Cambridgeshire mayor Paul Bristow meets Active Travel commissioner to champion active travel across the region

A mayor is looking at ways to make travelling in Cambridgeshire ‘healthier, wealthier, and happier’.

The mayor of Cambridgeshire, Paul Bristow, met with Chris Boardman, the National Active Travel commissioner, yesterday to explore opportunities for how the region can accelerate better active travel to create healthier and more convenient transport choices for residents.

The discussion focused on improving infrastructure for walking, wheeling, and cycling to make it safer, more accessible, and attractive to communities.

The visit highlighted the need for continued investment and partnership working with the government to improve active travel infrastructure and create more joined-up routes which connect more people and places.

The mayor and commissioner spoke about the benefits of reduced congestion, economic and quality of life benefits.

The Combined Authority’s emerging strategy sets out a vision for transforming active travel across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by 2050.

It focuses on three core outcomes: enhancing the region’s active travel network, empowering people with greater choice in how they travel, and delivering meaningful social and environmental benefits.

Key objectives include improving public health and wellbeing, reducing reliance on private vehicles, and ensuring fairer, more inclusive access to public transport options for all communities.

Over the next two years, eight dedicated walking, wheeling, and cycling schemes will be rolled out with a particular focus on supporting school-aged children to travel independently.

These initiatives will include the implementation of safer crossings and improved infrastructure around school footfall zones. This aims to improve safety, reduce rural isolation, and form long-term active travel habits from an early age.

With Cambridge already recognised as the UK’s ‘cycling capital’ thanks to its flat terrain, extensive cycle routes and strong cycling culture, the wider region is well positioned to build on this success and expand its walking and cycling infrastructure.

Mr Bristow said: “Active travel is not just about getting from A to B, it is about offering people real choice and creating better-connected communities.

“My conversation with Chris was about how we make walking, cycling, and wheeling a natural part of everyday journeys across the region.

“Alongside our councils and other partners, we want to ensure better routes that people want to use, whether that’s just to go for a walk, or to cycle to school, or to get to work.

“By improving choice and accessibility, we can make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough healthier, wealthier and happier.”