On January 5, 2026, three major UK cities unveiled or debated sweeping changes to their streets, all in the name of promoting active travel—walking, cycling, and public transport. From Cookstown’s new footway and cycleway project, to Salford’s ambitious multi-million-pound upgrades, to heated debates in Edinburgh over pavement space, the day’s announcements and controversies reveal both the momentum and the challenges behind Britain’s push for healthier, greener travel options.
In Northern Ireland, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins announced the launch of a £430,000 Active Travel scheme for Cookstown. The project, which officially began on January 5, aims to extend the existing footway and cycleway network along the A29 Dungannon Road. According to the Department for Infrastructure, the scheme will provide approximately 1.1 kilometers of new footway and cycleway, running from Riverdale Drive towards the Killycolp Road junction. Minister Kimmins stated, “This scheme will greatly enhance provision for walking, wheeling and cycling in the Cookstown area by extending the current footway/cycleway on the A29 Dungannon Road and providing further links to the existing network.”
Kimmins emphasized the broader vision behind the project, saying, “Schemes such as this form part of my Department’s ongoing commitment to increase opportunities for active travel and provide excellent healthy and environmentally friendly transport choices for people who wish to leave the car behind for some of their shorter local journeys.” The scheme is designed not just for convenience, but to offer Cookstown residents a viable alternative to car travel, potentially reducing congestion and improving public health.
Of course, any major roadworks come with disruption. To facilitate the safe delivery of the project, a one-way lane closure on the A29 Dungannon Road for northbound traffic will be enforced from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday, for a sixteen-week period starting January 5. During these hours, traffic heading north toward Cookstown will be diverted via Annagh Road and Sandholes Road. Several roads, including Killycolp Road, 1 Strifehill Road, 4 Old Loughry Road, and Ardcumber Road, will be fully closed to through traffic, though local access will be maintained. A temporary 40 mph speed limit will also be in effect on a section of the A29 between the Dungannon Road Roundabout and Tullyard Road junction. The Department has assured residents that work operations and traffic management have been programmed to minimize inconvenience, but they warn that completion within sixteen weeks is dependent on favorable weather conditions. For those needing updates, the Department encourages checking Trafficwatchni for the latest information.
Meanwhile, in Salford, England, the city council announced a raft of measures designed to transform the way people move around the city, with a particular focus on active travel. The headline figure: £4 million earmarked for upgrades to roads around Ordsall, a neighborhood squeezed between Salford Quays and Manchester city centre. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the funding comes from the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlements (CRSTS) programme, and it’s just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Alongside the new active travel routes, Salford is set to benefit from public transport upgrades, including a new number 30 bus route connecting Trafford Centre and Manchester via key locations like Trafford Park, MediaCity, and Ordsall Lane.
The plans are extensive. They include new toucan crossings (for pedestrians and cyclists), dedicated cycle lanes, speed bumps, resurfacing, widened footways, and shared-use paths on multiple roads such as Eccles New Road, Howard Street, King William Street, and more. There are proposals for 20 mph speed zones, parking restrictions, and new or improved crossings to enhance pedestrian and cyclist safety. The council is also looking at traffic calming measures, raised junctions, and better drainage, with the goal of making streets safer and more accessible for everyone—from schoolchildren to commuters to local shoppers.
Councillor Mike McCusker, the city’s lead on transport, explained the broader ambition: “As part of the council’s broader goals of creating a greener, fairer and healthier city, we want to create a vibrant and sustainable place that people can enjoy that makes a real difference to how they experience our city. Connecting communities through better active travel links and networks is part of our vision to improve movement and connectivity in Salford and our wider regeneration plans.” McCusker also highlighted the council’s commitment to safe, sustainable school travel, referencing the Safe Streets element of the Greater Manchester Vision Zero Strategy, which aspires to prevent road deaths and life-changing injuries across the region.
Some of the more notable street-level changes include a new toucan crossing and cycle lanes on Eccles New Road, footway resurfacing and shared-use paths on Howard Street, and a widened footway with a shared cycleway on King William Street. Gloucester Street is set for new traffic calming and pedestrian safety features, while Goodiers Drive and Robert Hall Street will see widened footways, new crossings, and upgraded bus stops. In Ordsall Park, the footpath could be widened to 3 meters and transformed into a shared-use facility, while Hulton Street will gain a new link to Trafford Road’s cycle path. The city’s plans also touch on Oldfield Road, Ordsall Lane, and Taylorson Street, where proposals include new crossings, reduced carriageway widths, and a new quietway route connecting to Exchange Quay tram stop.
But not all active travel plans are universally welcomed. In Edinburgh, the city’s latest scheme for Dundee Street has sparked criticism from pedestrian advocacy group Living Streets Edinburgh. The group argues that the council’s active travel plans would actually harm pedestrians by narrowing pavements in at least 12 locations, in some cases by as much as 2.4 meters. One pavement, near the Edinburgh Printmakers, would be left at little more than a meter wide—well below the minimum width recognized in both local and national guidance.
David Hunter, Convener of Living Streets Edinburgh, didn’t mince words: “Despite a £10 million price tag, the plans for Dundee Street would not only leave many pavements below the minimum width recognized in both local and national guidance, they would actually reduce pavement space. New cycle lanes shouldn’t come from walking space. We’ve already seen how pedestrian space was squeezed out in Leith Walk, and Dundee Street would make the same mistake. We really need to see the Council stick to its own policy – that means putting pedestrians’ needs first, above other road users.”
Living Streets also criticized the lack of pedestrian improvements at Boroughmuir, Tollcross, and Craiglockhart schools, and took issue with the introduction of nine ‘floating’ bus stops—where passengers must cross a cycleway to board or alight from buses. Instead, the group supports providing alternative cycling routes using traffic-free and quiet streets in Shandon and North Merchiston, rather than narrowing pavements on Dundee Street itself.
Across the UK, the push for active travel is gaining steam, with local governments investing millions and reimagining urban transport. Yet as Edinburgh’s debate shows, the details matter. Whether it’s making room for cyclists, keeping pedestrians safe, or balancing the needs of all road users, these projects are about more than just tarmac and paint—they’re about shaping the future of Britain’s cities, one street at a time.
