MORE than £70 million is currently being invested in walking, cycling, and wheeling improvements across the area.

The multi-year funding is part of a £626 million national package for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes, which was initially announced as part of the Government’s Spending Review last June.

The West of England Combined Authority (WECA) recently hosted further visits from Active Travel England (ATE) to see completed and in-progress projects being delivered in the region.

Together, the work will see more than 47 miles of new and improved cycle routes, and almost as many new and improved pedestrian paths, as well as 10 new school streets.

Graham Grant, interim chief executive of ATE, took a tour of projects in Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire with council transport officers and cabinet members.

Using Dott’s e-bike scheme for part of their visit, they saw improved routes including Bath Quays, Links, Scholars Way, and Bradley Stoke Way, as well as locations around Filton.

The visits followed a visit last summer by Chris Boardman, the national active travel commissioner, during which he praised the region’s progress on walking, wheeling, and cycling, and the contribution it makes to people’s health and the economy.

Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “We were glad to welcome Active Travel England to the West once again to see more of the progress we are delivering together to get the region moving, however people get around.

“The combined authority and our local councils really appreciate ATE’s continued support, expertise, and partnership, underlined by these visits after Chris Boardman came down during the summer.

“Active travel was a big part of our recent transport vision announcement, with a commitment to doubling our number of ‘School Streets’ by 2028, making pick-up and drop-off times safer for more families.

“Walking, wheeling, and cycling are good for our health and good for our planet, so I am delighted that we are working together to invest in more improvements across our region.”

Cllr Lucy Hodge, cabinet member for sustainable transport delivery at Bath and North East Somerset Council, said: “We were delighted to show Active Travel England all the progress we are making in improving sustainable travel options.

“The western section of Scholars’ Way in Bath is due to be completed in the spring, with several new crossings already benefiting local communities.

“With further schemes under construction or due to begin soon, including Bath Quays Links and improvements in the historic city centre, we are continuing to build a safer, more connected network.

“We are committed to making it easier for people to walk, wheel, cycle and use public transport to reduce transport emissions and car dependency.”

In December, the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority’s capability rating, which measures its ability to organise, plan, and deliver schemes increased from level two to level three, putting it on a par with Greater Manchester, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire, and helping to secure a further £11.7 million in Government funding.