At Sweco, we’re proud to lead the way in active travel infrastructure consultancy. Our experts have led and supported the delivery of some of the most innovative solutions that promote sustainable, healthy and inclusive mobility networks across the UK.
With a dedicated AT team operating throughout the UK – and drawing upon shared Sweco Group mobility expertise in the Netherlands, Scandinavia and wider Europe – we collaborate closely with local authorities, communities and businesses to plan and create transformational walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure.
Transport in the United Kingdom must undergo significant changes in the coming years if net zero by 2050 is to be achieved. Decarbonising transport will require a shift to cleaner and active modes of transport and the government has set a target of 50% of all journeys in towns and cities to be made by active travel modes by 2030. There are several benefits to increasing use of active travel modes including health benefits from exercise, better air quality from replacing car journeys with walking or cycling and economic benefits from relieved congestion and improved public health.
Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation
Active Travel is playing a central role in the place-base infrastructure at the heart of Bradford’s regeneration.
What exactly is Active Travel?
Active travel refers to modes of transportation that incorporate physical activity, such as walking, cycling, and wheeling (using wheelchairs or scooters), into daily journeys. This approach offers an alternative to motorised transport, supporting individual mobility and enhancing community health and environmental sustainability. Access to active travel infrastructure, and the means to use active travel modes, is especially vital in urban areas where high-density populations face challenges related to congestion, air quality, and accessibility. By encouraging active travel, communities can reduce carbon emissions, improve air quality, and foster healthier lifestyles.
Active travel infrastructure includes pedestrian pathways, dedicated cycle tracks, wheeling-friendly routes, and facilities that make it easy to switch between different transportation modes. For instance, infrastructure may feature safe crossings, accessible transit points, and multi-modal transport hubs, all designed to facilitate seamless, eco-friendly travel. Sweco’s services support this infrastructure by providing full life-cycle solutions: from modelling and design to community engagement, behaviour change initiatives, and programme support.
Our Active Travel services
Our specific services include strategy and network development, the use of multi-modal models and data, developing funding bids and business cases, developing designs from concept right through to construction, engaging stakeholders and enabling behavioural change through:
Modelling
Strategy
Optioneering
Consultation & Engagement
Design
Business Cases
Monitoring & Evaluation
Behaviour Change
GIS & Mapping
Programme Support
Development Transport Planning
From designing new cycle routes in urban and rural areas for local authorities to developing bus priority measures on key corridors, to undertaking travel behaviour-changing campaigns and placemaking alongside our Transport Planning and Landscape Architecture teams, we carry out stand-alone projects or work as part of wider masterplans and strategies.
The benefits of active travel
Active travel brings a wide range of benefits that positively impact individuals, communities, and the environment. By incorporating active travel options such as walking, cycling, and wheeling into daily routines, cities and communities can foster healthier, more connected, and economically vibrant environments. Here are some of the key advantages:
Health Benefits
Active travel is a simple and effective way to improve physical fitness and mental well-being. Regular activities like walking or cycling reduce the risk of chronic diseases, enhance mood, and help individuals manage stress. Encouraging and facilitating active travel, integrates physical activity seamlessly into daily life, benefiting public health and reducing healthcare costs.
Environmental Impact
Active travel is a sustainable alternative to motorised transport, reducing carbon emissions and air pollution. By choosing active modes of transport, individuals contribute to cleaner air, lower noise levels, and help in the fight against climate change. This shift towards eco-friendly travel is essential for preserving natural resources and creating more sustainable communities.
Economic Savings and Local Economic Growth
Active travel reduces reliance on cars, resulting in savings on fuel, maintenance, and parking infrastructure. Additionally, it stimulates local economies as increased footfall benefits local shops, cafes, and services. Active travel investment not only reduces individual expenses but also supports community businesses, strengthening the local economy.
Enhanced Mobility and Accessibility
Active travel enhances mobility for all, especially in densely populated areas or for those without access to private vehicles. By prioritising walking, cycling, and wheeling infrastructure, cities make transportation accessible, inclusive, and practical, allowing everyone to navigate their community comfortably.
Improved Community Cohesion
Active travel encourages social interaction, as people walking or cycling are more likely to engage with their surroundings and interact with neighbours. This connectivity fosters a stronger sense of community, safety, and mutual support, creating more welcoming neighbourhoods.
Reduced Traffic Congestion
By reducing car dependency, active travel alleviates traffic congestion, resulting in smoother traffic flow and shorter journey times. This benefits all road users, improves public transport reliability, and reduces the economic losses associated with traffic delays.
Promoting Inclusivity and Accessibility
Well-designed active travel infrastructure accommodates people of all ages and abilities, including wheelchair users, those with limited mobility, and families with children. Inclusive infrastructure ensures everyone can access and enjoy community spaces, creating a more equitable environment.
Supporting Climate Goals and Sustainable Development
Active travel is a crucial component of broader sustainability strategies, supporting long-term climate goals and fostering resilient, adaptable urban spaces. By prioritising active travel, communities address immediate mobility needs while contributing to global sustainability objectives and achieving local, regional and national climate targets.
Sweco projects: Active Travel examples
We played a pivotal role in Bradford’s city centre regeneration by removing barriers for movement and designing 2.4 km of new cycle lanes, pedestrianising 1.6 km of streets, and integrating green spaces like a new public park to encourage active travel and reduce car dependency.
In Ayrshire, our teams have enhanced cycling accessibility and appeal by designing a dedicated underpass on the A719, connecting local paths to the National Cycle Network and eliminating the need for cyclists to cross a busy carriageway. We also developed a sensory garden and biodiversity area, creating a more inviting and health-focused environment for active travel.
Sweco supported the City of Edinburgh Council’s regeneration of Granton Waterfront by designing a network of safe, well-connected walking, wheeling, and cycling routes that enhance access to local amenities and the waterfront. The scheme includes wider pavements, improved cycling infrastructure, upgraded crossings and placemaking features like landscaping and public art.
We supported Manchester City Council’s ambition to become a net-zero city by 2038 through the Manchester Active Mode Corridors project, identifying improvements across six key routes to enhance walking and cycling infrastructure.
Sweco enhanced the Avedøreruten cycle superhighway in Copenhagen by upgrading a 4.6 km stretch with solar-powered LED lighting, improved tunnel illumination, safety railings, and cyclist amenities like service stations and counters, thereby improving safety and comfort for daily commuters – transforming the route into a dedicated, traffic-free corridor through green spaces.
Sweco revitalised the Harling Drive corridor in Troon, South Ayrshire, by transforming a deteriorated footway into a 3-metre-wide shared-use cycle path, complete with bioretention build-outs featuring tree and shrub planting, decorative gravel, and seating areas overlooking a golf course – integrating sustainable drainage solutions and vibrant street furniture.
In Thornaby and Stockton our teams are connecting vibrant community spaces through active travel infrastructure, as part of ambitious town centre & waterfront regeneration – an extensive network of traffic-free cycle paths includes scenic routes along the River Tees and connections to National Cycle Network Routes 1, 14, and 65.
The new Sweco-designed Dutch-style roundabout in Sheffield and the UK’s first Voorrangsplein (priority square junction) promotes cycling by incorporating a one-way, segregated cycle track that encircles the roundabout, giving cyclists priority over motor vehicles at all entry and exit points. This design, complemented by zebra crossings for pedestrians, aims to create a safer and more inclusive environment for active travel.
Why partner with Sweco?
At Sweco, we understand what is required in the planning and delivery of safe, efficient, reliable active and multi-modal sustainable transportation services and we are committed to developing healthy, active and sustainable communities. From strategic inception through to construction-ready packages, we enhance active travel connections and create vibrant, connected neighbourhoods. Our approach blends infrastructure design with behavioural change initiatives and holistic placemaking, and our ultimate goal is to support net zero goals while fostering community benefits that boost local economies, improve health, and strengthen social cohesion.
Integrated within broader sustainable transportation strategies, active travel complements other transport modes to create a cohesive, climate-conscious network. Sweco’s expertise in multi-modal design and inclusive planning ensures active travel networks are safe, accessible, and well-connected to public transport, making sustainable travel a realistic and attractive choice for everyone. By prioritising health, environmental, and community benefits, Sweco’s active travel solutions contribute to more resilient and connected urban spaces across the UK, supporting local authorities and communities in meeting both current mobility needs and long-term climate goals.
Working with our clients and key stakeholders we develop and implement schemes that provide better connections between people and their destinations, collaborating with the wider network of Sweco experts in countries such as The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Sweden who are leading the way in sustainable mobility.
Sweco’s Active Travel solutions align with key national guidelines and standards in use across the UK and Ireland, promoting safe, accessible, and effective transportation networks.
Through our work we ensure compliance with key documents including Cycling by Design, Local Transport Note 1/20, Active Travel (Wales) Act Guidance, and Ireland’s Cycle Design Manual, ensuring we meet high standards for inclusivity, safety, and environmental impact in every project. Our active travel solutions are fully aligned with key national and regional policy frameworks, such as LTN 1/20 and Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4).
By embedding these guidelines into our designs, we ensure that our projects not only meet compliance standards but also support broader goals in sustainability, inclusivity, and community resilience, fostering healthier and more connected environments. Our approach incorporates best practices from these guidelines to create continuous, accessible routes that connect seamlessly with public transport and support active travel as a primary mode of transportation.
From planning to construction-ready packages, Sweco embeds these standards at every stage to deliver resilient, community-driven active travel networks. Our compliance not only meets regulatory requirements but also aligns with broader goals in public health, sustainable mobility, and climate action, creating vibrant, connected communities across the UK and Ireland.
Our team brings proven experience in helping clients secure funding by aligning projects and solutions with appropriate funding streams and demonstrating commitment to sustainable, community-focused travel networks.
Sweco is proud to be at the forefront of promoting innovative active travel solutions for our clients in the UK. The creation of new infrastructure for walking, cycling and integrated transport enables our towns, cities and rural communities to improve their quality of life, and our designs help unlock the potential for wellbeing-centred, prosperous and vibrant communities.
Together with our clients and the collective knowledge of our engineers, consultants and other specialists, we co-create solutions to address urbanisation, capture the power of digitalisation, and make our societies more sustainable. With international multi-disciplinary teams, we can call on the right insight and technical capability at the right time from across Buildings, Infrastructure, Advisory & Planning and Compliance.
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