PRESS RELEASE : Save money, improve health and help the environment [December 2022]

The press release issued by the Welsh Government on 30 December 2022.

Whether you’re looking to swap from the car to a healthier and more cost-effective commute, thinking of taking a weekend stroll, or simply planning a bike ride with friends and family, there’s likely to be an opportunity nearby with more than 2000km of high-quality local walking and cycling routes already available across Wales.

Following months of public consultation and working closely with the Welsh Government, local authorities have published their Active Travel Network Maps, which include a comprehensive list of fully approved and accessible active travel routes, which can be accessed on Data Map Wales.

The maps bring together both existing routes as well as plans to deliver new and improved routes over both the short and long term with funding from the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund.

The 2023-24 funding round is now open for applications and the Welsh Government is encouraging local authorities to apply for funding from the £55m pot to help them realise their ambitions for active travel in their community.

Deputy Minister for Climate Change, with a responsibility for Transport, Lee Waters said:

Getting people out of cars for short journeys and encouraging them to walk or cycle instead is a huge challenge for us, but one that has to be met if we are to reach our net zero carbon emission target by 2050.

We need to create the right infrastructure and have the right routes in place so that people have the choice of walking and cycling for their everyday journeys – we need to make the right thing to do, the easy thing to do.

There is still a long way to go, but I’m pleased to see we’re moving in the right direction.”