LAMBETH CYCLING STRATEGY. A vision to become the most cycle friendly borough in London

Transcription

1 LAMBETH CYCLING STRATEGY A vision to become the most cycle friendly borough in London

2 COPYRIGHT London Borough of Lambeth August 2013 Published by Transportation London Borough of Lambeth Lambeth Town Hall Brixton Hill London SW2 1RW enquiries ISBN Photographs London Borough of Lambeth Copies of this report are available from 2 P a g e

3 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 4 BACKGROUND 5 OUR STRATEGY 7 1. SAFE ATTRACTIVE STREETS 7 2. ENABLING PEOPLE TO CYCLE 9 3. HIGH QUALITY NETWORK OF ROUTES REDUCING THROUGH TRAFFIC SECURE CYCLE PARKING PROMOTING CYCLING MODAL SHIFT MORE CHILDREN CYCLING IMPROVING ROAD USER BEHAVIOUR LOCAL DEMONSTARTION AREA CO-OPERATIVE WORKING 16 BARRIERS TO IMPROVING CYCLING PROVISION 18 WIDER BENEFITS 20 DELIVERY AND RESOURCE 21 APPENDIX A DRAFT NETWORK OF CYCLE ROUTES 22 3 P a g e

4 INTRODUCTION A place that is good to cycle in is a place that is good to live in, and if Lambeth becomes the most cycle-able borough then it could also be the most liveable borough. Every citizen in Lambeth would benefit from a more cycle friendly borough. Cycling is an exceptionally efficient way of getting around and more people cycling will mean more space on our streets for other uses. Congestion and air pollution will be reduced. Our streets will become safer, livelier, people-friendly places. Local shops and businesses will benefit as cyclists pop in more frequently and shop more locally. There will be new employment opportunities in bike workshops and cafes. Employers will benefit from fitter and healthier workforces who arrive alert and take fewer days off sick, and health services will be eased of the burdens of obesity and other illnesses related to inactive lifestyles. And of course, people who cycle in Lambeth will enjoy all these benefits and get around quicker and easier and save money too. We want everybody in Lambeth to be able to enjoy these benefits which is why we have developed this strategy. 4 P a g e

5 BACKGROUND Over the last decade, there has been a steady rise in cycling in Lambeth so that 5.7% of commuter journeys were recorded as being by bike in the 2011 Census. But cycling in London still tends to be popular mainly for young men who are confident enough to tackle London s traffic. Lambeth wants to encourage more cycling and believes that the only way to do this is to make cycling safe and attractive for a broader cross section of people. Anyone who wants to cycle should be able to women, children, parents, older people as happens in Denmark and the Netherlands. Our vision therefore is that: Our vision is that: Lambeth will be the most cycle-friendly borough in London where year olds feel safe enough to cycle. Lambeth is already one of the leading areas in the UK for cycling. With the right support, cycling can play an even bigger part in meeting Lambeth s travel needs and create a more attractive environment. This strategy sets out the principles that the Council will apply to its own strategies and projects to support and encourage cycling. This will be backed up by a programme of investment in cycle facilities to be brought forward separately. Our target for cycling Cities like Copenhagen have achieved high cycling rates with carefully considered, comprehensive strategies and modest but sustained investment. In the UK, the Department for Transport s five cycling demonstration towns, achieved an average annual increase in cycling of 4%, similar to that achieved in Copenhagen. The Mayor of London s target for cycling is 5% mode share for the whole of London by As this is for the whole of London, rates for inner London are likely to be higher than in outer London. Lambeth s own current target in the Lambeth Transport Plan 2011 is to achieve 6% of all trips by bike by With 5.7% of commuter trips already being made by bike, we believe that a much more ambitious target is achievable. Based on the 4% growth per annum achieved in the cycling demonstration towns, we will now aim to achieve the following targets over the next decade: Over the next 10 years we will aim to achieve: % of all trips by bike % of all trips by bike 5 P a g e

6 By applying all the actions in the strategy and with sustained investment, these targets can be achieved in Lambeth. Very high rates are already being achieved on some of the principal commuter routes such as Kennington Road. With the right support and facilities, large number of trips by people other than commuters will be able to be made by bike. Benefits of cycling. The main reason people give for cycling is that it is the quickest way from A to B. An important part of the cycling strategy will be to improve the convenience of cycling - making cycling trips quicker so that cycling is even more attractive. But cycling has many other benefits, including: Reducing congestion cycling is the most space efficient form of transport Health cycling is a form of exercise that is easily incorporated into daily routine Air quality cycling causes no air pollution Sustainability cycling causes very few CO2 emissions Crime more people cycling means more people on the street providing natural surveillance and a feeling that people are around Social inclusion cycling can provide cheap, reliable access to jobs and facilities especially for young adults Cycling in Lambeth now 5.7% of commuter trips in Lambeth are made by bike (2011 Census) the third highest rate in London (with Hackney recording 9.2%. This compares with an average of 2.6% across London and 1.9% across England. Frequent cyclists tend to be white, male, aged with above average income, yet women, ethnic minorities, children and older people and those on a lower income make more local trips which could be cycled (TfL Analysis of Cycling Potential 2010). Most people in Lambeth do not have access to a car 58% of households do not have a car (2011 Census). This is up from 51% in 2001 and there is a similar pattern of falling car ownership across London. TfL has recorded a sustained shift from the private car to public transport, cycling and walking in London between 2000 to Total vehicle kilometres for London in 2009 were 5.9% lower than in This is a trend that is even more pronounced in Inner London % lower and has been consistent throughout the decade, not just as a result of the recession. Many more local trips could be cycled by a greater range of people if the right facilities and infrastructure were put in place. At the same time, the trend towards lower car ownership and use in Inner London creates new opportunities to rethink our streets in ways that give greater priority to walking and cycling. 6 P a g e

7 OUR STRATEGY Aim 1: Create safe and attractive streets for cycling through a mix of measures including a borough-wide 20 mph speed limit Children from Woodmansterne Primary School ask drivers to reduce their speed Speeding traffic is a huge deterrent to people cycling. Reducing speed is particularly beneficial in reducing casualty rates for young children but also has benefits in terms of less noise and creating more sociable places. Reducing speeds to 20 mph generally encourages more people to walk and cycle. A 20 mph speed limit allows for safe mixing of motorised and non-motorised transport modes, and makes it easier for people to make safe, direct trips by foot or by bike. Lambeth will create a 20mph limit across the whole borough. This will apply to all non-tlrn roads under Lambeth control and Lambeth will work with TfL to implement a 20mph limit on TLRN roads. Lambeth will prioritise allocation of road space according to environmental impact and road danger reduction using the Lambeth Road User Hierarchy. 7 P a g e

8 Lambeth Road User Hierarchy (Lambeth Transport Plan 2011) 1 Walking 2 Cycling 3 Buses 4 Taxis and minicabs 5 Powered two wheelers 6 Freight transport 7 Cars In line with falling car ownership trends, Lambeth will promote an Equal Streets approach, with street and public space being considered for other uses as well as the private car to reflect the needs of the whole local population, such as for cycle storage, safe cycle access, pedestrian space, play space and greening. Overall parking supply and car ownership will be monitored and, where necessary for the completion of a cycle improvement such as a continuous route, parking bays will be relocated within the local area and removed where there is spare capacity Streets with high cycle flows or of local and strategic importance such as cycle links will be considered for conversion into cycle streets streets where cyclists have priority. For cycling to be a convenient choice of transport, our network of streets needs to provide as many direct links as possible, with as few unnecessary detours as possible. All one-way streets will be converted to two-way for cycling unless there are very strong safety reasons not to, and we will investigate the possibility of making a borough-wide Road Traffic Order to this effect. Physical barriers will be removed such as railings and kerbs in order to provide convenient local access by bicycle, especially through estates. Parks offer safe, attractive and direct routes for cyclists especially for children and novice cyclists. Routes through parks for considerate cycling will be opened up and we will change the by-law to allow cycling through open spaces. Demonstration projects could be installed for temporary periods to allow monitoring of impacts, local consultation and adjustments to the scheme. This could include trial layouts in the re-allocation of traffic lanes on main roads and at junctions. The removal of gyratories which are an impediment to safe and convenient cycling will be investigated such as the Vauxhall gyratory 8 P a g e

9 Aim 2: Encouraging and enabling a range of people to cycle so that Lambeth s cycling population reflects the local population At the moment, 64% of cyclists are men (London Travel Demand Survey 2010/11), 78% of cyclists are white (compared to 65% of London s population) and rates of cycling are much higher in higher income groups. Cycling is relatively easy with most people either already able to ride a bicycle or able to quickly learn with a few lessons. Cycling is also economical and can provide cheap, independent travel for those who cannot afford public transport or a car. Better quality routes will be developed where women, young people and older people feel safe enough to cycle (see Aim 3). Free cycle training will be provided for individuals. Incentives and targetted support will be developed for groups with low cycling rates, for example information on community projects selling more affordable, refurbished bikes. Community projects will be supported that enable new groups to cycle, for example Lambeth supports People Empowering People in training teenagers on the Loughborough Estate in how to repair bikes and providing led rides. 9 P a g e

10 Aim 3: Create a high quality network of routes with a variety of routes for different ages and abilities. Lambeth will create a network of high quality routes across the borough (as shown in Appendix A). These routes will be: o Coherent o Direct o Safe o Attractive o Comfortable More road space will be allocated for cycling and walking and greater priority will be given to cycling. On most streets, cycle routes will be on-street but segregation will be used where it is needed to deliver a continuous route that is sufficiently safe and attractive to encourage cycling. Lambeth will identify and open up links that would create shorter or more attractive cycle trips such as removing barriers stopping cycling through estates or parks, or by creating new shortcuts. Aim 4: Reduce through traffic on residential streets where appropriate Eliminating through traffic creates a street environment that is safe and quiet for cycling, play and other interaction. Away from main roads, there will be a presumption in favour of local access and amenity. The Council will work with residents to identify opportunities for filtered permeability. This is where street networks are made more permeable for walking and cycling than for motor vehicles by placing bollards mid-way along a street and other measures. Access to properties is still possible but throughjourneys cannot be made by car and are only possible by foot or by bike. 10 P a g e

11 Aim 5: Provide secure cycle parking at both ends of cycle trips Lambeth bike hangar installed in Morat Street In order to cycle, secure parking is needed at both ends of the journey - both at home where secure, covered parking is needed and at the destination where either convenient parking is required on the street, eg outside shops, or secure, covered parking is required within the building for longer visits such as places of work. On-street parking. Lambeth will keep the supply of on-street stands under review and continue to provide on-street stands to keep pace with demand. Where guard railing is removed, replacement cycle stands will be provided. Residential cycle parking. Lambeth is the first place in the UK to provide secure, covered cycle hangars in the street for people who do not have space for bikes in their flats. We will provide more of these hangars on streets where there is demand. On estates and in blocks of flats, we will either provide hangars or identify suitable spaces for conversion to secure, covered cycle parking such as disused garages. Cycle parking in new development. We will require new developments to provide both short stay visitor parking on street and longer stay parking within the building in compliance with the standards set out in the Mayor's Transport Strategy. We will expect these standards to be exceeded to reflect our ambitious targets for cycling in the borough. Parking should be located and 11 P a g e

12 arranged for convenient use - not stacked or squeezed into tight spaces where it would make locking a bike difficult. Cycle parking at stations. Lambeth will work with Network Rail and TfL to ensure that good levels of cycle parking are provided at rail and underground stations. At Waterloo and Brixton, where demand for cycle parking outstrips supply and there is limited pavement space, Lambeth will work with TfL and Network Rail to develop cycle hubs to provide secure, managed cycle parking and associated cycle services such as repairs. 12 P a g e

13 Aim 6: Promote modal shift to cycling. Lambeth Dr Bike event Lambeth already provides a range of promotional material and training. This will continue with an emphasis on giving groups with low cycling rates greater confidence to cycle. Cycle hire scheme we will work with TfL to extend the cycle hire scheme into parts of the borough that are not yet covered. Cycling information. Lambeth monitors numbers of people cycling, attitudes to cycling such as how safe people feel, who is cycling. We will monitor and report online key statistics on how many people are cycling, attitudes to cycling and cycle facilities and how safe people feel cycling. Cycle maps we will provide printed and online maps of cycle routes in the borough, including cycle parking, bike shops and other places useful for cyclists. Develop an app with cycle routes, cycle parking and other facilities. Establish a page on the Council s website to report cycle issues, such as potholes, incorrect signage, suggested new routes or improvements. We will provide cycle training for individuals and groups. We will continue to provide Dr. Bike events. These events provide advice to cyclists, keep bikes road worthy and are a useful means to promote other cycle related issues. Events. Car free days and Bike the Borough can inspire people to think about how their streets could be used in different ways and enable people to have fun cycling. These are one day events we will encourage more regular 13 P a g e

14 events at specific locations to create space for other activities on a street such as markets, play streets, etc. We will provide cycle training for those working on transport projects in Lambeth both cycle awareness training and training in designing cycle infrastructure. Aim 7: Increase the number of children cycling and make cycling to school the norm. Cycle training for children at a Lambeth School Cycling is a great way for children to exercise and gives a sense of freedom. Lambeth provides cycle training for schoolchildren, but many parents do not feel confident in letting their children cycle in the street or to school. The school run is a particular problem where parents feel that traffic near schools is too dangerous to allow their children to cycle and some parents then drive their children to school, adding to the traffic. Lambeth would like to enable more children to cycle to school, thereby reducing traffic around schools and making other parents feel confident enough to allow their children to cycle. Cycle training Lambeth will continue to provide cycle training for schoolchildren. 14 P a g e

15 We will work with schools to encourage more cycling as part of their school travel plans, building on the work done already underway with schoolchildren as part of the NEP. School partnerships we will work closely with schools to develop a package of measures to sustain increased numbers of pupils cycling to school. The package will be worked up with the school, parents and children, with the mix of measures varying according to the school but including improved local route network to the school, training and promotion. We will seek a partner to trial the use of cargo bikes. Cargo bikes are commonly used in Denmark to carry small children and shopping loads and a loan scheme or similar could stimulate their use by more parents in Lambeth. Aim 8: Improve road user behaviour through education, training and enforcement HGV cycle training for Veolia drivers who manage Lambeth s rubbish and waste collection Poor driving of cars, buses and lorries can put cyclists lives at risk, while reckless cycling can negatively affect people s perceptions of cycling. In reality, many of us are both cyclists and drivers it just depends on the journey and we would all benefit from improved road user behaviour. 15 P a g e

16 The Council will work with the Police to promote and enforce traffic regulations and considerate road use, with zero tolerance of apparently low level infringements which can still cause road danger. We will continue to provide free cycle training for individuals. We will continue to provide HGV awareness sessions for cyclists at our weekly Dr Bikes and other events, ensuring that cyclists are educated in road sharing with lorries and their blinds spots. We will provide cycle awareness training for HGV drivers, bus drivers and other fleet vehicle drivers. Lambeth will ensure all its fleet drivers have had cycle awareness training, require this of any contractors and encourage cycle awareness training by other businesses located in the borough. The Council will consider regularisation of some cycling behaviour where this makes trips safer. This will be done by making changes to street layouts and lobbying for changes by TfL and the Department for Transport where necessary. Small changes that are accepted in many European countries could make cycling feel much safer such as early green phases for cyclists. Aim 9: Establish a local demonstration area to focus a range of cycle measures and showcase what can be achieved. All the above principles will be brought together in one local area as a demonstration area. Lambeth will develop improvements and support measures in a concentrated way on one local area to show the levels of cycling that can be achieved with the right environment. This would include supporting training and promotional material to suit the needs of the area and partnership working with local community groups. The Council will work with the local community to assess what needs to be put in place to achieve high levels of cycling and the local benefits that can come from this. Aim 10: Deliver the strategy through co-operative working All aspects of this strategy and improvement measures that follow from it will need to be developed co-operatively with other road user groups and service providers. Lambeth Cyclists have helped produce this strategy and will be closely involved in developing the programme of cycle improvements. Schemes by local community groups that encourage a wider cross section of people to cycle will be supported. Work with the health sector, such as local GP s, clinical commissioning groups, local hospitals and the Director of Public Health to promote the health benefits of cycling and develop schemes like GP referral of patients to cycle training. Transport for London we will work with TfL to develop high quality routes and safer junctions on the TLRN, upgrade the cycle superhighway and remove gyratories. We will lobby the Mayor to use the road user hierarchy on TfL schemes and to accept the use of alternative assessments of road and junction capacity that take into account total passenger capacity rather than vehicle capacity as this would favour cycle provision. Cycling is one of the 16 P a g e

17 most efficient ways of moving people - generally five bicycles can pass through a junction for every car. Network Rail and the train companies. Lambeth will lobby for the provision of lifts to provide full accessibility at all stations, primarily for the benefit of disabled people but this also makes taking a bike onto trains easier. We will encourage the installation of bike ramps as an interim or supplementary means of bike access. We will also lobby train companies to provide more space to carry bikes on trains - at the moment very little space is provided and bikes have to be stored in doorways in conflict with other passengers. Businesses. As more cycle facilities are provided in the borough, we will work with the business sector to explore opportunities for cycle use by employees and for deliveries. Innovative solutions such as last mile cycle delivery schemes can create more efficient logistics for groups of businesses and reduce the amount of traffic in town centres. Schemes that provide local opportunities for training and apprenticeships will also be encouraged. Lambeth Council will set an example of good practice in encouraging staff to cycle through the use of pool bikes, facilities for cyclists and incentives such as bike loans and cyclist facilities will be provided as part of the Council s Office Accommodation Strategy. Developers. We will require new developments to provide cycle facilities, such as full cycle parking and showers in places of employment. Development schemes should maximise cycle access to the local cycle network and consider other innovative ways to provide for cyclists. 17 P a g e

18 BARRIERS TO IMPROVING CYCLING PROVISION The table below sets out what the Lambeth Cycle Conference considered to be the main barriers to making better provision for cycling in Lambeth. Many of these barriers will be made easier to deal with by having a cycling strategy in place to provide a strong political steer while others can be addressed with the Mayor s Vision for Cycling funding. Barrier Issue Action 1. Poor perception of cycling 2. Antagonism between road users Enforcement of road regulations Perception that only motorists fund road improvements. Measures to prioritise cycling may be seen as anti-car Work with Police on enforcement of road regulations Provide more cycle priority measures to ensure cyclists feel safe enough to comply with road regulations Lambeth publicity on cycle Council to work with road user groups. Training programmes to improve behaviour of all road users Measures to regularise cyclist behaviour 3. Local objections and political will Cycle improvements have sometimes been halted by objections to car parking alterations. 4. Finance There are not enough funds to pay for cycle facilities. Lambeth will improve engagement with local residents to consult on whole route proposals to make the benefits of projects clearer. The Mayor of London Vision for Cycling funding will be an opportunity to fund significant improvements from Lambeth will prioritise cycle measures in its transport programme and make the cost/benefit case for cycle measures. Lambeth s planning policies will require 18 P a g e

19 5. TfL prioritises smoothing motor traffic flow on the main road network. 6. Lack of cycle expertise in transport sector and lack of good practice in UK 7. Support from other agencies 8. TfL lack a road user hierarchy. In the UK, transport professionals have little experience and training in designing for cycling. Police enforcement of traffic regulations, health sector promotion cycle improvements from new developments. Lambeth will promote ways of measuring capacity at junctions that better reflect total capacity to move people rather than motor vehicles. Provide training for those working on Lambeth street schemes. This strategy is a clear statement of political intent the council will work with other agencies and user groups to deliver its objectives. Lambeth continues to use the road user hierarchy and will promote its use by TfL. 19 P a g e

20 WIDER BENEFITS The Cycling Strategy and the delivery of a high quality cycle network will contribute to achieving several of the outcomes in Lambeth s Community Plan in the following ways: Cleaner streets and greener neighbourhoods More jobs and sustainable growth Communities feel safer and stronger Lambeth Community Plan outcome People lead environmentally sustainable lives. People live in, work in and visit our vibrant creative town centres. Lambeth plays a strong role in London s economy People have the skills to find work All young people have opportunities to achieve their ambitions People achieve financial security All Lambeth communities feel that they are valued and are part of their neighbourhoods Cycle strategy Transport is the source of 22% of London s CO2 emissions. CO2 emissions from cycling are negligible so higher rates of cycling make an effective contribution to reducing emissions from the transport sector. Cycling causes no air pollution and higher rates of cycling contribute to reducing air pollution. There are no noise impacts from cycling and more trips by bike can help reduce noise on streets. Cycling is the most space efficient form of transport and contributes to efficient use of land. Modal shift from motorised transport to cycling reduces the impacts of traffic and helps to create town centres with more human activity. Development of safe, attractive cycle routes enables cheap, reliable access to town centres for all. Growth in cycling can create business and employment opportunities in local cycle shops and cycle deliveries. Lambeth supports community projects to train young people and unemployed people to repair bikes and learn work skills. Cycling can provide cheap, reliable access to work, college and leisure facilities and give a sense of freedom and independence. Learning to make journeys and take responsibility for personal safety is a part of growing up, but parents are reluctant to allow children to cycle to school due to danger posed by traffic. Cycling can provide cheap, reliable transport. Lambeth supports community projects which refurbish old bikes for resale at more affordable prices. More people walking and cycling can encourage more interaction on local streets. 20 P a g e

21 Crime reduces People are healthier, for longer Older, disabled and vulnerable people can live independently and have control over their lives More people on streets can provide more natural surveillance and help make people feel that more people are around. Cycling is a low impact activity that has many health benefits such as risk of heart attack, obesity and stroke and can also benefit mental health. Along with walking, cycling is the easiest activity for people to take up. Rates of children s obesity have been related to restrictions on opportunities to walk, cycle and play outdoors. The elderly tend to be less physically active and less interested in organised sport cycling provides a cheap form of transport and a simple form of physical exercise. Lambeth supports projects such as Wheels for Wellbeing which adapt bikes and provide events to enable disabled people to cycle. DELIVERY AND RESOURCES To achieve our target of 20% of trips being made by bike by 2020, sustained investment beyond existing levels will be required. Investment in cycle facilities will primarily be funded from Lambeth s Local Implementation Plan (LIP) allocation from TfL and the Mayor s Vision for Cycling funding. Other sources of funding will include: developer contributions through s.106 agreements and the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) area-based schemes for town centres Department for Transport direct funding eg improvements to stations. Sports, health and education programmes from the Government and other sources. Lambeth will monitor the success of cycle measures through before and after counts and will carry out attitude surveys of cyclists perception of safety. We will also carry out general cycle counts at key points across the borough to monitor cycle levels generally and survey residents about measures that are required to encourage more cycling. 21 P a g e

22 APPENDIX A 22 P a g e