Purpose

This document reports on Transport Scotland’s Active Travel capital investment in infrastructure for the financial year 2023-24. This expenditure was primarily provided through the following funds and delivery partners:

  • Cycling, Walking, Safer Routes (CWSR) - provided to all 32 LAs (superseded by Tier 1 of the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund from 2024-25);
  • Places for Everyone (PfE) - distributed by Sustrans to a range of delivery partners;
  • National Cycle Network (NCN) – implemented and distributed by Sustrans to a range of delivery partners;
  • Active Travel Transformation Fund (ATTF) – available to LAs, RTPs and NPAs;
  • Ian Findlay Path Fund (IFPF) – distributed by Paths for All to a range of delivery partners; and
  • Regional Active Travel Grant (RATG) – distributed by RTPs.

As road authority for the trunk road network, Transport Scotland also has responsibility for Active Travel infrastructure delivery on trunk roads, with a number of projects funded through the Trunk Road Casualty Reduction Programme. Road safety schemes with Active Travel elements on local roads were funded through the Road Safety Improvement Fund, which was supported by the Active Travel budget. In addition, Transport Scotland also provided funding in 2023-24 to improve Active Travel provision as part of the wider Levenmouth Rail project.

Reporting on the programmes referenced above provides improved insight into the delivery of Active Travel infrastructure, both within a single year and also in aggregate and for comparison as the new delivery system for Active Travel matures.

While this document reports on the primary Transport Scotland-funded Active Travel infrastructure programmes in 2023-24, there is Active Travel infrastructure funded through other programmes nationally, regionally, and locally. As such, this report should not be considered a comprehensive record of all Active Travel infrastructure funding across Scottish Government in 2023-24. Active Travel infrastructure funding in Scotland may also be provided through a number of other Scottish Government and UK Government programmes (e.g. Region and City Growth Deal funding, Islands Programme). These programmes have their own distinct approach to capturing outputs and reporting, and as such are not included here.