Dame Sarah Storey appointed new Active Travel Commissioner for Greater Manchester

Dame Sarah Storey has been appointed Greater Manchester city-region's new Active Travel Commissioner.

Dame Sarah, Great Britain’s most successful Paralympian, has worked as a policy advocate for British Cycling, with a particular focus on promoting road safety and improving access to cycling for women and those with disabilities.

Most recently, she was Active Travel Commissioner in South Yorkshire, where she led the transformation of the region’s cycling and walking network.

Dame Sarah will start her new role in May and will work alongside the newly appointed Transport Commissioner Vernon Everitt.

Dame Sarah said: “Getting physically active is a great way to improve both physical health and mental wellbeing, and cycling and walking short, everyday journeys are some of the easiest ways to do it.

“I can’t wait to get started and to enable the benefits of active travel to reach every community in Greater Manchester.”

The Paralympian said she will call on the Government to invest in health and wellbeing for people in the North of England.

The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “I am delighted Dame Sarah Storey is coming home to Greater Manchester after making such an impact working in South Yorkshire.

"We have much to deliver together. Over the next 12 months we will continue to build on the plans set out by our former Transport Commissioner, Chris Boardman, to make active travel the number one choice in our city-region for everyday trips to work, school and the shops, or as part of a longer journey using public transport."

Dame Sarah will advise the Mayor on the Bee Network active travel vision: a £1.5bn plan to create 1,800 miles of routes to connect every area and community in Greater Manchester, by integrating cycling and walking with other public transport modes and making it easy, safe and attractive for people to travel on foot or by bike for everyday trips.