Mayor boosts cycling and walking routes with extra £21m

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The Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, has recently secured £21 million in Government funding to implement more active travel schemes in collaboration with local councils. This significant investment aims to enhance cycle routes, upgrade junctions, create safer road crossings, and support community projects to encourage more individuals to embrace cycling and walking throughout the region.

The Government’s Active Travel Fund has allocated two grants to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA): £5.2 million for the current year and a substantial £15.9 million for the 2025/26 period, the largest allocation in the country. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), a part of WMCA, will work closely with local councils to distribute the funding to specific projects that will yield the greatest benefits from this investment.

Previous rounds of Active Travel Fund grants have been utilised for various projects, such as expanding the A38 cycle route in south Birmingham, implementing cycle lanes and safe pedestrian crossings on the Wolverhampton City Centre ring road, and supporting cycling classes, group walks, and community initiatives.

The health advantages of promoting cycling and walking for daily commutes are substantial, as they can alleviate pressure on the NHS and assist businesses in reducing sick days and employee absenteeism.

Richard Parker, the Mayor of the West Midlands, expressed his optimism about the funding, stating, “I’ve secured £21 million – the largest active travel funding allocation in the country – to make walking and cycling safer, easier, and more accessible for people across the West Midlands.”

He added, “Too many individuals lack safe and convenient routes for transportation. This investment will result in more cycle lanes, safer road crossings, and improved pathways, offering more people the option to walk or cycle for their daily journeys. This benefits people’s finances, health, and the environment.”

Beccy Marston, the West Midlands Active Travel Commissioner, also highlighted the region’s significant investment in new infrastructure and initiatives to support walking, wheeling, and cycling. She stated, “I am committed to collaborating with colleagues to implement Mayor Richard Parker’s ‘Journeys for Everyone’. This additional funding will enable us to enhance infrastructure while providing further support to our outstanding third-sector delivery partners.”

Image credit: Transport for the West Midlands