Residents asked to help shape the future of active travel in Cardiff

Residents, businesses and community groups are being invited to help shape future walking and cycling networks in Cardiff as the council prepares a legally required update to its active travel map.

The local authority will launch a 12-week public consultation from May to June 2026, giving locals the chance to comment on proposals for new and improved routes and suggest changes before the map is submitted to Welsh Ministers.

The consultation will include targeted engagement to ensure the views of different communities are properly represented.

The updated Active Travel Network Map brings together existing walking and cycling routes with proposals for future improvements, supporting the council's aim of helping people make everyday journeys without relying on a private car.

Cardiff's current map was approved by the Welsh Government in 2022, and an updated version must be submitted by December 2026.

The draft map has been updated to add new walking and cycling routes completed since 2021 that meet Welsh Government standards, revise future route plans to reflect what has already been built, and align proposals with current council policies.

Following new Welsh Government guidance, the updated map also places greater emphasis on improving and connecting existing routes rather than planning entirely new ones.

Routes shown on the map include those that have been independently assessed for safety and quality, as well as future routes ranging from short-term schemes planned within five years to longer-term aspirational routes over the next 10 to 15 years.

Finalised 

Once finalised, future routes will be prioritised using a scoring system developed by Transport for Wales, which considers factors including access to schools, shops, public transport, health services, population density and areas of deprivation.

Councillor Dan De'Ath, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport and Climate Change, said: "The Council is committed to building a network for both cyclists and pedestrians, so that both walking and cycling becomes an attractive option to those who are able, instead of relying on travelling by car.

"The Active Travel Network Map supports the wider aims that we want to establish — to improve health and wellbeing, reduce congestion, cut air pollution further and make it easier for people to travel around Cardiff safely and sustainably."

Review

Under the Active Travel (Wales) Act, councils across Wales are required to regularly review their active travel maps and demonstrate how they are improving routes for pedestrians, cyclists and people using wheelchairs or mobility aids.

Cardiff Council's Cabinet will meet on 19 March to consider the recommendations, having first been scrutinised by the Environmental Committee on 12 March. Both meetings will be available to watch via webcast at cardiff.public-i.tv.