Friday, January 16, 2009

Walking and Cycling in England

"The fact is, however, that the people who most need to walk and cycle are the least likely to do so. People from the lowest socio-economic groups have the highest inactivity levels. Yet despite the fact that walking and cycling are the cheapest and most accessible form of exercise known to humankind, physical and mental barriers, such as the mis perception that it can be ‘unsafe’ or time consuming, prevents people living in the most deprived areas from traveling actively in their own neighborhoods. The Travel Actively projects are set up so that people living in some of the most deprived areas benefit from the expert-designed program. We deliver projects underpinned by a simple and pragmatic goal; to demonstrate that, from the bus stop stroll to the three mile circuit, walking and cycling is as flexible and unique as the person doing it and it can be incorporated into people’s daily lives". says Tom Franklin, CEO of the Ramblers’ Association in Travel Actively. Much more you can read in a report from Active Travel Consortium that addresses health and wellbeing through regular walking and cycling across England.