Walking and Place 19 th March 2015 Planning Walking Facilities The Approach in Wales Andy Mayo
Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 Landmark Welsh law to make it easier for people to walk and cycle in Wales
Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 Legal requirement for local authorities in Wales: to map and plan suitable routes for active travel to build and improve infrastructure for walking and cycling every year to promote walking and cycling as a mode of transport By connecting key sites such as workplaces, hospitals, schools and shopping areas with active travel routes, the Act will encourage people to rely less on their cars when making short journeys.
Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 Design Guidance - Steering group Welsh Government, Sustrans, Disability Wales, Guide Dogs, WLGA, Living Streets, Sewta, local authorities and transport consultants Contents - Part A - Introduction, legal and policy frameworks, consultation - Part B User needs, planning and design - Part C Related facilities Part B - methodology for developing network maps and the recommended design tools for delivering high quality networks
Planning for Pedestrians most roads already have footways; there are also many miles of footpath, bridleway and other paths used by pedestrians. The problem is mainly one of quality and suitability of the existing network, particularly for children and people with a mobility impairment, rather than one of providing new networks. Guidelines for Providing for Journeys on Foot, CIHT 2000.
Walking and Cycling Similarities & Differences Similarities: - Healthy, sustainable, low cost - Similar destinations - Vulnerable road users - Network requirements direct, coherent, safe, attractive, comfortable Differences: - Distances walking short (5 minutes / 500m) Cycling longer (can be 10km+) - Speeds - User needs - Infrastructure requirements
Evidence Base - Similar Travel to work data Existing flows Road Network Hierarchy Local knowledge network map School catchment areas Road Casualty Data Analysis Trip Attractors
Cycle Network Planning Assess the data Desire lines as routes
Route Audit
Proposed Cycle Network
Walking is Different We are not really planning new walking networks. What we are mostly doing is identifying where we should be focusing resources on improving the existing walking environment.
Welsh Government - Recommended Approaches to Planning for Walking 1. Attractor zone approach 2. Funnel route approach 3. Footway condition approach 4. Combination of approaches
Recommended Process - Planning for Walking
Example - Bridgend
Bridgend
Network Planning in Bridgend Bridgend Pencoed Wales Average Travel to work by train (%) 733 (3.4%) 214 (5%) 15,316 (1.29%) Travel to work by bus (%) 445 (2.1%) 49 (1.2%) 62,322 (5.25%) Travel to work by car / van / taxi (%) 15,985 (74.1%) 3,323 (77.8%) 732,338 (61.73%) Passenger in car / van / taxi (%) 1,707 (7.9%) 271 (6.4%) 106,256 (8.98%) Travel to work by bicycle (%) 238 (1.1%) 46 (1.1%) 16,389 (1.38%) Travel to work by motorcycle (%) 122 (0.6%) 31 (0.7%) 8,888 (0.75%) Travel to work on foot (%) 2,217 (10.3%) 269 (6.4%) 122,732 (10.35%) People who work mainly from home (%) 729 146 115,323
Trip Attractors
Schools and Colleges
Consultation Trip origin and destination points Desire lines
Bridgend - Attractor Zones
Highest Scoring Attractor Zones A C B E F D G H
Town Centre Attractor Zone
Town Centre Attractor Zone - Funnel Routes
Town Centre Attractor Zone - Areas to Audit
Site Audit Work
Welsh Government Design Guidance
Walking Audit Tool Who is the tool for? - Local authority officers/contractors - Stakeholders e.g. local walking or disability groups What can be audited? - Existing routes - Proposed routes What is a pedestrian route? - Any link used by a pedestrian but in this context particularly those identified through the pedestrian network planning process
Role of Audit Tool Comprehensive assessment Raise standards Consistency across Wales Requires riding the routes Aid to identifying improvements Accessibility of tool = meaningful input of users
Walking Audit Tool
Example - Directness Gaps in traffic/ crossing delay (where no controlled crossings present or if likely to cross outside of controlled crossing) Score = 0 >15 sec Score = 1 <15 sec Score = 2 <5 sec
Scoring Pedestrian Route Any route which scores less than 28 out of a potential 40 points, (i.e. a score of 70%) will require further improvement before it is included in the Existing or Integrated Network Maps the Welsh Government require all local authorities in Wales to produce.
Scheme concept design
Thanks for listening Andy Mayo Director Local Transport Projects andy.mayo@local-transport-projects.co.uk www.local-transport-projects.co.uk 01482 679911