Cardiff Consultation on Walking and Cycling Map 2026

Key points

• Cardiff Council has launched a public consultation on a new 15‑year Active Travel Network Map, inviting residents, businesses and community groups to comment.
• The consultation opened on 12 May 2026 and runs until 3 August 2026, focusing on routes for walking, wheeling and cycling.
• The updated Active Travel Network Map will replace the version approved by Welsh Ministers in December 2021 and will guide future investment in walking and cycling across the city.
• Routes will be prioritised using factors such as council transport priorities, potential to reduce car use, access to schools, transport hubs, retail and leisure, deprivation, health impacts, safety and collision data.
• The draft map includes new routes completed since 2021 that meet Welsh Government standards, removes sections already delivered and aligns proposals with current council policies and development plans.
• The council emphasises improving and connecting existing routes following new Welsh Government guidance, with routes shown split into existing, assessed paths and future schemes over the next five to 15 years.
• Under the Active Travel (Wales) Act, councils must regularly review their Active Travel Maps and demonstrate ongoing improvements for walkers, cyclists and people using wheelchairs or mobility aids.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) May 12, 2026 – Cardiff residents are being asked to help shape the city’s future walking and cycling network as Cardiff Council launches a new 15‑year Active Travel Network Map consultation. As reported by local civic sources, the consultation opened on 12 May 2026 and will run until 3 August 2026, inviting residents, businesses and community groups to comment on proposed routes for walking, wheeling and cycling across the capital.

What is the new Active Travel Network Map?

According to council communications, the updated Active Travel Network Map replaces the version approved by Welsh Ministers in December 2021 and will form the basis for future investment in walking and cycling infrastructure across Cardiff. The map shows both existing routes and new proposals, aiming to make it easier for people to travel around the city without relying on private cars.

The network is designed to reflect changes since 2021, including schemes completed under Welsh Government active‑travel standards. As stated by Cardiff Council’s transport team, the draft map has been updated to add new walking and cycling routes that meet those standards, while also removing sections that have already been delivered and realigning remaining proposals with current council policies and development plans.

How will routes be prioritised?

The council outlined that routes included in the map will later be prioritised using a range of factors. As outlined in the council’s consultation documents, these include council transport priorities, opportunities to reduce car use, access to schools, transport hubs, retail and leisure destinations, levels of deprivation, health impacts, safety and collision data.

Councillor Dan De’Ath, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport and Climate Change, said:

“We hope that residents and interested parties across the city give their views on our new Active Travel Map, which outlines proposals to improve cycling and walking routes across the city over the next 15 years.”

The council stresses that the Active Travel Network Map supports wider aims to create sustainable travel options, improve health and wellbeing, reduce congestion, cut air pollution and make it easier to travel around Cardiff without a private car.

Greater focus on existing routes and connections

The council said the updated map places greater emphasis on improving and connecting existing routes, following new Welsh Government guidance for active travel. Routes shown on the map include those that have already been inspected and assessed for safety and quality, alongside future schemes planned over the next five to 15 years.

As explained by council officers quoted in the consultation notice, the aim is to ensure that people can move safely between homes, workplaces, schools, shops and leisure facilities on foot, by bike or using mobility aids. The network is intended to link residential areas with transport hubs, such as train stations and bus interchanges, and to provide safer crossings and more direct paths where possible.

Legal duty under the Active Travel (Wales) Act

Under the Active Travel (Wales) Act, Cardiff Council and other Welsh local authorities must regularly review their Active Travel Maps and demonstrate how they are improving routes for walkers, cyclists and people using wheelchairs or mobility aids. As noted in Welsh Government guidance cited by the council, the updated map helps Cardiff meet this statutory requirement and show progress over time.

The council stated that the consultation process is a key step in that duty, allowing people to flag routes that feel unsafe, suggest missing links and highlight areas where more walking or cycling infrastructure is needed. Responses will be used to refine the map before it is formally adopted, in line with the Act’s emphasis on continuous improvement of active‑travel networks.

How the public can respond

Cardiff Council has opened the consultation online, inviting residents, businesses and community groups to review the draft Active Travel Network Map and submit feedback by 3 August 2026. The consultation materials include an interactive map and explanatory documents outlining the proposed routes and the criteria for prioritisation.

The council has encouraged local organisations, cycling groups, disability‑access advocates and schools to participate, saying their input will help ensure the final network reflects the needs of all users. As emphasised in the consultation notice, the council will consider all responses before submitting a final version of the map for formal approval.

Background: Active travel and Cardiff’s transport strategy

Cardiff has been working over recent years to expand its active travel infrastructure, including segregated cycle lanes, widened pavements and improved crossings. The 2021 Active Travel Network Map, approved by Welsh Ministers, laid the groundwork for a city‑wide network, and subsequent schemes have been implemented under the Active Travel (Wales) Act.

The updated map responds both to those completed projects and to emerging policy priorities, such as climate‑change targets, public‑health goals and the need to reduce traffic congestion in residential areas. By engaging the public in the 15‑year plan, the council is aiming to align the network with shifting patterns of work, housing growth and transport demand, particularly around major development sites and transport hubs.

Prediction: What this development could mean for Cardiff residents

For Cardiff residents, the updated Active Travel Network Map and its accompanying consultation could shape how easy, safe and attractive it is to walk, wheel or cycle across the city over the next decade and a half. If the consultation leads to more direct, well‑lit and segregated routes—especially near schools, hospitals and transport interchanges—more people may choose active travel over private car use for short trips.

For people living in areas with higher levels of deprivation or limited access to public transport, improved routes could make it easier to reach jobs, services and leisure facilities without relying on a vehicle. For families, older adults and people with mobility aids, safer crossings and smoother paths may increase confidence in moving around the city on foot or by bike. Overall, the council’s approach may help to reduce congestion and local air pollution, though the real impact will depend on how quickly and consistently the prioritised routes are built and maintained.