Walking and cycling: local measures to promote walking and cycling as forms of travel or recreation

This guidance aims to set out how people can be encouraged to increase the amount they walk or cycle for travel or recreation purposes. This will help meet public health and other goals (for instance to reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions). The recommendations cover: policy and planning local programmes for schools, workplaces and the NHS.

This guidance considers walking and cycling as forms of transport, for example, to get to work, school or the shops. It also considers them as recreational activities, for example, as a means of exploring parks or the countryside. Walking and cycling are distinct activities which are likely to appeal to different segments of the
population.

A range of factors may be important in helping or restricting people from taking part. These will vary according to whether someone is walking or cycling for transport purposes, for recreation or to improve their health. Wherever the term ‘walking and cycling’ is used in this guidance, these variations should be kept in mind.

Key recommendations
• Integrating walking and cycling routes with public transport links.
• Implementing town-wide programmes to promote cycling.
• Developing and implementing school travel plans that encourage children to walk or cycle all or part of the way to school.

The report also urges practitioners to address infrastructure issues that may discourage people from walking, for example, traffic volume and speed and poor safety facilities for pedestrians and cyclists. It encourages practitioners to take into account NICE’s recommendations on physical activity and the environment and on road design.