West Yorkshire to benefit from £17 million funding boost for active travel

West Yorkshire will benefit from a multi-million-pound investment to improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes in the region, it can be announced today.

The West Yorkshire Combined Authority will receive £17.07 million to help make active travel a more attractive option for short journeys.

It will help fund projects across the region, such as new cycle lanes, upgrading canal towpaths and weirs, and traffic management measures, as well as work around schools including new crossings, footway widening and cycle parking, with more to be confirmed.

Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracy Brabin said:

“We’re already making great progress in improving walking, cycling, and wheeling in the region, and this funding will help us do even more.

“Active travel plays a key role in my plans for an integrated transport network across a better-connected West Yorkshire.

“By making it easier and more appealing to get around more actively, we’re promoting healthier lifestyles, improving safety and helping to tackle the climate emergency.”

A total of £12.86 million has been awarded for 2025-26 by Active Travel England (ATE), with £4.21 million allocated for 2024-25.

It follows previous rounds of funding which are already being used for schemes like improving the Silsden to Kildwick towpath in Bradford, traffic management measures around Ash Green School in Mixenden, walking and cycling improvements to the Spen Valley Greenway, and new cycle routes along the A660 Otley Road, and from Fitzwilliam Rail Station to Ackworth.

The investment comes after the Combined Authority was recognised as one of the leading regions in the country for walking, cycling and wheeling by ATE as part of its ‘capability ratings’ assessment.

It forms part of the Combined Authority’s ongoing work to create a modern, greener, integrated transport network with a Mass Transit system, buses operated under public control, and with greater walking and cycling facilities.

It also supports the Combined Authority’s Vision Zero strategy to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries by 2040 by making roads safer through improved active travel options and accessibility.

More information on walking, wheeling and cycling in West Yorkshire can be found on the Cycle City Connect website.