Support for cycling and walking in North Yorkshire receives £220,000 boost

The boost has been hailed as a “vital step” on the county’s journey to encourage more people to travel on foot or by bicycle.

North Yorkshire County Council has accepted a £220,780 grant from Active Travel England’s Capability and Ambition Fund, which is supporting local authorities to build expertise, boost their capabilities to plan active travel infrastructure and support people to change the way they travel.

Cllr Keane Duncan, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, said: “We are committed to supporting the shift towards active modes of travel, such as walking and cycling, in all parts of North Yorkshire.

“The latest funding recognises our ambitions and is a vital step on our journey towards delivering a much more balanced approach to travel for our residents, reducing emissions, cutting congestion and promoting healthier lifestyles.

“As a council we have leveraged significant funding for active travel in recent years, including £1.5m from Active Travel England and an additional £54m of funding for landmark active travel improvements.”

North Yorkshire’s grant will be a share of the Government’s £32.9m Capability and Ambition Fund and will be used to fund new sensors to collect vital data to inform plans for future infrastructure and initiatives to encourage more people to switch from the car.

So far, North Yorkshire has received more than £1.5 million of Active Travel England funding since 2020, plus an additional £54m in capital funding to deliver landmark projects across the county, including in Harrogate, Scarborough and Whitby.