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Announced by Active Travel England today, the £5.5 million investment will help to make travelling on foot, wheeling and cycling, a more attractive option for people making local journeys.
Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, said: “This investment is a great vote of confidence in our region and will allow us to build on the improvements we’ve already made.
“We’re making it easier for people to get around in a greener, more vibrant West Yorkshire.”
Over half of today’s investment (£3 million) will fund six new projects, with communities set to benefit from wider canal towpaths and improved crossing points, as well as improved facilities and infrastructure in Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees and Leeds.
An additional £2.5 million ‘Capability Fund’ has been awarded to support behaviour change campaigns and network development across all five West Yorkshire districts, over the next 18 months.
Across Yorkshire and the Humber, £12.9 million has been allocated to give people more options to chose to walk, wheel or cycle.
The projects have been designed to benefit all communities. The fund will also support local consultation and local authorities to work closely with residents to ensure new routes are attractive and inclusive for all.
Safety and accessibility are at the heart of the newly funded projects to give even more people the choice to travel by walking, wheeling or cycling.
Giving communities in Yorkshire and the Humber safe and accessible walking and cycling routes eases congestion, reduces air pollution and gives people healthier, cheaper, and more sustainable transport options.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, the £12.9 million funding package is made up of £7.9 million of capital funding from the Active Travel Fund 4 extension, £4.5 million of revenue from the Capability Fund and £500,000 for free e-cycle loans in South Yorkshire.
Across England, £1 million will be allocated to develop walking, wheeling and cycling plans for ten National Parks, including the Yorkshire Dales and Peak District.
In West Yorkshire, new crossings will make the walk to school safer for pupils at Lydgate School in Kirklees.
And a section of the canal towpath between Silsden and Kildwick will be resurfaced to reduce the amount of mud during the winter months and improve safety for people on foot.
Once complete, this will create 47km of continuous towpath, suitable for walking, wheeling and cycling, between Skipton and Leeds with onwards connections to Keighley and Bradford.
National Active Travel Commissioner, Chris Boardman, said: “This funding will give communities safer and more enjoyable ways to travel to school, work and the shops. It will also help local authorities work with residents to develop plans that work for them.
“This will ensure that communities will reap the most benefits from projects and provide excellent value for money for councils.”
This is the first-time specific allocations for local authorities have been revealed. The money, which comes from a range of funding pots, paves the way for improvements over the 23/24 and 25/26 periods.
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