Cycling and walking investment

Chris Boardman gave evidence at the Transport Select Committee on Wednesday.

A couple of years ago, the Tories cut funding for road improvements by two-thirds.

He accepted that this meant that (a) fewer people are now cycling and (b) walking and cycling targets are ’extremely hard to hit.

A new strategy is due soon and I hope that it will set out secure, long-term funding so that more improvements like the Bristol Road cycleway extension can go ahead.

Laurence Turner: I won’t speak for others, but I think we understand the importance of long-term certainty and funding. Returning to those inyear budget reductions for ’23-24, is it accurate to boil it down to saying that those projects not proceeding meant that fewer people are now cycling and the 50% target is harder to hit?

Chris Boardman: Yes, it has made it extremely hard to hit those targets, and there would have to be some significant changes in policy or funding to be able to meet it by 2030. We still have a massive pipeline of schemes with local authorities. They still have their network plans. We have just slowed right down on the delivery without the commitment to deliver it—the commitment in consistency and the funding itself.