At least 60% of children in England should be walking or cycling to school within a decade, the government has said, as it unveiled a “record” £4.5bn investment strategy promising thousands of safer routes and crossings.
The target, announced by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander, aims to boost active travel among five-to-16-year-olds from the current level of 47% — the latest government data from 2023 — to three in five by 2035. Ministers also want at least half of all short trips in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by the same year, up from 48% today, a shift they say would mean 5.3m more people being physically active in urban areas.
“Government targets 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035, backed by £4.5bn investment.”
To deliver the ambition, the Department for Transport said 5,000 walking, wheeling and cycling routes and 10,000 “safer” crossings would be built by 2030, delivered alongside local authorities and Active Travel England. A further £135m will be spent on programmes training children to walk and cycle safely to school and helping schools develop travel plans — though many already encourage pupils to avoid car journeys.
“Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don’t feel they have safe and convenient options to do so,” Alexander said. “This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone.”
The strategy also sets out plans for a “national walking and cycling network” that will be “usable at a national scale”, with consistent signage and availability on route-mapping apps within five years. Health Secretary James Murray said the plan would “help more people build exercise into their everyday lives, improving public health and supporting our ambition to reduce pressure on the NHS”.
The 60% target for children walking or cycling to school represents a significant increase on current rates. Under the plans, ministers also want 55% of short trips to be active by 2035 — including what is described as a “stage” of a journey, such as walking or cycling to onward public transport. The government’s investment is the largest ever for active travel in England, according to the Department for Transport.