The London 2012 Active Travel programme aims to use the power of the Games to encourage people across the UK to walk and cycle more often.
London 2012 offers a huge opportunity to inspire people to make changes to their lives – including the way they travel. The London 2012 Active Travel programme aims to use the power of the Games to encourage people across the UK to walk and cycle more often.
What is the Active Travel programme?
When London won the bid to host the Games, we made a commitment to make them as sustainable as possible. The Active Travel programme has been developed to help deliver this promise and to inspire people of all ages to become more active through walking and cycling.
In addition to helping people live healthier lifestyles and enjoy the attractive surroundings the UK has to offer, walking and cycling are crucial to easing pressure on the public transport and road network during the Games.
Further detail about the programme and progress to date is available here.
In the lead-up to the Games
We have invested over £10m in making improvements to over 75km of key walking and cycling routes leading to London 2012 venues both in and outside London.
These improvements have been designed with legacy in mind and are integrated with the wider transport network, to ensure trips can easily be combined with other modes. Find out more about the enhancements on our walking and cycling pages.
Inspire mark projects
The Olympic and Paralympic Games offer an opportunity to inspire everyone across the UK to do something different. Working with local people is crucial to the delivery and success of the Active Travel programme and we have been delighted to see so many people get involved through the London 2012 Inspire programme.
Over 60 innovative projects of this kind were awarded the London 2012 Inspire mark and have created new opportunities to encourage more walking and cycling. Some fantastic examples include:
- All Ability Cycle Club
- Active Travel Champions
- Cycloan
- Get Walking for the Games
- Strictly Cycling
- Walk the Torch
During the Games
Public transport networks will be extremely busy during the Games so walking or cycling offer a quick and easy way of getting around. Our aim is to make it as easy and attractive as possible for you to get to an event on foot or by cycle.
Find out more about walking and cycling to the Games.
As well as free cycle parking at every venue, we will offer guided cycle rides and walks to venues plus a free ‘keep you going’ cycle maintenance service at certain venues. Full details are available on each venue page on the left.
Plan your journey using the spectator journey planner.
After the Games
Never before has there been a focus on using the Games to encourage walking and cycling. We will use the lessons learned to influence and promote active travel to future large scale sporting events in the UK.
By creating a positive experience for people walking and cycling to the Games, London 2012 and Transport for London hope people will continue to choose to walk and cycle in the future, both for everyday trips and to future sporting and cultural events.
Active Travel Programme
