£1.6 MILLION BOOST FOR WALKING, WHEELING AND CYCLING IN SOUTH YORKSHIRE

Published 13 November 2025 at 1:30pm

South Yorkshire’s Mayor and local leaders have backed a £1.64 million funding package to deliver transformative walking, wheeling, and cycling projects across the region. 
Neighbourhoods will benefit from new pedestrian crossings, safer streets around schools, and upgraded routes - aimed at improving safety, accessibility, and connectivity.  

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: 
 “I want South Yorkshire to be the healthiest region in the country, and helping our communities to choose walking, wheeling and cycling is one of the ways we can make that change happen.
“That’s why I’m so pleased we’re investing £1.6million to create safer streets, healthier communities, giving everyone more freedom and choice about how we travel and move around Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield.
“Because together we can create a wealthier, happier, healthier and safer South Yorkshire where we can all stay near and go far.”

Working with local councils, the money will deliver nine new schemes across Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, including:

• Barnsley: £512,000 to develop area-wide masterplans, provide a new pedestrian crossing and improve routes to local schools.
• Doncaster: £370,000 of route upgrades in Bentley and Balby. 
• Rotherham: £350,000 for pedestrian improvements in North Rotherham.   
• Sheffield: £360,000 for a new pedestrian crossing and a permanent School Street. 

It comes as South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) recently launched a new Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy, with a bold ambition to deliver safer neighbourhoods, routes to opportunities, and better places - with schools at the heart of plans.

South Yorkshire’s Active Lives Commissioner, Ed Clancy OBE, said:
“My priority is simple: everyone who wants to walk, wheel or cycle should feel safe and confident enough to do so. This investment is another step towards helping to make that happen.
“Working with our local authorities and communities to deliver the projects that matter most, we’re removing barriers to healthier travel by building high-quality cycle routes, and safer paths and crossings.
“This is about giving everyone the freedom and choice to move more and differently - by creating safer, healthier neighbourhoods we can all be proud of.”

The programme, funded by Active Travel England, is scheduled to be complete by April 2027.

More information about walking, wheeling and cycling in South Yorkshire: Active Travel in South Yorkshire.