Report highlights knock-on benefits of safer, better-connected walking and cycling routes to overall transport infrastructure
Posted on in Business News , Cycles News
A new report from the Urban Transport Group (UTG) has called for greater investment in walking, wheeling and cycling to make public transport journeys more accessible and create better-connected local transport networks.
The report highlights that every public transport journey starts and ends with a local trip, meaning people need to be able to walk, wheel or cycle safely and easily between their homes and bus stops, tram stops and railway stations.
Walking and cycling account for one in three journeys overall, rising to almost half of journeys under five miles in towns and cities, but UTG says many everyday routes remain unattractive, inconvenient or feel unsafe because active travel has historically been under-prioritised in funding, policy and street space.
The report comes as the Government seeks to increase active travel through its third Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy (CWIS3), which sets a target for 55% of short journeys in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2035.
UTG recommends wider use of low-cost non-prescribed zebra crossings, helping local authorities tackle pavement parking through enforcement powers introduced under the Devolution Act 2026, and updating the Manual for Streets to embed best practice in street design.
It also calls for highways maintenance funding to cover footpaths and cycle infrastructure, alongside better-maintained pavements, safer and more frequent road crossings and long-term revenue funding to help councils make better use of capital investment and deliver integrated networks.
Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said: “If we want truly integrated public transport, we need to focus on the whole trip, from doorstep to destination. When people cannot safely or easily walk, wheel or cycle to a stop or station, public transport becomes less accessible and less attractive.
“Our report shows how small, practical steps can improve local connectivity, making sustainable travel a more realistic choice for more people and helping to create a better connected transport network.”