Sustrans

Today sees the release of the Children’s Walking and Cycling Index report - the first of it’s kind - sponsored by Halfords This report follows on from the adult Walking and Cycling Index which has been in circulation for over 10 years. It is designed to combat rising children’s obesity and mental health issues linked to isolation and lack of independence. Recent national statistics suggest walking, wheeling and cycling to school have fallen since 2022, and Halfords and Sustrans hope to work in partnership to reverse these trends. Children are often overlooked by decision-makers and officers in transport, or if they are considered, it's on the school journey. This leaves out the role that travel plays in their day-to-day lives, supporting development of their independence, socialisation skills, overall mental health and wellbeing, and reducing the family workload. Read more and watch our video here, where you can also download the report in full. 👉 https://buff.ly/41x2M62

On Friday, we met Anna Sabine MP in Frome to show her the brand-new section of path, on the National Cycle Network, that now connects one of the "Missing Links" from the Colliers Way to the town centre. The work was completed by local volunteer group, Frome's Missing Links, and funded by Sustrans and the local community through a Crowdfunder appeal. Great work everyone!

Sam wants to walk to school as he feels many positive benefits from the exercise, helping him to concentrate in lessons as giving him the chance to let off steam with his friends. He and his mum Susanna, worry about safety. Sustrans calls for children’s needs to be prioritised when councils are planning transport improvements in their area. By adding more traffic-free and quiet cycle paths, more children will feel safe to get on their bike, meaning more active lifestyles and a greener local environment. Transport design that is inclusive for children is safer and more accessible for everyone, opening up opportunities for healthier lives through giving people a real choice about how they make short journeys in their area Read our Children's Walking and Cycling Index report here 👉 https://buff.ly/yuYGvhG Image description: A picture of Sam and his mum, Susanna walking. Susanna is holding their dog. To the left is a quote from Sam: Me and my friends play together while we're going to school; it makes me concentrate a lot more. But on the main road, there are no railings and there's cars everywhere. I would feel much safer walking to school if more of the roads had railings and the paths were wider.

Our Children's Walking and Cycling Index report, sponsored by Halfords, has found that 1.36 billion trips are walked, wheeled or scooted by children each year in the UK. Whilst most trips by children are made to and from school (38%), high numbers of trips are also taken for other purposeful journeys (32%) and to visit green space or for recreation (30%). This shows the need to consider children’s travel beyond the journey to school. 👉

Sam lives in Leicester and is in year 6 at school. In this video, he and his mum Susanna share their experiences of walking to school. Our Children's Walking and Cycling Index report shows 82% of Primary aged children surveyed support more traffic-free paths and quiet routes for walking and cycling. The report revealed that while most children walk or wheel at least once a week, less than half (48%) of children cycle do so this often. This is despite over half of children (51%) wanting to cycle more. Amid an obesity epidemic and an urgent need to reduce pressure on the National Health Service, walking and cycling offers both a prevention and a solution to poor health that is important to the mission of every government in the UK to improve people’s health. Read the full report here 👉 https://buff.ly/yuYGvhG

We are excited to be designing improvements for Fairlop Waters Country Park, which is set to undergo a major transformation thanks to the ambitious masterplan adopted by the London Borough of Redbridge. Read more at https://lnkd.in/eYketBgz. We look forward to making more links with local active travel groups such as Redbridge Rainbow Community who organise walks across the borough.

Susie's trike, alongside a host of other non-standard cycles, are available to loan for free through the Wheels4Me London scheme and several similar schemes around the country. Get in touch to find out if there could be an option for you at: https://lnkd.in/e6GqHWwv Wheels4Me London is generously funded by the Motability Foundation and delivered in partnership with Wheels For Wellbeing, Peddle My Wheels/OurBike, and Sustrans. We’d like to thank Active Travel England for this video elevating Disabled voices and bringing visibility to riders of non-standard cycles.  

In our mission to create healthier, more inclusive places for everyone, our London Design & Engineering team worked on a project called "The Hidden Engineering Behind Public Spaces, Art, and Play", in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering. Watch our video to hear from some of the inspiring young people we worked with to uncover the role of engineers in spaces in their neighbourhoods not generally thought of as “engineered”, including parks and public art. With thanks to: Greatfields School City of London Academy Islington Phoenix Academy Be First Regeneration Limited Project Centre Ltd Markides Associates Islington Council AECOM Mott MacDonald Expedition Engineering Ltd Useful Simple Trust

Our Children's Walking and cycling Index report has found there is a significant gender gap for children cycling. Only 17% of girls cycle five or more times weekly, compared to 28% of boys. This worrying gender gap means fewer girls are likely to either start or continue cycling as they grow up, depriving them of the benefits cycling brings; improved health, economic and education opportunities, and access to nature. Read more and watch our video here 👉 https://buff.ly/yuYGvhG

Sustrans engineers from the Midlands and East teams, along with drainage solutions company Civil Water Management Ltd, recently worked together on an innovative project to test sustainable drainage technology on the National Cycle Network to try and solve problems with flooding. They decided to try the technology on Route 6 of the Network, a section between Milton Keynes and Castlethorpe particularly prone to flooding in the winter months. Read more here 👉 https://buff.ly/NxQsHYA