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South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) has secured £4.86 million from Active Travel England, which has announced a £101 million pot of funding for high-quality walking, wheeling and cycling routes that will benefit people in South Yorkshire.
A total of £3.36 million of £3.9 million worth of schemes asked for from the Active Travel Fund 4 Extension funding has been secured which will transform walking, wheeling and cycling routes in the region.
Nearly £1 million from the Capability Fund has been allocated for South Yorkshire for bike hire, training and maintenance schemes, with SYMCA securing nearly double what it got last year.
The aim of the Fund is to support the development of infrastructure plans and community engagement and training initiatives.
Half a million has also been allocated to help South Yorkshire become a national leader in its e-bikes offer to residents with a pilot for a free e-cycle loan scheme. SYMCA is one of only a handful of authorities in England to receive this funding.
This funding has provided a welcome boost to the region in support of its plans to ease congestion, transform the school run, create healthier communities and better places.
Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, said: “Getting people in South Yorkshire moving more and moving differently is key to my ambitions for improving our region’s health, wellbeing and happiness.
“Today, we took a big step toward that ambition. Last year we applied for Active Travel England funding but got much less than we hoped for. That was a fair reflection of where we were on our journey.”
Coppard has described the latest allocation of funding as “recognition of how far we’ve come”, but also a signal of support for the Authority’s ambitions.
He added: “An ambition not just to give everyone freedom and choice about how they travel and move, but to make South Yorkshire the healthiest region in the country.
“If we are going to give people the freedom and choice to move more and move differently, we need the funding to improve not just infrastructure but offer the training, skills and support for people who want to make that change for themselves.
“This is a huge signal that we are now making real progress, and important partners like Active Travel England are beginning to see that too.”
South Yorkshire’s winning schemes will improve the walking environment in Burngreave, Sheffield, deliver a new segregated cycle route on Bawtry Road in Doncaster, and improve walking, wheeling and cycling routes to schools in Athersley and Bolton Upon Dearne in Barnsley.
Ed Clancy, South Yorkshire’s active travel commissioner, commented: “It’s my priority to make sure that everyone who wants to walk, wheel and cycle feels confident and safe enough to do so. I want to break down the barriers that are limiting people using healthier travel choices.
“A huge part of that is making sure we have high-quality cycle routes that separate bikes from cars on the roads as much as possible, making walking safer by building new paths and better crossings, and working closely with local people to help them have better choices when it comes to walking, wheeling and cycling.
“E-bikes are a potential game-changer for those who are not currently physically active. Active Travel England’s funding will help us build on the transformative plans we are already taking forward to create a revised strategic vision for walking, wheeling and cycling in South Yorkshire with real people at the heart of our new network plan.”
SYMCA has confirmed it will continue working with Active Travel England in order for local ambitions to be realised in further rounds of funding.
