Steer leads conversation at Active Travel Innovations 2025
As headline sponsor of Active Travel Innovations 2025, Steer championed the importance of inclusive, high-quality active travel networks and shared insights on how cities can create healthier, better-connected communities.
The Active Travel Innovations 2025 conference took place in Manchester this month with conversations centring on accessibility and inclusivity, reflecting the momentum behind the UK’s forthcoming ‘person-centred’ Integrated National Transport Strategy. Steer was proud to serve as headline sponsor, championing the delivery of safe, high-quality active travel infrastructure across the UK.
With walking, wheeling and cycling forming the foundation of an integrated, people-centred transport network, the conference showcased how local authorities, consultants, campaign groups, and researchers are turning ambition into delivery, creating the schemes that make active travel an easy, safe and convenient choice for everyone.
The event came at a time of renewed national commitment to active travel investment. In England, a £291 million fund announced in February 2025 by the Government and Active Travel England will deliver improved crossings, junctions, and 300 miles of new walkways and cycle lanes. Alongside this, the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) are providing longer-term, place-based transport funding to Mayoral Combined Authorities, with active travel embedded as a core component. This enables regions to allocate multi-year capital funding to cycling, walking and wheeling improvements as part of wider transport and regeneration programmes. Scotland and Wales are also maintaining significant active travel investment.
Throughout the conference, Steer experts contributed thought-provoking insights and practical perspectives from across the field:
- Dom Smith, UK Active Travel Lead, presented with our client at St Helens Council, Ryan Dyson, on the innovative work we have been leading for St Helens, developing a policy on accessible paths and parks. He also explored community perspectives in “Healthy and walkable neighbourhoods: have we missed the point?”, sharing lessons from engagement with local transport users in Greater Manchester.
- Matt Clark, Head of New Mobility, chaired the session “Micromobility: five years on, so what’s next?”, examining how we boost the accessibility of shared micromobility and deliver across cities and connected wider regions.
- Justine Seager, Senior Consultant, presented “Step it up: the power of walking freight in last-mile logistics” within the Cargo Bikes and Urban Deliveries segment, highlighting how walking freight can unlock greener, more efficient urban logistics.
The event was attended by professionals from across the transport design and planning sectors – including engineers, urban designers, local authorities, academics, consultants and community groups.
Active Travel Innovations continues to support local authorities to stay abreast of the latest thinking in active travel planning and delivery.
As headline sponsor, Steer remains committed to helping cities and regions create healthier, more equitable, and better-connected communities – where active travel is a natural part of everyday life.
- Dom Smith, Steer
To explore active travel projects or how other authorities are approaching funding allocation, contact Dom Smith.
