Kent County Council welcomes initiative to increase walking and cycling

Kent County Council has welcomed an initiative to increase walking and cycling.

On Tuesday morning, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport Michael Payne attended the all-party parliamentary group for cycling and walking as it launched its manifesto in parliament, setting out an investment strategy for the country.

Its aim is to increase walking and cycling for those travelling by 2025 and increase walking to school.

The manifesto states that increased funding must be complemented by local authority policies that aim to reduce car use and enable more people in the UK to cycle and walk more often.

Mr Payne said: “In Kent we continue to work on a number of schemes to help people get away from their cars and encouraging them to walk and cycling.

“This takes different forms from installing cycle routes, providing bicycle training, helping arrange walking buses to school, challenging the way parents do the school run, to improving cycling facilities around train and bus stations.

“Our Active Travel Strategy aims to make this an attractive and realistic choice for short journeys, and we are working closely with the borough councils on their walking and cycling strategies as well as actively encouraging and supporting them to embrace every available opportunity.

“By developing and promoting accessible, safer and well-planned active travel opportunities, we hope to establish Kent as a pioneering county for active travel.

“We certainly support the all-party parliamentary group’s ambition to make cycling and walking a natural choice for shorter journeys with all the benefits this brings, not just in addressing climate change, but also supporting healthy lifestyles.”

Kent County Council recently received confirmation of continued funding for its Access Fund which encourages the use of active and sustainable modes of travel to access employment, education and training.

KCC encourages this with recent schemes including improved cycle storage at stations and a park and pedal scheme.

Kent County Council will shortly be publishing its Kent and Medway Energy and Low Emissions Strategy detailing priorities in tackling poor air quality and supporting electric vehicles and promoting walking, cycling and public transport.

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