45 projects share £1m in grants to support sustainable travel

This press release was issued by Paths for All - read more here.

A new fund to increase walking, cycling and sustainable travel across Scotland has awarded over £1million of grants.
Forty-five projects have received grants of between £5,000 and £50,000 from the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund since June last year, all with the aim of changing people’s everyday travel behaviour.

Awards have been made to public, community and third sector organisations who have come up with new ideas to encourage people to walk or cycle for everyday journeys or use public transport for longer trips.
The aim is to cut Scotland's carbon emissions, improve air quality, reverse the trend towards sedentary lifestyles and tackle health inequalities.

And the Open Fund, which is managed by Scotland’s walking charity Paths for All and supported by Transport Scotland, still has £1million available to get similar projects off the ground.

Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity said: “I’m delighted that the Scottish Government has been able to support such a variety of organisations across the country through the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund.

“Responding to real demand from community, third sector and public agencies, the awards will help realise innovative ideas which will make our transport system cleaner, healthier and more sustainable through support from Paths for All.

“By doubling the active travel budget, we can support exciting opportunities such as the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund. By providing funding and empowering local organisations to develop transport projects they wish to see, we can encourage modal shift, and ensure that more people can enjoy the benefits of active and sustainable travel than ever before."

From local authorities to universities, and community group to charities, organisations of all shapes and sizes have benefitted from the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund over the past few months.
Funding has been used for a range of projects including: developing a car club in Ayrshire; expanding an active travel programme in the Western Isles, creating artist-led walks in East Edinburgh; and raising awareness of active travel options for older people in Falkirk.

Grants have also been awarded to: develop a real-time bus app for older people in the Scottish Borders; promote the introduction of a new electric bus service in rural Morayshire; support sustainable travel options at Glasgow Caledonian University; and establish an in-school active travel culture at a Clackmannanshire secondary.

Ian Findlay, Chief Officer at Paths for All said: “Awarding £1million worth of grants that increase walking, cycling and sustainable travel opportunities across Scotland really is something to be celebrated.

“I’d like to congratulate the many organisations that have come forward with such creative ideas which aim to change people’s everyday travel behaviour and, in turn, improve the health of the nation.

“Creating opportunities for more people to walk and cycle for everyday short trips and choose sustainable options for longer journeys also helps reduce environmental impacts and inequalities and create safer, robust communities where people feel more connected to where they live.

“With £1million still available from this flexible fund, there’s potential to support many more projects which will help create a happier, healthier Scotland.

“I’d encourage any organisation - whether it’s public, community or third sector - to apply to the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Open Fund and take advantage of the help and support we can give.”

Summary of winning projects:

Gaydio (Glasgow)

Gaydio Academy - Travel Smart Glasgow - £10,000

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Countryside Trust (Stirling)

Trossachs Rural eBike Demo (TRED) - £30,000

Glasgow Caledonian University (Glasgow)

GCU Smart Travel - Supporting Sustainable Travel - £6791

Blairgowrie and Rattray Development Trust (Perth & Kinross)

Promotion and Community Engagement - £7000

Deaf Scotland (National)

Deaf Safe - £20,000

Scottish Borders Council (Scottish Borders)

Borders Buses Web App - £25,000

HITRANS (Moray)

Electric Bus Promotion - £35,000

Walk ON (Fife)

Walk on Fife - £5869

Forth Environment Link (Falkirk)

Walk Cycle Falkirk - £50,000

Bike Station (Edinburgh)

Events & Promotion - £10,000

Mallaig Pool & Leisure (Highland)

On Your Bike  Mallaig - £9824

Yipworld (East Ayrshire)

Chain Reaction - £5000

Glasgow School of Art (Glasgow)

Glasgow School of Art Cycling Proliferation Campaign - £6000

Edinburgh Napier University (Edinburgh)

Essential Evidence for Scotland EE4S - £5048

Tactran (Perth & Kinross)

Modal Share Monitoring Tactran Region – £20,000

Tactran (Perth & Kinross)

Travel Know How - £48,500

Scottish Canals (Glasgow)

Beat the Street (and the Towpath) – Glasgow - £50,000

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles)

Promotion of Active Travel in Communities - £50,000

Nestrans (Aberdeen City)

Pedestrian Saftey Campaign - £5000

Art Walk Projects (Edinburgh)

Locale Lines - £6000

Cycling UK (Inverclyde)

The Bothy Active Travel Coordinator - £24,060

Bike Station (Perth & Kinross)

Bike Station Perth - £30,250

Lochaber Environmental Group (Highland)

Fort Bike Kitchen - £14,900

Eyemouth & District Community Trust - Splash Project (Scottish Borders)

Eyemouth & Coldingham Beat the Street - £35,418

SEStran (Edinburgh)

SEStran TravelVU Survey - £13,650

South Ayrshire Community Transport (North Ayrshire)

KA8 Electric Car Club - £10,000

Kustom Kruizers (Renfrewshire)

Kustom Kruizers - £8798

Transition Linlithgow (West Lothian)

Travel Smarter: Linlithgow - £12,800

Velocity Café and Bicycle Workshop (Highland)

Own Your Streets Inverness - £20,560

Living Streets Edinburgh Group (Edinburgh)

Tackling Street Clutter through Locality Working - £9900

Blantyre Soccer Academy (South Lanarkshire)

Blantyre Bikes Better - £34,735

Lornshill Academy (Clackmannanshire)

Lornshill Academy Active Travel Hub - £50,000

Heartland Radio Foundation (Perth & Kinross)

Small Steps to More Steps - £9625

Parklea Association Branching Out (Inverclyde)

Parklea Branching Out Active Travel - £5050

Cloudberry Communities CIC (North Lanarkshire)

Our Green Ways - £38,500

The Braveheart Association (Falkirk)

Smart Move – £17,160

Volunteer Dundee (Dundee)

Green Health Telephone Operator - £16,779

Glasgow Kelvin College (Glasgow)

Glasgow Kelvin Velocity Cycle Hub Development Project - £13,354

Forward Coupar Angus: Coupar Angus Cycling Hub (Perth & Kinross)

Active Travel Coupar Angus - £19,625

Bike for Good (Glasgow)

Cycle Communication Campagin Glasgow - £49,257

Glasgow Life (Glasgow)

Walking Bears - £10,000

Transport for Edinburgh (Edinburgh)

Edinburgh Cycle Hire - targeted outreach programme - £50,000

Fallin Community Enterprises (Stirling)

Pedal Places Stirling - £50,000

Royston Youth Action (Glasgow)

Making Royston Greener - £50,000

Transform Scotland (East Ayrshire)

Love my Bus - £50,000

Parkinson’s UK (National)

Parkinson’s Big Commute - £20,000

Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership (Glasgow)

Hoof it for Mental Health - £44,508

Huntly and District Development Trust (Aberdeenshire)

Green Travel Huntly - £35,000