Are you building in active travel?

Construction can promote active lifestyles and create active and dynamic social places to live, work and play but only is active travel is designed in and then built into a scheme. So, how do you do that? Get some training and guidance from CEWales

What role does the transport infrastructure sector play in promoting healthy and active lives? Everything.

Proper integrated infrastructure planning can promote active lifestyles and creates active, social places – if it is done right. So, we need to make sure engineers, designers, contractors and planners know all about the detail of active travel.

Wales has led the way in active travel and its goals are firmly aligned with the objectives of the Wellbeing Future Generations Act. It’s critical then that construction organisations and their clients understand the importance of active travel and how to apply it to their work.

That’s why CEWales is working with Just Ride the Bike and Phil Jones Associates to deliver training about active travel planning and design. The first course was successfully piloted with Amey’s team working on the Cardiff Metro project and other schemes around the country.

The course is delivered online in four 1.5-hour modules and provides a solid introduction to planning and design for walking and cycling and is suitable for professionals working in the fields of transport planning, transport policy, highway engineering, development planning and road safety. Upon completion, participants will be able to plan a cycling and walking network and understand the key issues which underpin best practice planning and design.

The infrastructure that we build now will serve generations to come. It is imperative that sustainable design is integrated from the outset. Infrastructure projects of all types – new schools, hospitals, colleges and transport hubs as well as high streets and business parks – present an excellent opportunity to meet health and wellbeing objectives, transforming our streets and communities and bringing people together. When projects are not designed and planned and built sustainably, an opportunity is missed.

The best way to grasp the opportunity is by applying best practice learning. If you are involved in any projects and you’re interested in promoting active lifestyles and creating active, social places then you need to think hard about designing in active travel.

So, we want to make sure the course is available to everyone across Wales. It doesn’t matter the nature of the scheme – it is almost certain there is a need for it to be safely and conveniently accessible to pedestrians and cyclists to enable sustainable travel.

If you want to find out more details then email andrew@justridethebike.com or call 07795 547069.