Walking and cycling
Active travel funding
Below is a list of our main funding streams for active travel related projects. The funding comes from the Scottish Government and not from council tax.
Infrastructure
To increase the numbers of people walking, wheeling and cycling, our communities must put people and place before the movement of motor vehicles. New and upgraded infrastructure that makes active and sustainable travel safer, easier and more convenient is essential to meet our 2030 vision that 'Scotland’s communities are shaped around people, with walking or cycling the most popular choice for shorter everyday journeys'.
Active travel infrastructure can come in a range of different forms, from footways that are smooth and wide enough for everyone's needs, including wheelchair users and people pushing prams, to cycle tracks that are protected from traffic. Walking, wheeling and cycling should be a feasible option in urban and rural areas alike, with the right solutions applied to each area, using local knowledge and expertise.
Transport Scotland funds new and upgraded active travel infrastructure through a variety of programmes as set out below.
Active Travel Infrastructure Fund Tier 1
New for 2024/25, this investment supports the design, development, and delivery of active travel infrastructure measures across all 32 LAs in Scotland, and replaces the former Cycling, Walking, and Safer Routes fund (CWSR).
Local Authorities are provided this funding directly through their General Capital Grant and have the flexibility to use it as they see fit to meet the active travel needs and priorities of people living and working in their communities.
Active Travel Infrastructure Fund Tier 2
The Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) Tier 2 is the primary vehicle for the Scottish Government to fund active travel infrastructure. This shifts from the previous approach where Sustrans administered Scottish Government funding through its Places for Everyone programme. In 2024-25, we launched the ATIF Tier 2 Construction Fund and will be launching the ATIF Tier 2 Design Fund in 2025-26. The ATIF Tier 2 Construction Fund builds upon the Active Travel Transformation Fund (ATTF), which successfully piloted a new approach to delivery. The ATTF funded construction-ready projects across Scotland in 2023-24, delivering them at pace. The tiered model for infrastructure delivery increases flexibility and control for partners, providing direct investment to those with the capability and capacity to deliver at pace.
The ATIF Tier 2 Design Fund replaces the pre-construction phases of the Sustrans Places for Everyone Fund. Both the ATIF Tier 2 Design and Construction Funds are open to applications from Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) and National Park Authorities (NPAs). It supports the ambitions set out in Active Travel Strategies, Local Transport Strategies and Regional Transport Strategies. The Fund can include support for: new segregated walking, wheeling and cycling facilities; new paths; improved access to schools; improved accessibility through dropped kerbs; barrier removal programmes; and new off-road shared-use paths connecting rural towns and villages. Further information on the types of infrastructure that would be eligible for funding is available in the design guidance.
Behaviour change
Since 2024-25, behaviour change projects are primarily funded by People and Place funding which is a key part of the regional delivery of active travel behaviour change in the south-east of Scotland. People and Place grants are funded by the Scottish Government and administered and supported by SEStran (South East of Scotland Transport Partnership). SEStran’s People and Place programme contributes towards three of the four objectives in the Regional Transport Strategy, by supporting behaviour change interventions that allow people to choose active or sustainable ways to travel instead of using a car.
The objectives of the People and Place programme are to:
- Increase the proportion of active and sustainable journeys in our region
- Increase awareness of the benefits of active and sustainable travel to encourage future behaviour change
- Increase the use of active and sustainable travel modes among underrepresented groups in the region who might face additional barriers
- Collaborate with local authorities and third-sector partners to strengthen capacity and capability in active and sustainable travel