Scotland sets out active travel transformation plan – Highways News

Transport Scotland says the implementation of a major change programme for active travel delivery has commenced, and which will evolve over the following years.

It says this programme will affect change right across the Active Travel system, addressing shortcomings in both infrastructure delivery and behaviour change interventions.

Within the new system that delivers infrastructure quickly, to a high standard and in a planned and cohesive fashion, people must also be supported and encouraged to use that infrastructure for everyday journeys.

The transition to transformative change in Active Travel infrastructure delivery began with the introduction of the Transformation Fund in 2023-24. This introduced a more direct relationship between Transport Scotland and Local Authorities. Through the Fund, delivery Partners identified a longer-term pipeline of infrastructure projects with an indicative value of £675m.

The new tiered delivery model introduced in April 2024, provides both block grant and prioritised funding to Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships and National Park Authorities.

As part of this transition, Transport Scotland says the main infrastructure programme, Places for Everyone (PfE), closed to any new applications in April 2024, and winds down to December 2025 when any remaining construction projects will, subject to assessment, shift to the new Infrastructure Fund.

It adds the transition to transformative change in behaviour change has centred on the establishment and introduction of a new, de-centralised model for delivery, with Active Travel delivery organisations still being part of the delivery picture, but without the direct financial mechanism that was previously in place.

In a statement it adds sustained and significant change will be supported by the consolidation of the numerous funding streams across active and sustainable travel, and a new National Evaluation Framework, ensuring that the new system maximises its outcomes and contribution to the vision for that change: “…an improved delivery system which combines increased resources with improved processes to accelerate the pace and scale of delivery and realises our policy ambition of more people walking, wheeling and cycling more often…”

(Picture – Glasgow City Council)