The Active Travel Board found “no significant” increase in walking and cycling in the last decade
A report has called for a faster uptake of walking and cycling across Wales.
The Active Travel Board, set up by but independent of the Welsh Government, says progress “has not been as rapid as we would have wished.”
The report found “no significant increase” in walking and cycling since the Active Travel Act was passed in 2013.
It said 32% of all journeys were completed by walking and cycling, short of the Welsh Government’s target of 45% of journeys by 2040.
But the “political will” to pass legislation and invest in active travel was praised, with reports saying £19 per head is spent on this.
It also praised investments encouraging children to walk to school, with just over half of primary school children in Wales using active travel options in 2023.
But the rate was found to differ significantly between local authorities, ranging from over 72% in Cardiff, to just over 23% in Ceredigion.
The report also cited the completion of active travel projects, including a new accessible bridge at Newport railway station, and £1.2m improvements to cycleways in Roath Park and Newport Road in Cardiff.
The Active Travel Board are recommending more granular data collection that can assist more localised and targeted interventions, and pedestrian access being prioritised in new transport projects.
