Standing at the crossroads
The government's new Active Travel Strategy for England aims to put walking and cycling at the heart of local transport and public health strategies.
The strategy recommends a national shift to walking and cycling and says "we want to support local health and transport partners in working together to make walking and cycling the preferred modes of local transport for the 21st century".
Sustrans believes that a major shift from private motor transport to active travel is central to tackling the problems of obesity, climate change, air pollution and road safety. This change can be achieved by re-focusing existing transport budgets on smarter travel choices including walking, cycling and public transport that are sustainable, healthy and improve our quality of life.
As the strategy says, "there is potential to make billions of pounds of savings to the economy through more active travel: other countries like the Netherlands have achieved this and we should do the same." Sustrans, together with the UK's leading public health organisations, last year called on governments to Take Action on Active Travel, so as to beat back the obesity epidemic. If we don't do so, government estimates that by 2050 the wider costs to society of obesity will reach £49 billion per year.
Sustrans has many years experience of successfully promoting travel by foot, bike and public transport. We know that government investment decisions will determine whether or not the strategy can become reality.
We can continue with growing traffic jams, accelerating climate change and escalating NHS costs, or we can actually save public money, while creating places where walking, cycling and public transport are the natural choice. The journey will recommence with, soon to be made, government funding decisions that will answer English regional transport prioritises that currently favour road-building by some three to one.
The Active Travel Strategy is a joint publication by the departments of Health and Transport.