The government recently announced that it would provide £32.9 million of funding for active travel schemes around the country, but what does this mean for Bridgwater? Well, the emphasis of the new Capability Fund is towards local communities, enabling them and their authorities to deliver the schemes that will work best in their local area.
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.”
Thanks to the work of advocates like Chris Boardman, active travel is now a huge sector with myriad aspects that need attention and input to build a strong, resilient active travel network for the future. Some of the areas lined up for funding include new cycle paths and school safety zones, which will help families get their kids to school and then on to work without relying on their cars.
Work will be done to engage under-represented groups in cycling, including women; and one of the reasons more women don’t cycle is because they don’t always feel safe. The Capability Fund will help work towards improving women’s safety. It will also provide training for local authority staff – many of those at Somerset County Council may not be fully up to date with the latest guidance on designing good walking and cycling routes.
Local plans will be developed in collaboration with those in the local community – those who know the area best – and improved versions of the recent LCWIPs will be produced. (What’s an LCWIP?)
As well as all this, there will be cycle training for those who lack confidence on two wheels, bike hire schemes and public engagement exercises to gauge public opinion and understand the needs of the local community.