Take Action on Active Travel Update

1st December 2008

Update on progress

Work on the policy call began in December 2007, when the Association of Directors of Public Health and Sustrans brought together a group of national organisations in public health, transport and the built environment to form a working group to encourage a more active cross-governmental approach to promoting walking and cycling - active travel - for their many public health and other benefits. It was felt that whilst official policies often talked positively about active travel, in reality this was not translated into practice - the working group sought to catalyse the necessary action.

The Take action on active travel policy call was published in April 2008, signed by 57 organisations from the public health, transport, architecture and social sectors. It calls on decision makers at all levels to act now to bring about a population-wide shift from sedentary travel to walking and cycling, by:
• committing 10% of transport budgets to cycling and walking initiatives
• a 20mph speed limit to be made the norm in residential areas
• a coherent high quality network of walking and cycle routes that link everyday destinations
• improved driver training and better enforced traffic laws
• ambitious official targets to be set for increases in walking and cycling

Since the launch, additional supporters have continued to sign up, and by early November ninety organisations were on board, ranging from the National Federation of Women's Institutes to the Healthcare Commission, from the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment to the Walk to School Campaign.
A full list of signatories can be found at www.adsph.org.uk/news.php

The working group has developed an action plan for 2008/09 with the specific aims of:

• Building stronger partnerships in support of Take action on active travel
• Achieving commitment to Take action on active travel and changes in policies and practice in support of its aims

Next steps

The working group continues to meet regularly to take forward its action plan, and is currently considering the potential for seeking a Select Committee Inquiry.

When Take action on active travel has reached 100+ signatories, it will be republished and re-launched. Now is therefore an ideal time to encourage organisations you may know to sign up and get their name included in the updated version - simply by contacting julia.ellis@adph.nhs.uk


What you can do to continue your support
There are a variety of ways in which your organisation can continue to support the policy call - and to benefit from its principles. We are seeking pledges from all signatories to take forward at least one - and hopefully more - positive steps in support of Take action on active travel, for example:

• To promote the policy call internally within your organisation, and to apply its principles wherever relevant
• To encourage incentivisation of active travel through your internal policies
• To publicise the policy call through your website
• To circulate the policy call at events and conferences
• To inform your partner organisations of the policy call and to encourage their support
• To use the policy call when responding to relevant consultations, developing policy etc.

We would like to hear how your organisation has been able to promote and make use of the policy call - so please do let us know of your pledges or activities in support of Take action on active travel by emailing me at julia.ellis@adph.nhs.uk