What is the meaning of active travel?
Active Travel is all about travelling from A to B through physically active means, such as walking and cycling.
Active travel is at the heart of everything we do at Smarter Travel. We hope that by doing what we believe in we can encourage others to do the same.
What does active travel include?
Active Travel simply means making your journeys in physically active ways. In short, it includes everything that is without the use of fossil fuels. From walking, cycling, scooting, wheeling, skateboarding, roller skating…these are all part of it. Travelling actively also means it is greener and more sustainable!
The Hierarchy
The hierarchy is there simply to help you think about improving the impact of your journeys. The higher up the hierarchy, the more active and sustainable the travel option.
As you can see in the hierarchy, walking is the greenest, cleanest and healthiest way to travel as the only resource required is yourself, followed by cycling and scooting, where an equipment is needed for your journey.
Why active travel?
Studies show that just walking for 30 minutes a day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, and boost blood circulation and more. It then helps reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and even some forms of cancer.
Our travel coordinator Eden completes all local travel by foot! She says ‘’ Walking is a great way to get around. No matter how tired I am, even after a short 10 minute walk, it wakes me up and makes me feel great about myself, I also get to have some quiet time to myself during my walk.’’
How are you travelling?
Think about your most frequent journey. Is it by car? Or are you taking the bus?
Here are some facts – Studies show that in 2019, Transportation was the largest emitting factor of greenhouse gases, equivalent to 122 million tonnes of CO2 produced.
It is also found that single occupancy vehicles contribute to 82% of emissions per year in the UK.
Out of that, 2/3 of the journeys are actually under 2 miles, which is equivalent to 15-30 minutes of walking time.
With that in mind, does it make you reflect and review your own travel habits? What about your local grocery shopping? Can you walk or cycle instead of driving?
If you would like to find more information or learn to develop an ‘active commute’, please visit the Living Streets website as they have a wealth of information and tips on how to incorporate more walking into your day.
