RSA Central: Active Travel for All

Walking and cycling has proved to be an important response to the Covid-19 crisis. In May, the government announced the emergency active travel fund. Eighty-nine local authorities have implemented a total of 503 schemes that make more space for pedestrians and cyclists.

But to sustain long-term changes in active travel in the face of the climate crisis, and stark inequalities in health and mobility, it’s about more than infrastructure. We also need to look at long-held assumptions about what active travel is, who it’s for and where it can take us:

1. How can we embed independent travel for children, the elderly and people with reduced mobility?
2. How do pedestrianised or cycle routes affect the vitality of local shopping streets? How do we connect cities, towns and villages with each other?
3. What opportunities are there to improve road safety from HGVs and pilot cargo bikes using railway stations as local distribution hubs?

In this event we’ll hear first from Councillor Adam Clarke FRSA, Deputy City Mayor for Leicester, where 10 miles of new cycling and walking routes have been created in 10 weeks, and also from Dave Clasby, East Midlands Partnership Manager at Sustrans, the UK walking and cycling charity, and custodian of the National Cycle Network.

Then we’d love to hear your experiences and ideas to explore how we can change mindsets among transport planners, local communities and businesses to sustain change longer-term.

The evening will be hosted by Jennifer Cooke FRSA, Senior Project Engineer at Network Rail.

6-6.30 – Welcome, short presentations, Q&A

6.30-7 – Small group conversations

7-7.15 – Plenary and next steps

Book your place using the link above. Zoom joining instructions will be sent to you on registration.