Projects across the North York Moors, Whitby, Scarborough, and Seamer are set to benefit from a share of a £4 million fund to improve walking and cycling routes.
Dozens of projects across the Yorkshire Coast and the North York Moors are set to benefit from a share of a £4 million fund designed to make it easier and safer to walk, wheel, and cycle.
A total of 39 schemes have secured financial support from the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund. The initiatives, which are led by schools, community groups, local councils, and national park authorities, aim to tackle some of the biggest barriers to active travel. These challenges include safety concerns, a lack of confidence, and limited access to bicycles and appropriate facilities.
On the Yorkshire Coast, funding will deliver improved accessibility on the Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track. The project will focus on removing physical barriers and introducing adaptive bikes to ensure that more people of all abilities can enjoy active travel along the historic coastal route.
Schools in Whitby and Seamer are also among fifteen educational settings across the wider region to receive a share of £1 million in funding. The investment will be used to provide secure cycle storage, professional cycle training, bike libraries, and maintenance sessions for pupils.
In the North York Moors, support has been granted to the Natural Health Service. This initiative focuses on encouraging walking, wheeling, and public transport use, helping to create healthier and more active communities within the national park and surrounding protected landscapes.
The Active Travel Fund forms part of a wider £7 million Moving Forward campaign, which aims to create a healthier and more thriving region through investment in schemes that support movement, health, and connection to the outdoors. Across the region, seventeen community organisations have also secured funding to support groups who face the greatest barriers to walking and cycling, including disabled people, women, and those with health conditions.
David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
"We know many people want to walk, wheel and cycle more, but too often face barriers, whether that’s concerns about safety, a lack of skills or confidence, or the cost of buying a bike.
That’s why I launched this fund: to make active travel safer, easier and more accessible for people travelling to school, training, work, healthcare appointments and leisure activities.
We received a huge number of applications from across the region, showing the demand for better infrastructure, training, and the appetite for more opportunities to make affordable and sustainable travel choices.
I’m proud to support these 39 schemes, investing in new and improved facilities, building confidence, and creating safer routes. Together, they will help leave a lasting legacy of inclusive active travel, safer school journeys, and healthier, greener, more connected communities for generations to come."
Joel Brookfield, Director of Recreation and Wellbeing at the North York Moors National Park Authority, said:
"The North York Moors National Park Authority is delighted to receive funding for two separate schemes: the Natural Health Service, which will promote health and wellbeing by helping people enjoy walking, cycling and spending time outdoors across all protected landscapes in North Yorkshire, and the Inclusive Active Travel programme, centred around the Scarborough to Whitby Cinder Track.
Rural and coastal communities across our region face persistent barriers to active travel, including high car dependency, social isolation and low confidence in walking, wheeling and cycling. Together, these projects will help more people of all ages and abilities enjoy the health, wellbeing and independence benefits of active travel across York and North Yorkshire."
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