Scottish government invests £20 million in active travel infrastructure

Credit: Transport Scotland

The Scottish government has announced that it has allocated £20 million as part of its active travel funding for 2023/24 to enhance walking, cycling and wheeling for everyday transportation. The Active Travel Transformation Fund will directly provide the investment to local authorities, regional transport partnerships and national park authorities in collaboration with Transport Scotland. This funding aims to support the implementation of ambitious active travel infrastructure projects throughout Scotland.

“I am delighted to announce our latest £20 million investment through the Active Travel Transformation Fund. We’ve worked closely with local authorities to ensure this new approach works for them – making it easier to deliver more ambitious infrastructure projects faster than ever before,” said Minister for Active Travel Patrick Harvie. 

The Scottish government’s target is to allocate at least £320 million or 10% of the transport budget to active travel by 2024/25, re-affirming its dedication to sustainable and eco-friendly transportation options.

Scottish Government publishes plan to boost cycling

Glasgow City Council and Convener for Transport Councillor Angus Millar said: “It’s great to see the Scottish government backing our plans to deliver safe and comprehensive active travel infrastructure for Glasgow. All of our projects aim to provide improved public spaces that support active travel and public transport so we can move away from relying on the vehicles that fuel climate change. The push to develop the Connecting Battlefield project, in particular, will ensure safer, segregated cycling infrastructure all the way from the community, along the South City Way and into the city centre.”

The new £20 million fund, in addition to the existing funds like Cycling Walking Safer Routes with an annual budget of £35 million and ongoing support for Sustrans Scotland’s Places for Everyone programme, contributes to the Active Travel Transformation Fund. This particular fund is dedicated to assisting local authorities in strengthening their capabilities and speed, ensuring that the increased investment translates into tangible changes in communities.