Active travel is getting around by using a mode of transport that involves some level of activity. Transport Scotland says it includes “walking, wheeling or cycling for a purposeful journey.” It includes using wheelchairs, mobility scooters, adapted cycles, e-cycles, tricycles and more.
By using active transport methods for some or all of your journeys, you improve your physical and mental health, reduce congestion, combat climate change and help to meet the Transport Scotland National Transport Strategy for Scotland target to reduce car travel by 20% by 2030.
Although it might seem a trendy modern concept, this is how people moved around for centuries and is intrinsically linked with Outdoor Access. Both often use the same routes, and good practice for one is often relevant to the other.
Well-designed and properly managed active travel routes are invaluable and can end up contributing to meeting people’s recreational needs to get outside as well as their more functional ones.