Cycle training and walk to school programmes among £108 million active travel funding boost

The government has confirmed more than £100 million in funding to deliver hands-on training, community programmes and school initiatives that give people across England the skills, confidence and freedom to walk, wheel and cycle.

The multi-year funding, announced today (30 March 2026) by Active Travel England (ATE) will include £78 million for the government’s flagship Bikeability programme, which has provided cycle training to more than 5 million children since 2007. Local authorities across England will receive a share of the funding, with the Bikeability Trust providing support, advice and guidance.

Living Streets will receive £16.1 million to deliver its Walk to School Outreach programme, working with primary schools to help more children and families make walking part of their daily routine.

Cycling UK will benefit from £8 million to run the Big Bike Revival, which supports adults – particularly disabled people and women – to get back on their bikes.

Meanwhile Modeshift will receive £3.1 million to run the STARS (Sustainable Travel Accreditation and Recognition) travel planning award scheme and Active Travel Ambassadors programme, which empowers secondary school students to encourage peers to travel actively.

The package includes £2 million to support England’s 10 National Park Authorities to continue to develop accessible active travel networks. National Park Authorities will also use the funding to advocate for their active travel agendas and establish a pipeline of schemes that can attract future construction funding.

Up to £1 million will also be provided to selected ports and airports across England to develop active travel network plans. Project activities range from network planning and scheme design to public engagement and bespoke training, enabling employees and visitors to travel sustainably to these major employment sites.

Active Travel Commissioner Chris Boardman said:

This is a practical investment that changes how people move every day. It’s a child gaining the confidence to ride to school, a family choosing to walk, or someone getting back on a bike because it finally feels possible. Those small shifts add up quickly – to healthier lives, lower costs, and less pressure on our roads and NHS.

We know that when people feel safe and supported, they make different choices – and that’s when you see whole communities start to move differently. This isn’t just about active travel in isolation. It strengthens public transport by improving the first and last mile, it gives families more affordable options, and it makes our streets safer for everyone. It’s one of the most effective investments we can make to improve everyday life and give people real choice in how they get around.

Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said:

Our investment is about giving people of all ages the opportunity to choose healthier, more affordable and sustainable ways to travel.

Active travel plays an important role in strengthening pride in place, creating streets and neighbourhoods that people feel safer in, more connected to, and proud to call home.

The government is investing £626 million over the next 4 years, enabling local authorities to deliver vital walking and cycling schemes – enough for 500 miles of new walking and cycling routes and 170,000 more active trips per day. This funding will also help boost local businesses, grow local economies and ease pressure on the NHS.

Chief Executive of the Bikeability Trust, Emily Cherry said:

The Bikeability Trust welcomes the announcement of new funding from Active Travel England to invest in giving more people the skills and confidence to cycle, walk and wheel.

Bikeability is an essential skill, benefitting children’s health and happiness, and helping them make more sustainable travel choices for life.

We’re proud to be working with Active Travel England to help realise its active travel ambition.

Chief Executive of Living Streets, Catherine Woodhead said:

Supporting more children to walk or wheel to school is one of the easiest ways to improve our health, enhance road safety and reduce congestion for the whole community. And children love it!

This funding will allow us to work with even more schools to encourage their pupils to get active and to help them identify improvements to their local streets, so families feel able to choose the healthiest and happiest way to travel.

Director of Behaviour Change at Cycling UK, James Scott, said:

After 10 years of success with Cycling UK’s Big Bike Revival, it’s great to see the project continue for another 3 years with funding from ATE. During that time, we’ve supported more than 800,000 people to get back on their bikes, replaced nearly 10 million car trips, cut over 9,000 tonnes of CO2 and delivered more than £56 million in wider economic and social benefits.

This programme works because it reaches people who don’t usually cycle. Despite the gender divide in cycling, nearly half of our participants are women, with a quarter coming from ethnic minority communities. With continued funding and support, we intend to deliver more skills and confidence sessions, free repairs, and rides that make cycling feel like a real option for everyday travel. Not just for the committed few, but for everyone. Regular walking and cycling have been shown to cut sick days, reduce pressure on the NHS, lower carbon emissions, and save people money on travel costs.

The 3-year funding settlement gives delivery organisations the certainty they need to retain experienced staff and qualified instructors, enabling them to plan effectively, maximising value for money and reach across communities in England.