Cardiff Council is preparing an updated Active Travel map showing where people can currently walk and cycle safely across the city – and where new and improved routes are planned in the future – which is a requirement set by Welsh Government.
Before the map is submitted to Welsh Ministers, the council will carry out a 12‑week public consultation from May to June 2026, giving residents, businesses and community groups the chance to comment on the proposals and suggest improvements. The consultation will include targeted engagement to ensure the views of different communities are properly considered.
The updated Active Travel Network Map brings together existing walking and cycling routes with proposals for future improvements, helping the Council plan how people can make every day journeys without relying on their private car.
Cllr 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.”
Under the Active Travel (Wales) Act, councils across Wales are required to regularly review their Active Travel maps and show how they are improving routes for walking, cycling and people using wheelchairs or mobility aids. Cardiff’s current map was approved by the Welsh Government in 2022, and the council must submit an updated version by December 2026 for approval.
The draft map has been updated to:
- Add new walking and cycling routes that have been completed since 2021 and meet Welsh Government standards.
- Update future route plans, removing sections that have already been built and ensuring proposals align with current council policies and development plans.
- Focus more strongly on improving and connecting existing routes, following new Welsh Government guidance to streamline the process.
Routes shown on the map include:
- Existing routes that have been independently assessed for safety and quality.
- Future routes, ranging from short‑term schemes planned within the next five years to longer‑term, more aspirational routes over the next 10–15 years.
Once the map is finalised, future routes will be prioritised using a scoring system developed by Transport for Wales, which looks at factors such as access to schools, shops, public transport, health services, safety, population density and areas of deprivation.
Cardiff Council’s Cabinet approval will meet on March 19th to consider the recommendations in the report, with the view to publish the draft map for public consultation, allow officers to make changes based on feedback received and submit the final map to the Welsh Government for approval.
