We’re encouraging everyone to make a positive change to their journeys.

Over the last 15 months many Torbay households took up walking and cycling as a form of exercise, particularly when COVID-19 restrictions meant we could only leave home for a limited number of reasons.

Today we are launching a campaign that encourages Torbay residents to ‘Keep the Change’ and maintain their good walking and cycling habits by incorporating active travel when getting to work, school, the beach, meeting friends and family or going to the shops.

Between now and the end of the school summer term, messages will be shared across the council’s social media channels which encourage Torbay residents to walk or cycle more and keep Torbay moving.

Not only is walking or cycling healthier, walking to school instead of driving saves on average £400-£600 per year and one person switching five journeys of fewer than 2km a week from the car to walking would reduce their carbon footprint by 86kg in a year!

Councillor Mike Morey, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure, Environment and Culture at Torbay Council said; “Active travel offers huge potential benefits for health and wellbeing, the environment, our quality of life and our economy.

We are committed to becoming a Carbon Neutral Council and want to work with Torbay residents to create a carbon neutral community, by reducing Torbay’s carbon footprint, working to improve poor air quality and reduce noise and emissions.

“That’s why I’d encourage everyone in Torbay to try and make at least one change to the journeys they currently take by car, even the smallest of changes will have a positive impact. Torbay has some wonderful natural assets which make it a great place to walk, cycle, scoot or wheel.

Torbay Council officers are working to ensure active travel is better supported by the infrastructure in Torbay over the long-term. The ‘Bay Trails’, Torbay’s Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), agreed by Council in April will deliver a high-quality strategic network of routes to make it safer, easier and more attractive for everyone to make more of their daily journeys on foot, bike, wheelchair or scooter. As each stage of the plan attracts funding, Torbay residents will be engaged to define the detailed delivery of ‘Bay Trails’ to ensure they deliver for everyone.

To be kept directly updated on active travel in Torbay, you can sign up to the councils ‘Torbay active travel infrastructure network’ by emailing: future.planning@torbay.gov.uk.

Find out more about school travel and safety via: https://www.torbay.gov.uk/roads/road-safety/school-travel/.

Learn more about the Torbay Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and the council’s other work to make Torbay a place which enables more people to safely travel on foot, bike, wheelchair and scooter: https://www.torbay.gov.uk/roads/travel/active-travel/

Torbay residents are reminded that it is against the law to ride an e-scooter on public land including pavements, cycle lanes, beach promenades, bridleways, or any publicly accessible land such as parks and car parks. E-scooters are classified as Personal Light Electric Vehicles. This means they are treated as motor vehicles and have to keep to the same legal requirements. E-scooters can only be used on private land with the permission of the landowner.