Walking / rights of way

Bath  & North East Somerset, Bristol City and South Gloucestershire Councils have formed a Joint Local Access Forum to provide advice as to the improvement of public access to land in the area of the three councils for the purposes of open-air recreation and enjoyment of the area.

This tends to be access to the more rural parts of the councils and includes the Rights of Way Improvement Plan that looks at how the 1300 miles ( 2100 km) rights of way in Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol and South Gloucestershire should be managed in the future.

Encouraging pedestrians and walkers is also part of the overall vision for tackling congestion.  Many of the road junctions being refurbished as part of the Travel+ work include safer crossings, improved lighting is helping to encourage more walking, and new pedestrian and cycle routes are being established as part of new developments.

The improvement of rights of way and the encouragement of walking and other forms of sustainable travel together aim to tackle congestion, improve air quality, ensure that alternatives to the car are a realistic first choice for the majority of trips, offer real travel choices - affordable, safe, secure, reliable simple to use and available to all  - and meet both rural and urban needs.