Over £70 million is currently being invested in walking, cycling, and wheeling improvements across the West. Together, the work will see over 47 miles of new and improved cycle routes, and almost as much new and improved pedestrian paths, as well as 10 new school streets.
The West of England recently hosted further visits from Active Travel England (ATE) to see completed and in-progress projects being delivered in the region.
Graham Grant, Interim CEO of ATE, took a tour of projects in Bath & North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire with council transport officers and cabinet members. They were joined in South Gloucestershire by Lindsay Holloway, ATE Regional Manager South West.
These visits followed in the footsteps of Chris Boardman, the National Active Travel Commissioner, during which he praised the region’s progress on walking, wheeling, and cycling, and the contribution it makes to people’s health and the economy.
In December, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s capability rating, which measures the authority’s ability to organise, plan, and deliver schemes increased from level 2 to level 3 – putting WEMCA on par with Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire, and helping to secure a further £11.7 million in government funding. The multi-year funding is part of a £626 million national package for walking wheeling and cycling schemes, which was initially announced as part of the Spending Review in June 2025
Councillor Lucy Hodge, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Transport Delivery at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said:
“We were delighted to show Active Travel England all the progress we are making in improving sustainable travel options. The western section of Scholars’ Way in Bath is due to be completed in the spring, with several new crossings already benefiting local communities.
“With further schemes under construction or due to begin soon, including Bath Quays Links an improvements in the historic city centre, we are continuing to build a safer, more connected network
“We are committed to making it easier for people to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport to reduce transport emissions and car dependency.”
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“We were glad to welcome Active Travel England (ATE) to the West once again to see more of the progress we’re delivering together to get the region moving, however people get around. The combined authority and our local councils really appreciate ATE’s continued support, expertise, and partnership, underlined by these visits after Chris Boardman came down during the summer
“Active travel was a big part of our recent Transport Vision announcement, with a commitment to doubling our number of School Streets by 2028 – making pick-up and drop-off times safer for more families. Walking, wheeling, and cycling are good for our health and good for our planet, so I’m delighted that we’re working together to invest in more improvements across our region.”
(Picture: Yay Images)
