Active Travel: Walking and Cycling
Improves physical and mental health, reduces congestion, saves money. What’s not to like?
Low Emission Vehicles
Thinking of changing to a low emission vehicle? Resources and support here.
Fly Less
Flying is a major source of carbon pollution and there are many options to help you stay out of the air.
Active Travel
Active travel is a fancy way of saying ‘make your body move while you travel around in your day’… And we love Active Travel in St Albans!
Whether you’re walking to school or work down the Nickey Line or the Alban Way, riding your bike to the shops or jogging to work, active travel reduces congestion on the road, improves air quality, reduces carbon emissions, positively impacts nature and improves your mental and physical health too.
The general advice is to try to walk for journeys under 1 mile, ride a bike for journeys under 3 miles, and avoid single occupancy vehicles for longer journeys.
Walk More Often
Hertfordshire Health Walks are free and support those who have been inactive for a while to take their first steps.
Walk to School resources may help to encourage other families in your community to consider leaving the car at home and maybe even creating ‘walking school buses’.
Keeping your routes to side streets and footpaths if possible can also reduce your exposure to air pollution. Check out Clear the Air to check your regular route.
Cycling More in St Albans District
Cycling: Get Started
Find all the advice you need on the Cycle UK website, including “10 ways you can get started on a bike“.
READ: our blog, “Leave the Car at Home: How to Walk and Cycle More“.
LISTEN: to the Radio Verulam podcast “Walk and Cycle More to Help the Planet”
Get involved to build your confidence:
If you are worried about cycling by yourself on the road, you can build your confidence by joining a group ride. British Cycling, in partnership with HSBC, support volunteers to run rides for different ages and levels of riding experience and you can find local cycling groups including Breeze, their ladies-only rides.
South Herts Cyclists also offer groups, including an occasional ‘5 miles to fabulous’ ride running from Morrisons in St Albans, which is a great way to start.
Watch these webinars from Verulam Cycling Club on “So you want to start cycling” and “Getting fit for cycling”
Finding your way:
Car Free cycle ways run between St Albans and Harpenden, Swan Walk between Harpenden and Luton, and the Alban Way between Hatfield and St Albans Abbey station. The Nicky Line runs between Harpenden, Redbourn and Hemel Hempstead (not fully paved). See descriptions and maps of each of these routes on the Council’s cycling and walking webpage where you can download the District wide cycle map or request a printed copy.
- Sustrans is the national sustainable transport charity, which has developed a network of cycle paths. Go and have a look at what is in the area, or where you are heading on holiday.
- You can do route planning and find routes through apps such as strava, kamoot and map my ride.
Bike Need Servicing?
Check out the Cycle UK website for online bike maintenance guides and instructional videos too.
Watch this pracical talk on “Basic Bike Maintenance” given during SustFest21 by the Verulam Cycling Club.
If that isn’t enough to get you sorted, take it to one of our great local bikes shops, or use one of the local mobile cycle mechanics who come to you house and sort out your bike (either there or picking it up and taking it away). Locally there is CycleTech, Botox Bikes, The Bike Loft, St Albans Cycles, BC Cycles and many more.
Need Storage?
The Council is currently gauging interest for on-street “bread bin” bike storage through their webpage.
There are some innovative solutions for sale , suitable for people without room for a shed or bike store. Have a look online for space saving bike storage, and consider options like Plant Lock – where you attach the bike to a planter outside your house.
Local Hubs
St Albans Cycle Hub C.I.C is a not for profit Bike shop, Training centre, and Cycle reconditioning centre. Based at the Cottonmill Community and Cycling Centre, you’ll find a pump track, Cyclocross/XC Track, Dirt Jumps and a Leisure Track to try out your tricks and pedals too.
St Albans Cycle Campaign are working to make cycling infrastructure better in our district. STACC campaigns across St Albans and the surrounding area to:
- encourage cycle usage in the St Albans District
- promote cycling to play a more significant role in a balanced transport system for the St Albans District
- support, assist and influence to local authorities responsible for managing the transport system in the St Albans District.