Guidance

Active travel: local authority toolkit

Updated 10 August 2022

Applies to England

Walking, wheeling and cycling are the least carbon-intensive ways to travel.

However, walking currently accounts for only 5% of the total distance travelled in England. Around 49% of trips in towns and cities under 5 miles were made by car in 2021, with around a quarter of all car trips in England less than 2 miles.

Many of these trips could be walked, wheeled or cycled, which would help to reduce the 68 megatons (Mt) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emitted from cars in 2019. This would benefit local economies, as well as improve people’s health.

More active travel will also make roads quieter, safer and more attractive for people to walk, wheel and cycle – a virtuous cycle.

As we decarbonise transport, making all cars, public transport and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) zero emission is part of the solution, but relying solely on zero emission road vehicles isn’t enough.

Road traffic, even on pre-COVID-19 trends, was predicted to grow by 22% from 2015 to 2035, much of it in cities where building new roads is physically difficult and disadvantages communities.

As set out in the second cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS2), the government wants walking, wheeling and cycling to be the natural first choice for shorter journeys or as part of longer journeys.

Local authorities can play an important role in increasing walking, wheeling and cycling. Through influencing planning and taking a wider, strategic view of travel infrastructure across their area, authorities can ensure that active travel infrastructure connects residents to services.

As local leaders, authorities have a wide sphere of influence and can lead by example in adopting, promoting and providing infrastructure to enable and encourage active travel with their staff.

Authorities can also work with local businesses, industrial estates and business improvement districts to design specific interventions and behaviour change programmes to enable active travel with their employees and customers.

The primary actions for local authorities are to:

• develop Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs)
• develop and implement Travel Demand Management Plans
• plan for and improve active travel infrastructure
• promote behaviour change to enable active travel

What active travel means

Active travel refers to modes of travel that involve a level of activity.

The term is often used interchangeably with walking and cycling, but active travel can also include trips made by wheelchair, mobility scooters, adapted cycles, e-cycles, scooters, as well as cycle sharing schemes (adapted from the definition in the Future of Mobility: urban strategy.

Wheels for Wellbeing explains that cycling includes a wide range of cycle types, including:

• bicycles
• handcycles
• tricycles
• recumbent tricycles
• go-karts
• cycles for 2 (tandem, side by side, wheelchair tandem and duet bikes)

Recent changes in active travel

The 2021 National Travel Survey found that the number of walking trips remained at a similar level to 2020, which is below the level seen in recent years prior to the pandemic. Whilst overall levels of walking have fallen in recent years, people are choosing to walk further, with walking trips of over a mile remaining higher than pre-pandemic years.

Cycling decreased back towards pre-pandemic levels, following a peak during 2020. The National Travel Survey reported that:

• 47% of people over 5 years had access to a pedal cycle, the same level as 2020
• less people (a decrease of 27%) cycled for part of their trip, and the average number of trips by cycle decreased by 27%
• following the peak of average miles cycled per person in 2020, average miles decreased by 37% in 2021 – bringing it back to pre-pandemic levels

Wave 5 of the National Travel Attitude Survey focused on cycling with:

• off-road and segregated cycle paths (55%), safer roads(53%) and well-maintained surfaces (49%) the most common measures that respondents said would encourage them to cycle more
• 64% supporting the creation of dedicated cycle lanes, at the expense of road space for cars

E-cycles

E-cycles are growing in popularity and make cycling accessible to more people, build users’ confidence and enable cycling in more challenging terrain.

The definition of e-cycle includes all electrically assisted pedal cycles, electric cycles, e-bikes and e-trikes.

E-cycles offer assistance only when the rider is pedalling and must comply with the electrically assisted pedal cycles (EAPCs) regulations.

To be classified as an EAPC and not treated as a motor vehicle, when used on roads, a cycle fitted with an electric motor must comply with the requirements of the EAPC Regulations 1983. Specifically:

• it must be fitted with pedals that are capable of propelling it
• the maximum continuous rated power of the electric motor must not exceed 250 watts
• electrical assistance must cut off when the vehicle reaches 15.5 miles an hour

Cycle sharing

Cycle sharing describes any setting where cycles can be borrowed by the public or an employee (for workplace schemes).

Cycle sharing schemes can be an effective way to re-engage people in cycling – in CoMoUK’s 2021 bike share report nearly half of the 4,000 respondents said that joining a scheme was a catalyst to them cycling for the first time in at least a year, and 24% of them had not cycled for 5 years or more.

CoMoUK offers more information and guidance on cycle sharing schemes and identifies different scheme types:

• public – growing rapidly, these can include e-cycles. They integrate well with other modes of transport and are established in Belfast, Brighton, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool and London and smaller locations such as Hereford, Guildford, and Stirling. Existing schemes in the UK can be found on CoMoUK’s map
• station-based – cycles are located at train stations and at various points across the town or city, at staffed or unstaffed hubs, docking stations or in a geo-fenced area. Some can be returned to any dock and others must be returned to the starting location
• free-floating – where cycles can be left anywhere within the urban boundary, often with guidance on not causing obstructions when parking
• cycle libraries – allow users to rent cycles for short periods and include cycle hubs in community locations (such as libraries and sports centres)
• peer-to-peer – where owners rent their cycle out for a fee
• pool cycles – generally housed at workplaces or community locations and borrowed by members of staff or the community. These schemes may share public facilities such as cycle storage

Implementing active travel: cycle sharing in Scotland

In 2020, the grant programme Paths for All, Smarter Choices, Smarter Places, in Edinburgh and Glasgow, worked to increase the uptake of cycle-sharing. This generated almost 18,000 new users and a 38% increase in trips in 3 months.

Users reported an improvement in their physical and mental health, and 10% went on to buy their own cycle. Further details are available from CoMoUK.

The benefits of active travel

Encouraging mode shift to walking, wheeling and cycling is one of the most cost-effective ways of reducing transport emissions, as outlined in the transport decarbonisation plan.

Walking, wheeling and cycling can decrease congestion, air and noise pollution, and both are linked to health and economic benefits.

Friends of the Earth produced a briefing on the role and benefits of segregated cycleways and e-cycles in urban areas. They report that improvements could deliver benefits for health, carbon and local economies, and make recommendations to maximise the effectiveness of funding.

Carbon emissions and air pollution

Sustrans, the national travel charity, estimates that 28,000 to 36,000 early deaths occur each year in the UK due to air pollution worsening heart and lung disease. They report that 80% of roadside nitrogen dioxide (NO2) pollution is from road transport where limits are being broken.

As more of our short journeys (48% of all trips in urban towns and cities are under 2 miles) are walked or cycled, the carbon, air quality, noise and congestion benefits will be complemented by significant improvements in public health and wellbeing.

It is estimated that active travel can deliver between 1 MtCO2e and 6 MtCO2e savings from 2020 to 2050 in the transport decarbonisation plan.

In cycle share schemes, an average of 53kg of CO2e are saved per cycle share user each year according to CoMoUK’s 2021 bike share report.

Active travel can reduce the proportion of people driving children to school by up to 33%. Through projects such as the Big Pedal, 8.5 million car miles could be saved, resulting in a decrease of 2,500 tCO2e and reductions in NO2 levels.

Future active travel spending is expected to deliver £20 million to £100 million savings from air quality improvements as well as providing opportunities to improve green space and biodiversity.

Physical health

Physical inactivity costs the NHS up to £1 billion each year, with additional indirect costs of £8.2 billion according to a report by the Department for Transport (DfT) in 2014 on the economic benefits of walking and cycling. This report also highlights a link between adult obesity levels and travel behaviour as countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking generally have the lowest obesity rates.

In Growing Cycle Use, the Local Government Association (LGA) reports that if cycling rates were elevated to London levels across other UK cities, this would avoid at least 34,000 incidences of 8 life-threatening conditions between 2017 and 2040.

Regular commuting by cycle is linked to a lower risk of cancer or heart disease compared to other forms of transport. This may be partly due to cyclists and walkers being exposed to less air pollution than drivers and passengers inside vehicles on the same routes.

In the 2021 bike share report, CoMoUK found that 20% of cycle share scheme users said that if formed ‘all’ or a ‘major part’ of the physical activity they undertook.

Sustrans identifies further health benefits: a 3-mile commute will achieve recommended levels of activity each week.

The Energy Saving Trust reports that walking strengthens muscles, lungs, bones and joints.

Physical activity has also been shown to reduce incidences of heart disease, asthma, diabetes and cancer, as well as benefiting those with bad backs.

Mental health

Exercise can protect against anxiety and depression, according to the NHS. Any exercise is beneficial but exercising outdoors can have additional benefits.

Research in the British Medical Journal suggests that exercise can also help reduce stress. Guidance from the UK Chief Medical Officers’ on physical activity suggests that 30 minutes of moderate activity per day almost halve the odds of experiencing depression.

Gear Change states that completing 20 minutes of exercise each day cuts the risk of depression by 31% and increases worker productivity.

Economic benefits

Increasing active travel will reduce road congestion, particularly at peak times, leading to increased productivity and improved movement of goods and services. Sustrans estimates that congestion costs £10 billion per year in 2009 in urban areas, and that this cost could rise to £22 billion by 2025.

Living Streets’ Pedestrian Pound report outlined a range of economic benefits of walking, including that well-planned walking improvements can lead to a 40% increase in shopping footfall.

The LGA highlights how, after a Canadian council reallocated high street parking as bike lanes or cycle parking for a year, businesses benefitted from increased footfall (20% increase), spend (16% increase) and increased frequency of return visits (13% increase).

The Transport decarbonisation plan states that cycle manufacture, distribution, retail and sales contribute £0.8 billion per year to the economy and support around 22,000 jobs.

For organisations

As an employer, promoting active travel can help with corporate social responsibility, reduce the impact of business traffic (including commuting) locally and reduce demand for parking spaces.

Active travel can also improve the health and wellbeing of staff, increase productivity and motivation, and aid the recruitment and retention of skilled workers. More information is available on the Sustrans website.

Actions for local authorities

Local authorities are well placed to plan and provide space for inclusive active travel infrastructure and accompanying behavioural change programmes. For Local Transport Authorities (LTAs) and combined authorities, doing so is part of their responsibilities on highways and road safety.

The LGA, as part of their decarbonising transport series, produced guidance on how authorities can grow cycle use. They note that measures will be most effective if implemented as part of a comprehensive active travel plan, integrated with wider transport, climate and housing strategies.

The final evaluation report of the Cycle City Ambition programme makes suggestions for local policymakers and practitioners on the most effective ways to increase active travel. It found that improving infrastructure is effective in increasing cycling and improving health equity, but requires significant investment and may take some time for impacts to be fully realised.

Sustrans can assist local authorities to develop active travel policy and guidance. It can also help promote active travel and provide feedback on walking and cycling schemes. Its website has sections for professionals, policy, and a resource library to enable authorities to make the case for active travel.

Living Streets can offer specialist advice and support for local authorities on enabling walking, including school and community engagement and infrastructure design.

Wheels for Wellbeing is a national charity that supports disabled people to access and enjoy cycling. As part of its Infrastructure for All campaign, it has highlighted the most significant barriers to cycling for disabled cyclists, including inaccessible cycling infrastructure and inadequate facilities to secure adapted cycles.

It recommends that authorities looking to install or upgrade cycling infrastructure follow LTN 1/20 – Cycle Infrastructure Design Guidance or the London Cycling Design Standards inclusive cycle concept.

Wheels for Wellbeing has published a Guide to Inclusive Cycling that promotes best practice in designing inclusive cycling infrastructure.

Implementing active travel: Greater Manchester

Using funding from the Cycle Cities Ambition programme, Greater Manchester built 3 miles of cycle lanes along one of the city’s busiest bus routes in 2017.

Infrastructure installed included a mix of on-road and fully segregated cycle lanes and shared-use paths, along with 26 bus stop bypass lanes for cyclists.

The cycling measures were planned as part of a holistic design to improve the environment and maximise opportunities for cycling, walking and improved bus travel along the corridor.

The overall scheme included widened footways and improved crossing facilities for pedestrians and the removal of general traffic from a section of the road at certain times of day, improving bus journey time reliability. Mitigation measures to address traffic displacement onto parallel routes were also introduced.

Surveys found that in 2018, cycling 2 miles from the city centre was up 85% against a 2015 baseline.

For 2018, analysis identified more than a million journeys along one section of the route, saving an estimated 873.5 tonnes of CO2.

1. Develop a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are part of the 2017 cycling and walking investment strategy.

Although not mandatory, their aim is to help authorities in England take a strategic approach to improving conditions for walking and cycling and ensure that consideration is given to walking and cycling within local planning and transport policies.

Developing an LCWIP will help an authority make a strong case for future investment in active travel infrastructure. DfT has produced guidance and tools on developing an LCWIP.

The main outputs from an LCWIP are a:

• mapped network plan for walking, wheeling and cycling that identifies preferred routes, current and future travel patterns, and core zones for further development
• prioritised programme of infrastructure improvements for future investment in the short, medium and long term that contributes towards meeting broader local goals
• report that sets out the underlying analysis, including the barriers and enablers for walking, wheeling and cycling, and provides a narrative to support the improvements identified

As of September 2020, 45 of the 46 local authorities that took part in the original DfT LCWIP pilot scheme had submitted an LCWIP.

Cycling measures, infrastructure and networks identified in an LCWIP should follow the best practice guidance in Local Transport Note 1/20 on delivering high-quality cycling infrastructure.

Authorities can ensure that new infrastructure is inclusive by following the Wheels for Wellbeing guidance.

Wave 5 of the National Travel Attitudes Survey identified safety as a major concern among those who would like to cycle more often. One action to boost cycling is to provide dedicated road space for cyclists. The development of a network of high-quality, segregated cycling infrastructure, through inclusion in LCWIPs, will encourage growth.

The LGA notes that a mixture of measures is needed alongside segregated infrastructure to develop safe cycling networks, including vehicle speed and volume management.

To support the development of LCWIPs, Sustrans produced a report addressing 9 misconceptions about implementing cycling infrastructure.

For each myth, it provides evidence and sample messages to support a communications campaign and make the case for increased investment in active travel.

On 6 July 2022, DfT published the second statutory Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS 2), which covers the period between 2021 and 2025. The strategy includes new and updated objectives including:

• increasing levels of walking and walking to school
• doubling cycling
• increasing the proportion of journeys in towns and cities that are walked or cycled

It also sets out the funding in place to achieve these objectives.

2. Develop a Travel Demand Management Plan

LTAs in England can assist in encouraging active travel by developing a Travel Demand Management (TDM) plan.

These aim to manage pressure on a transport network under times of heightened demand and uncertainty. An effective TDM plan can contribute data to the development of an LCWIP, as well as strengthen the case for investment.

The DfT toolkit for LTAs on developing TDM plans, produced by Mott MacDonald, can be used to support LTAs in developing TDM plans following COVID-19.

The toolkit also allows authorities to manage other scenarios where there are pressures on the transport network or times of higher demand. The toolkit includes worked scenarios, a template action plan and sample questions to answer during the data-gathering exercise.

To be effective, TDM plans need:

• leadership, support and endorsement from all agencies within the LTA area
• clear identification of the problem and size of the challenge
• range of alternative travel options available
• strength of message to influence travel
• good communication channels to ensure messages reach their intended audience
• focused approach with audience and mode segmentation
• trust and credibility (from the audience) in the quality of information provided
• consistent message across all stakeholders built around the core narrative
• time and resources to implement the plan
• ability to track and monitor impacts

Implementing active travel: TDM in the West Midlands

Transport for the West Midlands (TfWM) developed a TDM programme, including a strategy and delivery plan, in August 2020, in anticipation of pupils returning to school following COVID-19 lockdowns.

TfWM worked with districts and transport operators to implement measures designed to avoid a mismatch between travel demand and supply. Travel planners undertook surveys to identify schools in need of support and produced a toolkit and supporting communications material.

Implementing active travel: TDM in North Yorkshire

North Yorkshire County Council developed a TDM plan to support modal shift from cars to active travel when schools returned from lockdown. It focused on behaviour change to raise awareness of transport options, particularly active travel and road safety.

A brand identity and core messaging were developed, along with a social media content plan to target specific demographics and signpost to resources such as Open North Yorkshire. Since then, 18% of trips have switched to non-car travel – 9% to active travel and 9% to public or school transport.

3. Plan for active travel

As planning and transport authorities, local authorities play a significant role in enabling residents to use active travel modes.

The government’s Transport decarbonisation plan contains a commitment to embed the transport decarbonisation principles in spatial planning and an ambition to make walking, cycling and public transport the first natural choice for journeys.

One of the commitments of Gear Change was the establishment of Active Travel England (ATE). ATE launched as an executive agency in January 2022, with one of its stated objectives being to improve the provision of walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure.

ATE will be a statutory consultee in the spatial planning system, approve and inspect walking, wheeling and cycling schemes and support local authorities through the sharing of knowledge and good practice.

As the LGA reports, easy access to destinations such as employment, education, healthcare and leisure facilities, will encourage take-up, as will incorporating green routes, parks and water features into infrastructure. More direct and better connected routes and secure cycle parking at critical points to allow inter-modal journeys, help to extend the reach of cycling.

Sustrans’s Cycling for Everyone report looks at how to improve access to cycling and reduce inequality through improvements to governance, planning and decision-making. It includes recommendations on making cycling more inclusive encompassing scheme design, public engagement and user safety. Arup, Living Streets and Sustrans have also published a Walking for Everyone report, which provides information, advice and recommendations to make walking and wheeling more inclusive. Sustrans have also recently published the results of their Disabled Citizens’ Inquiry into active travel which provides a number of helpful recommendations for local authorities.

Implementing active travel: Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood

Sustrans worked with Manchester City Council, Bespoke Transport Consulting, Transport for Greater Manchester and local community groups as part of the Bee Network to create the first ‘active neighbourhood’ in the Levenshulme and Burnage area of South Manchester. An active neighbourhood aims to prioritise the movement of people over motor traffic.

This scheme intends to create an Active ‘filtered’ Neighbourhood, using planters to reduce traffic in the area and encourage residents to use other forms of sustainable transport – particularly walking and cycling.

Consultations are currently underway and the scheme is expected to be completed by March 2022.

Levenshulme and Burnage Active Neighbourhood is now being managed by Manchester City Council.

4. Develop a behaviour change programme for active travel

Authorities can stimulate a shift to active travel for short journeys through effective communication, design and implementation of behaviour change interventions.

As local leaders, planning authorities, transport authorities and employers, authorities can demonstrate best practice by modelling approaches to increase walking, wheeling and cycling and promote the benefits of embedding active travel within staff engagement and carbon reduction plans.

Active Travel behaviour change interventions could include (but are not limited to):

• cycle and e-cycle hire schemes
• business grants to provide facilities or equipment
• travel planning
• cycling skills courses (for children, adults and families)
• walking and cycling engagement events
• school-focused initiatives
• measures to improve cycle security
• measures to tackle inclusion and accessibility barriers

Evidence shows that it is more effective to develop behaviour change and infrastructure projects together, rather than in isolation.

Developing and implementing a programme of behaviour change initiatives for staff and residents will enable use of new infrastructure and reduce reliance on cars.

Growing Cycle Use suggests that local authorities should embed cycling in local culture through integration into school, workplaces and towns.

Designing inclusive approaches that take advantage of, and build on, existing programmes that have high value for money, such as Living Streets’ Walk to School Outreach and Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival, and engaging with national events, such as Bike Week or Walk to School week, can drive uptake. Initiatives targeted at school-age children especially would help to create a local active travel culture from an early age.

Implementing active travel: gamification to encourage active travel

Research by Cardiff Metropolitan University has highlighted the benefit of combining infrastructure for active travel with novel behaviour change techniques. Beat the Street is an active travel engagement platform that encourages players to use active travel to move around their area, swiping their cards at consecutive locations to earn points.

Evaluation conducted by researchers on levels of active travel before and after intervention found that the number of players doing less than 30 minutes of activity per week decreased by 7% and those reporting more than 150 minutes of activity increased by 13%. The study also reported 53% fewer cars and vans in the morning commute and 33% fewer cars in the afternoon.

For further information on Beat the Street, contact info@intelligenthealth.co.uk.

Cycle training

Providing cycle training for staff and residents can enable greater uptake of cycling through increasing confidence and skill of participants.

The national standard for cycle training describes the skills and understanding needed to cycle safely and responsibly and to enable others to cycle. Any cycle training to support safe cycling on the road should be based on the national standard.

Bikeability cycle training is the DfT-approved and funded method of delivering national standard training. It is a practical training programme, enabling trainees to cycle safely and confidently on today’s roads and learn basic cycle maintenance skills. It must be delivered by trained and registered instructors, registered and quality assured by the Bikeability Trust.

Your local authority may have an in-house team of registered Bikeability instructors or hold a contract with an independent training provider. Contracts are usually managed by road safety, active or sustainable travel teams.

Outside London, DfT provides funding to local highway authorities to deliver Bikeability in schools and the community. Grants for Bikeability training are managed by the Bikeability Trust.

In London, cycle training is funded by Transport for London (TfL) and the boroughs. Scotland and Wales have separate arrangements.

In some circumstances, DfT-funded Bikeability is managed and arranged via a school games organiser (SGO) host school, rather than by the local authority. The list of SGOs in receipt of Bikeability grants is available on the Bikeability website.

While Bikeability is primarily associated with children and the majority of Bikeability training is delivered through the school’s programme, the scheme also includes modules aimed at adults and family groups.

Since the programme started in 2007, more than 3 million children have received Bikeability training, and DfT and the Bikeability Trust are working together to develop plans so that every child and adult can take up an offer of training.

Promoting active travel to work

Authorities can lead by example by promoting active travel to their staff and working with local businesses to promote active travel to employees.

Research carried out by the behavioural insights team (BIT), working with DfT, sets out to develop policy options to convert high levels of cycling during the COVID-19 pandemic into more long-term travel habits.

The A Moment of Change: Guidance for local authorities on promoting an active return to work focuses on the cycle to work policy option from the BIT research, and provides a comprehensive toolkit to support local authorities in the design, implementation and evaluation of behaviour change programmes that promote an active return to work.

It covers developing, funding and choosing a model for a behaviour change programme, as well as suggested initiatives, case study examples of different interventions and resources to help build a business case and important messages.

Suggested actions from the guidance include:

• ensure your policies support and promote active travel where appropriate
• undertake a travel survey to find out how your staff currently travel and the barriers to active travel or public transport use
• consider developing staff travel plans to identify practical lower-carbon commuting options
• provide safe and secure cycle storage at your offices
• provide e-cycle charging to encourage those with a slightly longer commute to cycle
• provide access to showers for those who choose to run or cycle in. This can be in your office, or at a nearby leisure centre
• appoint an active travel champion. They could organise a bike buddy scheme, coordinate participation in active travel challenges or organise bike maintenance sessions
• sign up to a cycle to work scheme, such as Cyclescheme or the Green Commute Initiative. These are a form of employee benefits that allow staff to purchase cycles and accessories at a reduced cost, which is reclaimed through an employee’s pay

See the Sustrans website for more suggestions.

Tools and funding

Tools

Numerous tools from government and research bodies are available to assist local authorities in planning, implementing and assessing active travel infrastructure. They include:

• Active Travel Portal brings together information for local authorities, including case studies, links to documents, policies and research
• Healthy Streets Design Check: published by DfT to support authorities in applying LTN1/20 guidance. The tool measures existing streets and proposed designs to determine how healthy they are
• Propensity to Cycle: a strategic planning tool to help transport planners and policymakers prioritise investments and interventions to promote cycling
• Cycling Infrastructure Prioritisation Toolkit: a collection of tools that provides an evidence base for prioritising infrastructure to promote cycling
• Place-Based Carbon Calculator: estimates a per capita carbon footprint for each lower layer super output area (LSOA), as well as showing roughly 15-minute travel times using different modes
• Active Travel Toolbox: a collection of guides, tools and case studies to help local authorities deliver walking and cycling schemes in their area
• Active Mode Appraisal Toolkit: a spreadsheet-based tool for assessing the overall benefits of walking and cycling interventions. DfT has produced guidance on its use
• The Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) published an introductory guide to 20-minute neighbourhoods for local authorities in March 2021

Funding

Active Travel Portal has a guide to the funding options available to local authorities, including annual allocations that can support active travel, as well as competitive funds.

The UK government’s capability fund was announced in January 2023 and allocated revenue funding to all local authorities (outside London) to enable more walking and cycling in their local areas through developing LTN 1/20 compliant infrastructure plans and undertaking behaviour change activity.

Guidance issued to all authorities as part of the capability fund allocation highlights the need to monitor and evaluate the impact of schemes delivered through the fund. Authorities are required to report their progress and share the findings of their evaluation with Active Travel England.

The capability fund has been followed by a capital grants fund, allocated to authorities based on the quality of the plans developed.

Funding for Bikeability Cycle training in schools and the community in England (outside London) is available from DfT and training is delivered by Bikeability.

Local authorities agree their funding allocation and training activities with the Bikeability Trust at the start of the calendar year.

Any local authority wishing to discuss their allocation should contact the Bikeability Trust in the first instance.