The charity will use the money to fund its Connect2 project to create new walking and cycling routes for short journeys in the UK.
“This is fantastic news for Sustrans,” said John Grimshaw, the charity’s founder and chief executive. “More importantly, it is fantastic for the 79 communities across the UK.”
Sustrans beat social enterprise the Eden Project, a partnership of statutory, private and voluntary sector groups aiming to restore Sherwood Forest and a consortium of West Midlands councils hoping to transform the environment of the region into a giant urban park.
Voting took place between 26 November and 10 December. Last week, ITV showed a programme on each project to help viewers decide.