Years of under-investment in England’s streets has left people walk wary and cycle cautious, says new report

Years of under-investment in England’s streets has left people walk wary and cycle cautious, says new report - IPPR

Just 2 per cent of total transport budget is spent on infrastructure to support active travel, IPPR finds
Less than one in five people walk, wheel or cycle every day, compared to more than one in four across Europe
London gets £24 per head of investment in active travel, compared to £10 per head in the rest of England
£35 per head per year for a decade is needed to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure

Chronic underfunding of active travel across England is undermining efforts to get people walking, wheeling and cycling, instead of driving, according to a new report from IPPR. This failure has locked in more congestion and contributed to worsening air quality, making it harder to reduce emissions while also stifling local growth, the report says.

The UK lags behind its European counterparts, with fewer than one in five people walking, wheeling or cycling on an average day compared to more than one in four across Europe.

Disparities in active travel spending have also led to an investment gap equivalent to £2.3bn between London and the rest of England over a five-year period. London spent the equivalent of £24 per head per year between 2016 and 2021, while the rest of the country spent the equivalent of only £10 per head, the IPPR report finds.

However, even London’s spend on active travel is far below what is needed, IPPR says. Investment in active travel has historically been low across all of England, accounting for just 2 per cent of the total transport spend, leading to some of the lowest walking, wheeling and cycling rates in Europe.