West Midlands appoints first cycling and walking commissioner
12.00 | 8 December 2021 | Cyclists | Pedestrians
West Midlands' newly appointed cycling and walking commissioner Adam Tranter (right)
The first cycling and walking commissioner for the West Midlands has pledged to help the region 'achieve its active travel potential' by giving people 'a genuine alternative' for short journeys.
Adam Tranter, who has previously volunteered as Bicycle Mayor for Coventry, was appointed to the new role on 6 December – and will support the development of the region's Starley Network of cycling and walking routes.
The network already covers 500 miles of connected routes, including: cycle routes and towpaths, pop-up cycle lanes, walking routes and walking zones in towns and cities.
His remit is to work with stakeholders to outline the business cases 'for at least 10 major safe cycle routes' to be added to the network.
As commissioner, he will also work with Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), local council partners and the DfT to steer the region's cycling and walking policies and plans.
Adam Tranter said: "I want our region to achieve its active travel potential.
"We saw during lockdown that vast numbers of people will cycle given the right environment to do it in; our goal has to be giving these people a genuine alternative to using a car for short journeys. We can only do this by building high quality, direct and connected infrastructure.
"Congestion really drags down our region's health and prosperity; cities that have embraced active travel have been rewarded with better air quality, less carbon emissions and happier citizens. I want the West Midlands to have these rewards too."
Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, hopes the commissioner will accelerate the region's plans to get more people moving around by foot or bike.
He said: "Adam has an excellent track record of campaigning and lobbying for cycling and walking in Coventry, and I now want to use that expertise to improve our offer across the whole region.
"We have put more funding than ever before into active travel, but we need to go further to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys in the West Midlands.
"Not only is it good for the environment by cutting down on car use and therefore air pollution, but it is also a brilliant and fun way of improving people's physical and mental health."