The walking and cycling programme is the municipality's long-term plan

I spoke at the Kirkkonummi municipal council on 19 October 2026, when the council discussed the programme for promoting walking and cycling. The programme is the municipality’s long-term plan, and funding it is responsible financial management. I supported approving the programme and said I hoped we could agree in the budget on how to fund it. The council approved the programme.

What did the council decide?

The council approved the programme for promoting walking and cycling. The municipality announced the decision in a press release (in Finnish), which also covers supplementary appropriations in the 2026 budget.

Why does a municipality need a long-term plan?

Sustainable municipal development does not come from building one road here and another there, but from a plan carried out systematically and cost-effectively. The programme’s measures were chosen on the basis of their estimated impact, feasibility and cost-effectiveness, and the programme helps identify project components sized to fit the municipal budget. A dedicated investment budget would make it possible to invest with walking and cycling as the starting point.

What does physical inactivity cost Kirkkonummi?

According to the programme, physical inactivity costs Kirkkonummi an estimated 13.7 million euros every year. The investment the programme proposes is 500,000 to one million euros a year, and the savings from reduced inactivity are estimated at around 6.6 million euros. School transport adds further savings when a child can get to school independently along a safe route.

The speech in full

Delivered at the Kirkkonummi municipal council on 19 October 2026. Translated from the Finnish original.

Thank you, Chair. Tack ordförande.

Sustainable, long-term municipal development is not building one road here and another there. The responsible and economical thing is to make a long-term plan and to build a high-quality municipality cost-effectively and systematically. This programme is a plan for exactly that, and a dedicated investment budget would make it possible to invest with walking and cycling as the starting point.

As the programme states: “The measures have been chosen on the basis of their estimated impact, feasibility and cost-effectiveness.” The programme also offers a way to identify project components sized to fit the municipal budget. The goal is lasting improvements, made in a planned and cost-effective way.

This is also about residents’ wellbeing. Physical inactivity costs Kirkkonummi an estimated 13.7 million euros every year, while the investment the programme proposes is 500,000 to one million euros a year. The programme estimates the savings from reduced inactivity at around 6.6 million euros.

On top of that, we would save when a child can walk or cycle to school independently along a safe route and does not need to be driven there every day, year after year.

That is why I support approving the programme today. That is why I hope that we can agree in the budget on how to fund it.

Because it would be responsible financial management and sustainable municipal development that residents would benefit from as well. It would be a win-win-win.

Thank you.

Read more

I have written about this before: why the municipality must plan for the long term and why Kirkkonummi is built around private cars. Read more of my writing on transport.