Walking and cycling

Walking and cycling can easily be added into everyday life and provide loads of benefits. They are great stress relievers, helps you lead a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle and contribute to making our local communities less congested and more pleasant places to be.

27% of households in St Helens Borough have no access to a car or vans, making walking and cycling even more critical for day-to-day journeys.

The Liverpool City Region Local Journeys Strategy notes that two thirds of all trips in Merseyside are less than 5km in length, a highly comfortable walking and cycling distance. Despite this, 50% of these trips are undertaken by car.

Incorporating walking into your daily routine can be really simple, even if you start walking to the train station or the kids to school. Useful walking information is below.

• St Helens' Healthy Living Team provides free walks throughout the borough.
• Our walking routes and guides page has information about walking routes in Sherdley Park, Mesnes Park and Taylor Park.
• Living Streets is a national walking charity which offers resources and advice on walking, including their family walk to school kit and 20 tips to help you walk.
• Active St Helens provides support and inspiration for activities to help you be more active, including walking activities and groups

Cycling is an easy way to incorporate low-impact exercise into your daily routine. Bikes are cheap to run, easy to maintain and cycling provides one of the most reliable ways to travel. It helps to combat obesity, ease congestion and produces virtually no pollution or noise.

Some top tips from Sustrans, a charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle:

• New to cycling or getting back to it? Top tips to help you feel safe and confident on your bike
• How to choose the right bike for you
• Give your bike a clean
• Check your bike is safe to ride
• Bike security
• How to start cycling to work
• Reasons to ride an electric bike
• Cycling for families and children

Cycling programmes and initiatives:

• Pedal Power Experience run free bike rides for all abilities and repair bikes.
• British Cycling's 'Let's Ride' platform has local bike rides led by experienced ride leaders. They also organise Breeze rides (women only) for all abilities.
• The Woollybacks mountain bike club runs local bike rides around St Helens.
• Active St Helens provides support and inspiration for activities to help you be more active, including cycling activities and groups
• St Helens Borough Council also delivers a range of cycling programmes and initiatives. Please see link below.

The latest cycle network map for St Helens Borough can be accessed below. Sustrans, the cycling and walking charity, provides helpful information about cycling and the national cycle network.

The council is supporting the delivery of a 600km network of highest-quality walking and cycling infrastructure across the Liverpool City Region, as identified in the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The LCWIP can be accessed via the link the the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority's website below.

You can find details of current consultations and engagement on emerging walking and cycling infrastructure on our Active Travel St Helens page.

CycleStreets is a useful tool to help you plan cycle journeys.