Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the value for money it has achieved by investing in (a) all active travel schemes and (b) cycling schemes.

Value for money is one of several factors the Department considers when evaluating the effect of its investments. Investment in active travel schemes typically delivers high value for money.

Increased rates of active travel can deliver mental and physical health benefits, improvements to the quality of journeys made, and benefits associated with mode shift from motor vehicles, such as improved air quality and reduced congestion. Investment in active travel schemes also supports the government’s decarbonisation strategy by increasing the number of trips made using carbon neutral modes.

The average benefit-cost ratio, weighted by scheme cost, for Active Travel Fund 4 estimated that for every £1 of investment in active travel infrastructure schemes, there would be a return £2.40 of economic, social, and environmental benefits.

Behaviour change interventions funded by the Department have been estimated by our delivery partners to have a benefit cost ratio of 2.5 in 2021/22 for the Big Bike Revival and 5.5 in 2022/23 for Walk to School Outreach programmes.