Greater Manchester and Stockport have seen a boost in the number of people walking, wheeling and cycling on their journeys.

There were over 700 million 'active travel' trips made across the city region in 2025, compared to 510 million in 2021, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has revealed in a new report.

Active travel constitutes any journey that is 'human-powered' - whether that's on foot, on a bike, a scooter, or a wheelchair.

It now comprises around one-third of all journeys made in Greater Manchester.

TfGM is hoping to increase this to 50 percent by 2050.

Explaining the reasons for the surge, TfGM suggested that a new free e-bike rental scheme is partly responsible. One of these rental depots is based in Edgeley, and opened in July 2025.

The body also pointed to the new cycling and walking routes which have been introduced as part of the Bee Network.

There is also further investment planned across Greater Manchester for footpaths, junctions, cycle routes and crossings. 

Dame Sarah Storey, Greater Manchester's active travel commissioner, said the progress was 'great to see'. 

"The goal is to enable a greater choice for people in how they make their journeys, with walking and cycling being the glue that binds all the modes of the Bee Network together", she said.

"There is still a great deal of work needed, especially on the perceptions of safety and satisfaction of journeys, but the underlying message is that where segregated infrastructure is built for cycling, and streets are designed around the needs of pedestrians, then the numbers of people choosing to travel actively increases."

Richard Nickson, Active Travel Network Director at TfGM, also said: "Providing high-quality active travel infrastructure has been at the core of our Bee Network vision from the beginning, and with strong increases in walking and cycling on completed Bee Network routes, the way forward for Greater Manchester is clear. 

"At TfGM we will continue to work closely with our Active Travel Commissioner, the Greater Manchester Mayor and the 10 local authorities to ensure we're doing everything we can to enable people to travel actively as part of their day-to-day journeys." 

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