More people walking and cycling regular journeys has many benefits for individuals, businesses, communities and the wider environment.
What does the Active Travel picture look like in the East? – a thread based on our recent report with @Sustrans
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Over the last 5 years there are more people walking regularly but cycling levels have declined – this is a similar trend to the rest of England.
Levels are particularly low in #Thurrock and #Southend
Image: Sustrans/Transport East
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But the benefits of building activity into regular journeys are notable.
Inactivity costs the @NHS up to £1bn per year and regular activity reduces the risk of many diseases.
Image: DfT Gear Change
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Places also benefit from more people walking & cycling. Fewer vehicles means less congestion, noise & pollution and more reliable journeys.
Shops have seen up to a 40% increase in footfall following well-planned improvements to the walking environment (ref DfT Gear Change).
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And people want to be more active.
Our own survey showed 77% of respondents were planning to walk more frequently following the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.
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We have a great opportunity too. The East is most similar in geography and climate to countries like Holland and Denmark with high levels of walking and cycling.
Increased investment could attract more visitors to sustainably enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces.
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The region needs a more strategic approach to inclusive active travel investment, along with stable funding to improve and maintain infrastructure.
See our Active Travel report for more storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/2a9dc8…
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