Community groups are being encouraged to apply for the Mayor’s Active Travel Fund which opens in the new year.
York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority approved the application process for the Mayors
Active Travel Fund on 24 October 2025. The fund aims to promote healthier travel that is accessible
and safe, whilst also supporting our environment and economy.
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:
“I’ve spoken to countless communities and the message I’ve had is clear – people want us to go further and faster to create safer streets so that people are more confident to walk, wheel and cycle in York and North Yorkshire.
“There is great work already ongoing in York and North Yorkshire, which are being supported by our
local authorities, and this fund is designed to support us all to improve our Active Travel England
scores and improve our capacity to secure increased funding to deliver more for our communities.
“I am a firm believer that our residents know what is best for their neighbourhood, they live there
and they should have a say in shaping what their area looks like. We’re now able to empower local
people to make their communities better places for walking, wheeling and cycling. Whether that’s by
backing school streets, bikeability courses, safe cycle storage in our town and city centres, or by
creating local Active Travel Hubs.”
Active travel and community–based organisations, businesses, and charities will be able to apply to
fund projects that encourage behaviour change in favour of active travel.
fund projects that encourage behaviour change in favour of active travel.
Public bodies such as National Parks, Canals and Rivers Trust and Local Authorities will have access to
a dedicated £2.4m fund for large scale projects.
Encouraging active travel has benefits for the environment, but also people’s physical and mental
health linking into the Mayor’s Moving Forward campaign, which aims to deliver healthy and thriving
communities across the region.
Mayor David Skaith added, “This is a core part of my Moving Forward campaign, which will support
healthy and thriving communities by investing now we’re helping people move more, whether for
fun or travel, and supporting health outcomes in the long run. Because when people are healthier,
communities are wealthier.”
Applications for the fund are expected to open January 2026.