Since 2024 Transport Scotland has channeled funding through Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) to deliver the People & Place Programme. This aims to increase the mode share of local, everyday journeys made by walking, wheeling or cycling rather than by private car, and to increase the number of people using sustainable transport for longer journeys.
The programme is delivered under five broad themes:
- Active Schools
- Active Workplaces
- Accessibility and Inclusion
- Capacity & Capability Building
- Sustainable Transport
2025-26 Evaluation Report
In the second year of our People and Place Programme funded by Transport Scotland, we supported 21 projects across five strategic themes. Projects included those delivered in communities by local delivery partners, a cycle parking programme and access to bikes funding which we delivered with our Local Authorities and other partners, and the Workplace Active Travel Grant scheme which supported 12 workplaces to install or improve facilities for staff. These interventions were delivered across the HITRANS region in Highland, Moray, Orkney, Western Isles and Argyll and Bute, with a particular emphasis on inclusivity and local capacity building.
Programme Overview
Programme Themes:
This year Transport Scotland added Sustainable Transport to the four original active travel themes:
1. Active Schools & Young People
2. Active Workplaces
3. Accessibility & Inclusion
4. Capacity & Capability Building
5. Sustainable Transport
Delivery Partners:
Local Authorities, health boards, National Park Authorities, community organisations, and private sector partners.
Overall Reach:
- Over 26,000 participants from across age groups from pre-school to 65+ (14,000 participants in 2024-25).
- 15.2 FTE posts were supported across 11 delivery partners.
- Delivered new or upgraded infrastructure (cycle parking, facilities, adapted bikes, traffic radar sensors) in 59 locations (30 locations in 2024-25).
Key Outputs:
- 7,713 primary school pupils engaged (Living Streets, Outfit Moray, Adventure Oban)
- 14 Workplaces funded through Workplace Active Travel Grants
- 1,783 bikes checked and repaired, e.g. Dr Bikes in the community and in schools
- 353 bikes refurbished and rehomed either free or at low-cost to children and adults (130 refurbished bikes in 2024-25).
- 7 Inclusive Cycling Members loan a non-standard cycle suited to their needs
- 4,446 hours of volunteer time donated to the programme, equating to £54,286* of time invested
*Calculated at a rate of hours x national living wage rate for 21+ year olds in 25/26 (£12.21)
Thematic Analysis
Active Schools & Young People
Outputs: School cycle parking grant; WOW Travel Tracker; walking and cycling buses; bike maintenance and repair; learn to ride & Bikeability level 1 sessions; inclusive cycling sessions; led rides; girl-specific bike sessions; active travel mapping.
Outcomes: Increased numbers of pupils cycling to school; increased perceptions of safety for walking; wheeling or cycling to school; reduced barriers to
walking, wheeling and cycling.
Active Workplaces & Communities
Outputs: community cycle parking grant; workplace active travel grant; workplace
engagement with TravelKnowHow; Local Officers engaging with their communities and local employers; bike fleets, loans and libraries.
Outcomes: Increased numbers of people walking, wheeling and cycling to work and for everyday journeys; increased perceptions of safety.
Accessibility & Inclusion
Outputs: Loans of non-standard cycles and eCargo bikes; community bike share /loan schemes; adapted cycling sessions; bike refurbishment and distribution; low cost bike maintenance.
Outcomes: Increase in walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys across all abilities; reduced barriers to walking, wheeling and cycling.
Capacity & Capability Building
Outputs: Local Officer posts; cycle mechanic training; maintenance sessions; volunteer opportunities; networking & learning event; funding for training and event attendance; local events and promotions; campaigns and communications.
Outcomes: Walking, wheeling and cycling is supported by a range of partners; reduced perception of barriers to active travel.
Sustainable Transport
Outputs: HI-BIKE on-street ebike share scheme; Demand Responsive Transport; bus stop improvements and cycle parking; timetable information.
Outcomes: Increase in the number of people choosing sustainable transport for longer journeys.
Lessons Learned
- Decision-maker Engagement: Engaging with school staff and parents is key to influencing children’s travel choices and ensuring interventions such as School Streets can be implemented to make active travel the safe and obvious choice.
- Peer Learning and Regional Collaboration: The HITRANS Making Connections learning and networking event held in Orkney in October 2025 demonstrated the value of creating dedicated opportunities for peer learning between those involved in active travel across the region. Several collaborations emerged directly from the event, including:
• cross-authority sharing of learning from 20mph implementation,
• new connections between workplace active travel projects and funding opportunities,
• follow-on work to develop cycle training capacity in Orkney. - Infrastructure: The provision of secure cycle parking increases access and reduces barriers to cycling across schools, workplaces and communities. Support during the application process is important to ensure that organisations feel equipped to deliver the project. The timeline of the P&P funding cycle makes it challenging to install infrastructure within the same financial year. In 2026-27, the funding application and award window was brought forwards to address this. This is already seeing benefits, with cycling infrastructure already installed at the end of Quarter 1 (end of June 2026).
Funding Breakdown
Total Award 2025/26: £2,760,687 (Award in 2024-25 was £1,825,179, an increase of ~50%).
Local Delivery Partners: 17.5%
Transport Integration: 15%
Smart Travel Choices: 7%
Access to Bikes: 4.5%
Living Streets Programme: 3.5%
Capacity Building: 3.5%
Cycling UK: 3%
Fort William Wayfinding: 2%
HI-BIKE: 28%
Resource Support & Delivery: 16.5%
Individual Case Studies can be found here.
Community and Workplace Active Travel Funding - NOW CLOSED
Earlier in 2026, HITRANS was pleased to launch two capital grant funds to support active travel across the Highlands and Islands:
- Workplace Active Travel Infrastructure Grant
- Community Cycle Parking Grant
These grants are now closed to applications. The grants are funded by Transport Scotland’s People and Place Programme and aim to make walking, wheeling and cycling easier, safer and more accessible by improving infrastructure in workplaces and community spaces.
Further pages relating to People and Place Programme
People and Place Programme Resources
2025-26 People & Place Programme Evaluation Report
2024-25 People & Place Programme Evaluation Report
Active Travel and Sustainable Transport Behaviour Change Strategy
Funding for Active Travel Infrastructure Projects in the Community and Workplace