Intelligent Health’s hugely successful walking and cycling initiative — Beat the Street – has been recognised for its success in changing active travel habits after being shortlisted for Best Modal Shift at the Healthy Streets Awards 2017.
The Healthy Streets Awards aim to reward excellence in in the planning and delivery of healthy street improvements in towns and cities across the UK. The Best Modal Shift category recognises schemes and initiatives that have been particularly successful in changing active travel habits.
Beat the Street Milton Keynes has been shortlisted alongside BikeSmart Reading and London Cycling Campaign’s Urban Cycle Loan. Beat the Street Milton Keynes saw more than 12,000 local residents take part in a free, fun community-wide game and resulted in huge changes to active travel behaviour — the proportion of people reporting no active travel in the past week decreased from 12% before Beat the Street, to 5% six months after.
Dr William Bird, CEO and founder of Intelligent Health, said: “It is a huge honour to see Beat the Street Milton Keynes recognised for its success in encouraging people to shift their active travel habits to walking and cycling instead of using the car. Our programme in Milton Keynes saw some of our best active travel results so it is fantastic to be shortlisted alongside other worth schemes.”
Beat the Street was delivered in Milton Keynes on behalf of Milton Keynes Council, with the aim of engaging residents with the town’s Redway system of walking and cycling lanes and to increase active travel and exploration.
Cllr Liz Gifford, Cabinet Member responsible for Place at Milton Keynes Council, said: “We are delighted that ‘Beat the Street, Milton Keynes’ has been shortlisted for the ’Best Modal Shift’ award. The enthusiasm and support from the public in Milton Keynes for the Beat the Street game was amazing and it really got people up and about.
“The number of participants far exceeded our expectations and showed how such an initiative can significantly changes peoples’ transport choice. The post-activity feedback showed a clear modal shift which has continued to be maintained — this was the whole reason we invested in Beat the Street, to get more people out and about discovering Milton Keynes through cycling and walking on our Redways. However, the ultimate goal was to keep it going afterwards.”
