The Road Ahead: Cycling UK’s Push for Long-Term Investment in Active Travel

This piece first appeared in the May edition of BikeBiz magazine – not subscribed? Get a free subscription.

by Simon Bowkett Head of Policy and Public Affairs at Cycling UK

For many of us, cycling is about escape—the freedom, the zen-like rhythm of pedalling, the quiet focus that cuts through the noise of modern life. It offers us the chance to connect with nature, get our bodies moving and the opportunity to leave behind the deadlines and doomscrolling. On a bike, we find time to breathe, think and process. 

But cycling is so much more than that. It isn’t just an escape from the world; it’s a way to change it. It’s a way for us to get to where we want to go; a path to cleaner air, a prosperous economy, a stronger NHS, a greener planet, and better-connected, safer streets. Whether we’re aware of it or not, cycling is shaped by everyday politics, and if we want to build a healthy cycling culture and booming sector, we need to stay well-informed about decisions that affect everyone who pedals. That’s why Cycling UK works to get more people cycling—and why we make the case for cycling where it matters most. 

In June, the Treasury’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) will set out its funding allocations to government departments – including the Department for Transport (DfT), which is responsible for roads and the policies that govern all road users. Funding is split between revenue spending, which is primarily for the day-to-day costs of delivering services, and capital spending, which is largely for one-off investment in physical infrastructure. 

Something Cycling UK has consistently called for is longer-term funding commitments from central government. Effective, value-for-money transport infrastructure design and planning requires certainty and ongoing financial commitment. Especially if we all want to reap the benefits of a flourishing cycling sector. That’s why we’re encouraged to hear that Ministers are considering a four-year capital and three-year revenue funding settlement for transport. This would allow local authorities to make longer-term strategic decisions to encourage and enable more people to cycle and to see a shift to more active and sustainable modes of transport. 

Next on the list after the Spending Review is the announcement of the government’s third Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3), where it will unpack the long-term funding for active travel. This investment strategy is required by law to guide policy and spending on infrastructure that promotes cycling and walking for all its benefits. Active travel is unmistakably good for the environment, our economy and public health. It’s emission-free, which reduces toxins in our air and makes our towns and cities nicer places to live. It can revitalise our high streets and boost our economy. And it makes us healthier, helping to keep us fit and preventing thousands of premature deaths from physical inactivity and poor air quality. If we adequately fund more cycling infrastructure, we stand to save our NHS £17 billion over the next 20 years. The government has committed to consult on CWIS3, ahead of its publication, so there will be more opportunities for all of us to have our say to shape the direction of future government policy and spending.

Later in the year, the government will develop its Integrated National Transport Strategy (INTS) – a strategy which will set the high-level direction for how the nation’s whole transport system should be designed, built and operated over the next 10 years. The INTS will create a single national vision to ‘empower local leaders to deliver integrated transport solutions that meet the needs of their local communities.’ This ambition is key. The government has set out a bold new approach to local government, including the creation of new combined mayoral authorities, and it’s suggested that local areas will have a far greater say in how transport in their area works.

With so much going on in the world of cycling, we have a real chance to influence what happens next in England (transport is devolved to the national assemblies in Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland). If you’re passionate about cycling and making it more of an everyday activity, you can write to your local MP or the Local Transport Minister, Simon Lightwood, to ask them to prioritise cycling when they consider the future strategy, policy and investment in transport. 

 Here’s what we’ve been saying to the government:

• If the UK government is to achieve its own stated objective to increase cycling levels, it must invest more in enabling people to cycle. That means steadily increasing funding for active travel to reach 10% of the transport budget spent on active travel, approximately £50 per head, by the end of the parliament. Funding levels have long been inadequate, and as a result, cycling levels in most of the UK remain extremely low compared to similar countries. 
• Investing in cycling offers excellent value for money. For every £1 invested in cycling infrastructure, the government receives £5.62 worth of wider economic benefits – more than double the return on investment for new road building.
• Cycling is also a very cost-effective Net Zero enabler, offering an almost completely carbon-free alternative to driving, which is the main source of transport greenhouse gas emissions. 
• Examples like London show that investment in quality cycling infrastructure and community programmes lead to higher cycling levels, bringing with them economic, environmental and health benefits. London’s example also demonstrates that funding for active travel can be repurposed from major new road projects and raised through road user charging schemes.

The decisions taken by the UK government this summer will affect our streets, our communities, and our economy for years to come, but with your support and voice, we can build the case for a better future by bike.

Get involved and make your voice heard by visiting www.cyclinguk.org/contact-MP