The Prime Minister has unveiled a new ‘revolutionary plan’ to help get more people walking and cycling across Britain.
The 33-point Cycling and Walking Plan focuses on the role that walking and cycling can play in getting the nation moving, as well as the role active travel can play in reducing carbon emissions and air pollution.
Within the plan, the government has committed to making streets better and safer for pedestrians and cyclists to do this they will transform existing infrastructure by building thousands of miles of protected cycle routes in towns and cities.
The plans also include measures to improve air quality and reduce traffic by creating more low traffic neighbourhoods and making streets safer by strengthening the Highway Code.
The plans will be overseen by a new body ‘Active Travel England.’
Jenni Wiggle, interim CEO at charity Living Streets commented on this announcement: ‘Investing in safe, convenient and attractive conditions for walking and cycling brings a range of benefits that will help deliver the government’s priorities around obesity and climate change.
‘Walking is the most accessible form of exercise and can help people maintain a healthy weight.
‘Yet our streets don’t support walking. Placing walking and cycling at the heart of our transport system will allow us to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic stronger and is essential for transport decarbonisation.
‘Low traffic neighbourhoods, better crossings, 20mph limits, School Streets and segregated cycle lanes can all help reshape our streets into ones that promote healthier travel choices.
‘Measures to reduce traffic in neighbourhoods and provide local authorities with new powers to enforce new schemes will further boost their effectiveness.’
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