1 About active travel
Active travel is using physically active means for your everyday journeys, such as walking or scooting to school, using a wheelchair or mobility scooter for shopping trips, or cycling to work. Advantages to active travel include increased fitness, cheaper journeys and environmental benefits.
In 2022 the government established Active Travel England to help achieve its vision for walking and cycling as set out in Gear Change. This includes an aspiration for half of all journeys in towns and cities to be walked or cycled by 2030.
The government provides local highway authorities with revenue funding to improve their capability and skills, support the development of active travel networks and schemes, and deliver behaviour change programmes.
Capital funding is also provided to support the design and construction of active travel improvement schemes. In 2025 the government set out active travel capability fund allocations for the period 2026-27 to 2029-30.
2 Improving active travel in West Sussex
Our active travel improvements aim to:
- make walking, wheeling and cycling to work, education and leisure activities more attractive
- improve health and wellbeing by offering eco-friendly travel choices
- broaden travel choices by offering safe, quick and easy walking and cycling options, particularly for short journeys
- support zero emission journeys and reduce reliance on car travel
- support the objectives of the West Sussex Transport Plan 2022 to 2036 and the West Sussex Active Travel Strategy 2024 to 2036
Active Travel England funding has enabled us to deliver the following improvements.
Active Travel Fund 2 (£2.35m)
Fund 2 works covered:
- extension of the A24 Worthing to Findon Valley cycle route to Findon village (completed in 2023)
- new signalised crossings on A283 Steyning Road in Shoreham and A259 Chichester Road at Merston (completed in 2023)
- new contraflow cycling facilities in River Road, Littlehampton (completed in 2023) and Cross Street, Worthing (completed in 2024)
- pedestrian and cycling improvements in the vicinity of Downlands School, Hassocks (completed in 2024)
- a new parallel crossing on Upper Shoreham Road, Shoreham at the junction with Buckingham Road and new cycle bypasses in Middle Road (completed in May 2025)
Active Travel Fund 4 Extension (£1.014m)
Fund 4 extension works covered:
- a new segregated cycle track on Lancing Beach Green between the western entrance and the skatepark, which has alleviated pedestrian and cycle conflict that occurred on the old shared path in front of The Perch Café and kiosk (completed in May 2025)
- a new puffin crossing outside West Worthing station (completed in December 2025)
- a new puffin crossing on A286 Midhurst Road, Lavant to support families walking and wheeling to Lavant CE Primary School and improve access to local bus stops (completed in July 2024)
- upgrading the existing puffin crossing on B2259 Felpham Way, Bognor Regis to a toucan crossing to support walking, wheeling and cycling to Felpham Community College and Downview Primary School (completed in February 2025)
Active Travel Fund 5 (£528,746)
Fund 5 works covered:
- widening the footpath between Drygrounds Lane and Wroxham Way in Felpham to support walking, wheeling and cycling to Felpham Community College and Downview Primary School (completed in August 2025)
- signing and lining improvements at selected school sites across the county (to be delivered in 2026 to 2027)
Consolidated Active Travel Fund 2025 (£1,797,149)
The fund for 2025 works will cover:
- A259 Shoreham active travel improvements (preliminary design)
- Comptons Lane and Bennetts Road active travel to school improvements (preliminary design)
- Northgate Avenue, Crawley active travel improvements (preliminary design)
- North Parade and West Parade Horsham junction improvement and active travel facilities (due to start 20 July 2026)
- a new zebra crossing in St Lawrence Avenue, Worthing to support walking and wheeling to Worthing High School (completed April 2026)
- Swiss Gardens Primary School Active Travel to School Improvements (due to start 10 August 2026)
- Arundel CofE Primary School Active Travel to School Improvements (due to start 6 August 2026)
- Thomas A Becket Primary School, Worthing Active Travel to School Improvements (due to start 19 August 2026)
- Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) and Local Transport Improvements Programme (LTIP) priority scheme concept design and development
- active travel improvements in both Oaklands Way and Oving Road, Chichester (detailed design)
Further information about our Consolidated Active Travel Fund programme is contained within the Key Decision Report. Construction of schemes is subject to the outcome of public consultations. Construction dates are subject to booking road space to avoid clashes with other road works.
You can take part in upcoming consultations and find out more on the Highways, Transport and Planning Engagement Hub or you can read further information about our approach to consultation and engagement in our proposal plan.
3 Capability Fund programme
This funding helps West Sussex County Council increase its active travel knowledge base and capability. It helps us plan and test ideas and design new walking and cycling schemes. It also helps us involve local people and ask for their views.
You can learn more about the schemes we are working on at the Highways, Transport and Planning Engagement Hub.
We also use the funding to support behaviour change projects and training. For example, we have asked the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust to work with 12 schools. Their aim is to help more children walk, wheel or cycle to and from school.
We focus on places where we are building new schemes or have recently finished them. Modeshift supports this work. They help schools across the county use the Modeshift Stars platform to create approved School Travel Plans.
We also use some funding to improve our cycle training and balance bike sessions for schools. This supports our work to change travel habits and improve local routes.
4 Strategic Transport Investment Programme
The Strategic Transport Investment Programme is used to develop major improvements to the transport network.
Priorities are identified in the West Sussex Transport Plan and can include strategic active travel improvements. The strategic active travel improvements in development are:
Schemes will be subject to design, consultation and business case development before being considered for funding opportunities as they arise.