Active Travel: Gaining Stakeholder Support and Promoting Inclusion

With the UK aiming to have half of short urban journeys walked, wheeled, or cycled by 2030, local authorities must implement strategies that change mobility habits. Success depends on more than infrastructure; it requires genuine support from businesses, residents, community groups, and underrepresented voices.

Understanding Stakeholders

Start by identifying who is affected and their concerns. Stakeholders include local government, transport authorities, schools, businesses, community groups, and residents. Each has different priorities: retailers may fear losing customers with street redesigns, and residents often worry about safety and convenience.  Acknowledge that certain groups, such as disabled individuals, ethnic minorities, or low-income families, are often systematically underrepresented.

Early engagement builds trust. Workshops, public meetings, and official consultations create spaces for stakeholders to share opinions. These forums should be accessible, providing information in various languages or formats and inclusive, actively inviting and supporting those who usually remain silent. Use digital tools and flexible timings to reach busy workers and families.

People are more supportive when they see personal advantages. Active travel benefits health and the environment and offers economic gains. Evidence from cities shows well-designed bike lanes can boost foot traffic and retail sales, increase property values, and foster lively neighbourhoods. Tailor messages to each audience; for example, emphasise how improved streets can attract customers to local shops.

Resistance often relates to practical issues such as emergency vehicle access, deliveries, or winter weather. Acknowledge these concerns and respond with data, case studies, and phased pilots. Demonstrate how schemes can adapt if problems arise and honestly discuss trade-offs. Transparency fosters trust.

Infrastructure upgrades should be paired with incentives. Local authorities are testing bike-share schemes, e-bike grants, and free cycle training. Educational campaigns can dispel myths and build confidence. Funds should target communities with lower active travel rates; the Low Traffic Future coalition advocates for policies that address inequalities and increase participation among underserved groups.

Encouraging Participation

Familiar voices build trust. Engage local champions like school governors, faith leaders, or social media influencers as active travel ambassadors. Their backing can lessen scepticism, particularly in communities that transport planners have historically neglected.

Active travel initiatives should evolve based on community feedback. Implement regular surveys, drop-in sessions, and online forums, and share progress reports. Adjust plans using real-world data. The UK government’s active travel agency recommends using data analysis to improve schemes, making roads safer and more accessible. Evaluate whether initiatives reduce car reliance and ensure benefits are shared equitably.

Why It Matters Now

The new Labour government supports low-traffic neighbourhoods and is developing a national transport strategy. Campaigners argue this must reduce car dependence, set walking and cycling targets, and address transport inequalities. Active Travel England’s plan aims to have 50% of short urban trips be active by 2030. Achieving this requires inclusive, widely supported schemes; without genuine engagement, schemes risk reversal after protests or legal challenges.

To achieve 50% active trips by 2030, establish schemes based on evidence and transparency. Publish a clear stakeholder map and assess equality impact early, referencing national targets from Active Travel England and implementing DfT’s Inclusive Mobility guidance to ensure disabled people and other underrepresented groups are involved from the beginning. Use the Propensity to Cycle Tool to identify corridors with latent demand, then measure co-benefits with WHO’s HEAT to make trade-offs explicit for residents and businesses. When concerns about deliveries, access, or blue-light routes arise, run time-limited pilots with open monitoring, drawing on Transport for London’s synthesis and peer-reviewed studies showing no decline in emergency response times in LTNs, and adapt designs as needed. Lastly, commit to publishing dashboards that include mode share, casualties, and local business indicators, with pre-agreed thresholds to guide whether to iterate, pause, or rollback.

How tCI Can Assist

tCI specialises in guiding organisations through fair, lawful, and effective consultations. We help authorities develop active travel schemes by mapping stakeholders, designing inclusive engagement strategies, facilitating workshops, and analysing responses. Our training and quality assurance ensure your consultation meets legal standards and gains public trust.