is to give people more everyday choice in how they get around, by creating safe, accessible and welcoming streets.

“Our innovative funding approach is proving effective, consistently raising the ability of local authorities to deliver the level of quality needed to achieve that ambition.

“This is evidenced by nine authorities improving their capability rating this year, showing what’s possible when investment and levels of support are carefully tuned to local needs.

“We are not just building infrastructure — together, we are creating communities: places where parents feel confident letting children travel independently, and where older people can reach local shops with ease. We are building life back into our streets.”