Walking and cycling should be ‘natural first choice’ for short journeys

11.24 | 20 July 2021 | |

Image: Sustrans

Walking and cycling charity Sustrans has welcomed the Government’s newly-published ‘greenprint’ to decarbonise all modes of domestic transport by 2050.

Published on 14 July, the Transport Decarbonisation Plan sets out how the Government will increase support for active travel.

This includes:

  • The delivery of thousands of miles of ‘safe, continuous, direct routes’ for cycling in towns and cities, physically separated from pedestrians and volume motor traffic
  • Creating a new funding body and inspectorate, “Active Travel England”, to enforce standards and raise performance
  • Supporting the creation of more School Streets to enable more children to walk and cycle to school safely 
  • Further investment in cycle training and behaviour change programmes to support cycling and walking to school including Bikeability training and Walk to School Outreach

Sustrans says in order to reach net-zero, there needs to be a ‘fundamental shift’ towards active travel and public transport use.

Xavier Brice, CEO of Sustrans, said: “We welcome the clear ambition to make walking and cycling the natural choice for short journeys and are pleased to see it front and centre of this plan.

“Realising this ambition will require sustained investment in world-class infrastructure to create safe and inclusive routes and make it easy for everyone to walk and cycle.

“Many people have no choice but to use their car because of how we have planned our towns and cities.

“It’s good that this plan recognises the need to reverse this and instead of baking-in car dependency, plan our places on the principles of 20-minute neighbourhoods, and create healthier places and happier lives for everyone.”

The vision also announces plans to phase out the sale of new diesel and petrol heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) by 2040, subject to consultation.


 

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