Executive Summary

The Active Travel Transformation Project intends to devise and implement a system which delivers active travel infrastructure more quickly, to a high standard and in a planned, connected, cohesive way, meeting everyone’s needs. It is imperative that best value for money is achieved for the Government’s increasing investment in Active Travel.

In addition the delivery system should support and encourage people to use the infrastructure for everyday journeys and should provide additional support for those most in need – for example disabled people and people affected by transport poverty, to ensure a just transition.

Since its inception in 2022, there has been a large body of work undertaken through the Active Travel Transformation Project. This has included the following:

• Extensive stakeholder engagement, including a series of workshops and surveys involving all public and third sector delivery partners to inform the evidence base behind any future proposals for an alternative system for active travel delivery.
• The identification of challenges and opportunities that exist for Transport Scotland and partners to significantly accelerate active travel delivery. These challenges may be broadly categorised as follows:
  • Capacity and capability
  • Local delivery: Traffic Regulation Orders
  • Multi-year funding
  • Future delivery model (2024/25 onwards)
• Introduction of the Transformation Fund, which sees Transport Scotland assume responsibility for authorising funding and programme management in a more direct partnership model with Local Authorities.

This report sets out the evidence gathered and the key findings from the Assess Phase of the Project, and outlines the next steps for the Project leading up to 2023/24.