Long-term Investment for Cycling and Walking – Comprehensive Spending Review
As a known cyclist, walker (and runner), who has cycled, walked, and run around most parts of this constituency, some on hundreds of occasions, I’m aware how dangerous and challenging these activities can be, and that some cycling and other provisions seem not to have been designed by active cyclists, nor with adequate consideration for pedestrians, families with push chairs and prams, nor for the disabled.
My Liberal Democrat parliamentary colleagues were the first to adopt the Get Britain Cycling recommendations, and we continue to press for a transformation in how people travel. Encouraging more people to cycle (or use public transport) rather than use cars for short journeys delivers health benefits, reduces pollution, and helps to relieve congestion.
We are campaigning for a new nationwide active travel strategy, alongside better integration of transport networks—for example, linking cycle paths with public transport hubs. We are also calling for an urgent Road Safety Strategy, including investment in safer infrastructure, stronger enforcement, improved education, and better safety technology. Many past road safety strategies have had a significant impact in reducing casualties, including among cyclists. Further progress is long overdue, and we should learn from those projects that have succeeded.
I will continue to press Ministers to commit to long-term investment in active travel. Our Transport Spokesperson, Paul Kohler, recently highlighted this in Parliament during the active travel debate, which you can read here: