West Yorkshire leading the way for walking and cycling after further funding boost of £2.5 million

Tracy Brabin, the Mayor of West Yorkshire, has welcomed the region being recognised as leading the way in delivering ambitious cycling and walking opportunities.

West Yorkshire Combined Authority and its partners – including Wakefield, Kirklees and Calderdale – have been confirmed as one of the ‘Top Tier’ authorities in the country by Active Travel England.

The accolade means that West Yorkshire communities will benefit from a further funding boost of £2.5 million to develop the cycling and walking network.

The funding boost of £2.5m was secured by the Combined Authority from the Department for Transport’s Capability Fund, following a submission to government in 2022.

People will be able to access support to walk, wheel and cycle from a broad range of initiatives being made available across West Yorkshire by the funding..

This will include cycle training for families, bike maintenance training and more opportunities for children to learn how to ride for the first time.

Businesses will also receive a boost, with new bike loans being offered to employers, including e-bikes and e-cargo bikes, increasing access for even more people to benefit from new routes.

Ms Brabin said: "It’s an incredible achievement to be recognised for our transformational cycling and walking routes, along with our partners.

“We want to grow our economy, connect people with opportunities and tackle the climate emergency.

“We need a reliable and integrated transport system to do this and both cycling and walking have a vital role to play.”