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Planning and Design for Cyclists

Strategic Objective 1

By 2020, we will have created communities where people of all ages and abilities can cycle safely and comfortably.

During the consultation exercise, the overwhelming factor highlighted that prevented people from cycling or cycling more often was the perception of safety on the roads due to high levels of traffic. Altered driver behaviour and segregated cycle paths were needed to increase the numbers cycling or to help those considering taking up cycling. Some consultees also said that more road space for cyclists would make them feel safer. From these responses it is clear that a comprehensive package of actions is required.

Focus group quotes:

"So, sometimes planners will put a particular cycle route in place, but its actually counter productive, better to just have enough room for cars and bikes to share the same bit of road."

"Cycle paths, cycle paths! (Should be a) designated place for cyclists. I mean, it could be next to it (the road), but not actually part of the road."

This section of the Action Plan has many ideas and actions that could be taken forward by the Scottish Government, Local Authorities and developers. However, although this Action Plan is ambitious, we need to be realistic about what can and what cannot be changed. This is an opportunity to highlight what actions will work and if there are any actions missing that should be considered.

Outcomes

Through better planning, design and communication this Action Plan will :

• increase awareness and understanding among transport planners and engineers of the importance of cycling, and the principles and practice of cycle-friendly planning and design;
• create communities which are attractive, accessible and safe places to be, where people want to socialise and spend time in the outdoors;
• encourage transport integration at major transport hubs with facilities for "park and choose" options, especially cycling facilities;
• promote the use of common signage and cycle route grading that complies with existing guidance;
• integrate the cycle network between functional cycle routes (mostly on-road cycle lanes) with recreational cycle routes (mostly off-road multi-purpose routes);
• require Local Authorities and developers to use guidance documents, particularly 'Cycling By Design' in the first instance, and also 'Cycle Infrastructure Design', "Designing Streets", Sustrans' Connect2 Greenway Design Guide and the "Trunk Roads Cycling Initiative" when planning and building cycle facilities;
• bring all current cycle infrastructure up to the guideline standards during ongoing planned maintenance programmes, ensuring the principles behind the guidance is followed;
• make use of green space corridors, disused railway lines and Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems ( SUDS) paths where applicable; and
• ensure all routes and surfaces are all of a high quality, fit for purpose and maintained to a high standard, including 'Lowland Path Construction' and 'Countryside Access Design Guide'.

Solutions and considerations

Traffic systems incorporating all transport modes (walking, cycling, and motor vehicles) should be designed with consideration for all road users. Local Authority transport development plans should take account of Scottish Government and other guidance on planning and implement the preferred hierarchy of road users which is:

1. Pedestrian

2. Cyclist

3. Public Transport (bus, train, taxi)

4. Private Motorised Transport

Focus group quote:

"The cyclists hate the pedestrians because the pedestrians jump out in front of cyclists and the cars hate the cyclists and the pedestrians hate the cars. I guess at least (in) the car, the guys have got a big box round them whereas cyclists and pedestrians have not much protection there."

Current traffic planning in the UK favours the motor vehicle. More consideration needs to be given to space allocation, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. Changes in emphasis, especially within our current urban areas, would make short trips of 1-2 miles, usually taken by car, more realistic, accessible and usually quicker by bike, and in some case, also quicker by walking.

As outlined in the Department for Transport Note 2/08, Cycle Infrastructure Design, measures to manage the impact of motorised traffic are based on a hierarchy of consideration. This is :

1. Traffic volume reduction

2. Traffic speed reduction

3. Junction treatment, hazard site treatment, traffic management

4. Reallocation of carriageway space

5. Conversion of footways/footpaths to shared use for pedestrians and cyclists

The Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland ( MACS) does not think that pedestrians and cyclists should share routes because of the risks to less mobile pedestrians and those with hearing and sight impairments. Shared space aims to slow motor traffic, but even at a slow speed visually/mobility impaired people can still be vulnerable. There is too much presumption that shared space is successful at slowing down traffic. However, short pedestrian and cycle only links can be acceptable if designed well.

The Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee ( DPTAC), which MACS supports, has four overarching principles on which it bases advice to government, other organisations and disabled people. Those principles are that:

• Public investment should only take place if those who provide and spend the money take into account the accessibility of disabled people
• Those who provide transport services will make accessibility for disabled people part of the main stream of their activity
• Those who provide transport services will fully and meaningfully involve disabled users and non-users in deciding the accessibility of transport services
• Those who provide transport services are responsible for accessibility for disabled people.

The Joint Committee on Mobility of Blind and Partially Sighted People recommends that where shared routes are unavoidable, pedestrians and cyclists should be separated by a verge, a raised white line, by a change in surface material or a change in level, i.e. a kerb.

One of the most innovative pieces of legislation on access, the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, requires planning of Core Path networks by Access Authorities across Scotland. Where appropriate, it is anticipated that core paths will link up with other path networks to improve access. This legislation has highlighted the many existing segregated routes operating as a shared resource for pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists. These routes are used by both commuting and recreational cyclists. All paths require further development to become fully integrated with on and off-road links, be joined up to planned new routes and be adopted into the existing cycle network.

Core Paths can enable communities, particularly if 'severed' by road construction, to be re-joined by an active travel route and re-link with existing on and off-road cycle routes. The Sustrans Connect2 winning bid to the 2007 Big Lottery's "Living Landmarks" competition highlighted the many examples of severance and the popularity with the public of bridging such gaps.

Traffic control and management

Reducing the volume and speed of traffic is a significant way of tackling the public's concern about cycling in busy traffic. Cyclists usually want to go in the most direct way and it is not always possible to provide alternatives to main roads that are much less busy. Reallocating road space from motor vehicles to cyclists will encourage and reassure cyclists. It may also encourage some motor traffic to seek out alternative routes, thereby creating a safer, quieter route. Motor traffic tends to increase to occupy the space available. The opposite is also true.

Examples of reallocation that are beneficial to cyclists include widening nearside lanes, sharing bus lanes and contra-flow cycle lanes. When road space becomes unavailable, by design or short term road works, the volume of motor traffic reduces, by finding alternative routes or by changing mode of travel. The same is true for parking spaces. Not having somewhere to leave a motor vehicle is a major disincentive to driving, and becomes a powerful incentive to use public transport or adopt active travel. These are also visual examples to prospective cyclists that they are being catered for and to motorists to remind them that the roads are shared space. The roll-out of clearly marked "advanced stop lines" throughout Edinburgh is frequently linked to the increased cycling in that city.

Many places around the world are removing parking from open spaces as well as urban streets and making welcoming places for people to come to and stay in. This has resulted in significant economic benefits, as well as reducing the amount of motor traffic, hazard, noise and emission pollution.

Copenhagen, Denmark

The pedestrianisation of medieval streets in Copenhagen limited car traffic to some extent but squares and open places were still much dominated by parked cars. Since 1973, the City has been freeing square after square of car parking and relaying the surface and renewing street furniture. Generally, this approach allows for very good access for cyclists and goods delivery. It also allows for exhibitions, markets, performances and a pleasant and safe place to meet friends.

www.eltis.org

One way to calm motor traffic to a slower speed is by promoting the road space as a shared resource between pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles, making everyone responsible for their own behaviour and moving with care and consideration for the others. The Designing Streets guidance gives examples of how roadway layout design, street furniture and trees can combine to make drivers take extra care and drive at modest speeds. Calming existing roads may require hard measures, such as speed cushions or chicanes, but also need careful design consideration to include the cycle traffic safely. Cycle lanes and the mere presence of cyclists can have a calming effect.

Road Safety in The Netherlands

Since 1980, the annual number of road accident victims has halved, both in terms of cyclists and those in cars. In Dutch municipalities with high bicycle use, the risk of a cyclists being injured in a traffic accident is on average 35% lower than in municipalities with fewer cyclists. This is due to:

• Modified behaviour of all road users
• Most Dutch car drivers also being cyclists
• Higher bicycle use often equals lower car use
• High bicycle use creates more support for bicycle policy and so more is invested in a safer cycling infrastructure

Cycling in the Netherlands 2009 www.verkeerenwaterstaat.nl/english/

Speed restrictions, such as 20mph areas, if complied with through community or policing pressure, can also reorder the whole safety, attractiveness and usability of an urban area. It has been shown that even slight reductions in average speeds can have a significant reduction in casualty numbers (Road Safety Scotland).

Junction treatment

There are several interventions, for example at roundabouts, that can be implemented to create a more 'cycle-friendly' environment. With the correct design adjustments and reduction of entry speeds, most safety issues can be addressed relatively easily. The junction layout below clearly marks the route for cyclists.

Off-road facilities

The creation of high quality off-road routes that give improved access, shorten journey times and provide a real feeling of safety can be a major encouragement to cycling especially when they avoid busy roads and complex junctions. They can also be extremely pleasant and highly attractive to new or inexperienced cyclists, not least by creating opportunities for recreational and family cycling.

Conversion of footways/footpaths to shared use for pedestrians/cyclists/ mobility vehicle users

Converting footways and footpaths to shared-use paths can provide an environment for cyclists using these routes that are free from interaction with motor traffic. As this would widen access for off-road cycling, it is also envisaged that this will have an impact on the uptake of cycling among those who currently do not cycle often, or at all. Bristol shares all its public space with all non-motorised users, a decision that has been linked to increases of cycling in that city.

However care must be taken in the design of such facilities as they are not without their problems. Firstly, they can create conflict between cyclists and other users if there is insufficient width and sightlines to enable the space to be shared comfortably and safely. Secondly, if they involve regular loss of priority at side-road turnings or driveways, the perceived safety benefits between junctions will be outweighed by a worsening of cyclists' safety at junctions, where around 75% of cyclists' collisions occur. At junctions, cyclists need to be able to see, to be seen and to avoid being overtaken where this could be dangerous. They also want to maintain momentum - being forced to stop and restart typically involves the same amount of energy as it would take to keep going for another 100 metres.

Footways should therefore only be converted for shared use where there is good continuity and sufficient width for safe sharing with other users. These conditions will very rarely apply in urban areas. It is for this reason that the "hierarchy of consideration" prioritises solutions which create safe and attractive cycling conditions on the carriageway (rather than on the footway), e.g. through reducing traffic volumes and speeds, redesigning junctions and reallocating road space.

Increased and improved awareness

Having information about quieter routes can lead to a more pleasant cycling experience. Alternatives to using main roads and the option of using quiet roads and off-road paths is often more attractive. However, there is a high proportion of road traffic accidents in rural areas, compared to urban, and the issue of excessive speed on country roads needs to be tackled. If we are to promote these routes as alternative cycling routes, we must ensure that the awareness of cyclists is raised as well looking at speed restrictions. The UK Government is currently considering a reduction in the national speed limit from 60 mph to 50 mph for single carriageway roads.

Better integration with public transport

As well as understanding the bicycle's importance as a means of transport in its own right, it has to be recognised as a transport mode that provides a realistic way to extend the catchment area of other modes of transport. In particular, people with disabilities may use non-standard cycles as mobility aids. Wherever cycling schemes link in to the rest of the transport system, improvements in connectivity and integration should be considered to ensure the multi-modal journey remains a realistic choice.

Facilities for cyclists at "Park and Choose" interchanges should be mandatory and part of the planning process. Secure parking should also be available at bus stations and major stops, railway stations and all other transport hubs.

In negotiating franchise contracts, the Scottish Government will look to transport providers to take account of all modes of transport and how integration can be improved. This will include the carriage of cycles on buses, trains and trams. Transport Initiatives Edinburgh has agreed to run a pilot scheme for the carriage of bikes on trams during off peak hours once travel trends on the trams can be monitored. This is welcomed by Scottish Government, stakeholders and the cycling residents of Edinburgh.

Focus group quotes:

"I think you are considered to be somewhat quirky or eccentric if you ride your bike."

"Well, you've got no parking problems, you just chain it to the railing outside wherever you want to go to."

Cycle parking at car sharing site

Questions

1. Are there any actions or activities on planning and design that are missing and that would encourage you to cycle more often?

2. How do we achieve these actions effectively? Who is best placed to deliver these changes?

Objective 1 - To create communities where people of all ages and abilities can cycle safely and comfortably

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