Image: Pupils at Monkston Primary School learning how to cycle at a Bikeability session.
The UK funding that the city council has secured will be used for more active travel in the area including training more children on bike safety, amongst other projects
Milton Keynes City Council will receive £4.7 million in government funding to encourage more walking, wheeling, and cycling thanks to its strong performance in the area, including investment in cycling programmes in schools and other initiatives.
The funding comes from Active Travel England and will be received over the next four years.
Each council’s funding is based on how successful they are in promoting active travel alongside population size. Councils with higher capability ratings receive greater funding support, and Milton Keynes City Council’s track record has helped to unlock this significant funding boost.
The investment will support a range of projects, including:
- Increased expansion of our redway network and improving redway safety
- Continued bike training for all school children in Milton Keynes
- Installation of additional secure cycle parking across the city
- Support to grow local walking, wheeling, and cycling groups and events
The additional funding will also help the Council to continue supporting more schools to develop travel plans like Cold Harbour and Two Mile Ash primary schools, who both recently won national awards for their significant success in reducing car use and congestion around the school gates by getting more pupils walking, wheeling and cycling to school.
Councillor Jennifer Wilson-Marklew, Cabinet Member for Transport, said:
“I’m delighted that we’ve received this extra funding to help us continue building on our success in embracing cycling and walking alongside other forms of transport, especially as we’ve secured more funding because of our strong track record of delivery. This means we can make it easier for people to choose sustainable transport for their shorter journeys’.”
The funding is part of a £626 million national programme to help local authorities deliver walking, wheeling, and cycling schemes that improve road safety, offer greener transport options, and promote healthier communities.