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A WALKING STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND

4. LOCAL OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS

The Local Picture

4.1 Local authorities are central to the successful development of sustainable transport systems. Working in partnership with a broad range of public, business, and voluntary sector partners, they can provide the necessary strategic leadership to turn policy into action in a way that reflects the needs and aspirations of their local communities.

4.2 Local transport strategies are the key to turning policy into action on the ground. Every local authority is encouraged to develop a local transport strategy for their area.

4.3 Scottish Executive guidance on production of these strategies asks local authorities to include within them a walking strategy, setting where appropriate local targets to encourage more people to walk. The guidance lists a number of items which local authorities are advised to consider when devising a walking strategy including, for example, safety and security implications and the role of road design, traffic management schemes and pedestrianisation.

4.4 Integration is the key to the development of a successful walking strategy. Walking strategies must:

• be part of an integrated transport strategy which successfully interrelates various modes.
• ensure support and participation of all organisations with an interest in walking.
• have cross departmental support within the local authority administration.
• bring together the achievement of targets across the spectrum of local authority responsibility.
• consider walking for both functional and leisure purposes.
• plan on-road and off-road routes to link where possible into one network.

4.5 Each local authority through its local walking strategy should seek to translate the national targets outlined in Chapter 3 into meaningful local targets. It is recognised that local circumstances vary greatly across Scotland. Some local authorities have already begun to translate their local walking strategies into action, others are still at the early stages. The range of local factors at work across Scotland points to the need for local targets to meet local circumstances.

4.6 It is essential however, that local targets take full account of the relationship of walking to other modes within the local area. Walking targets must be realistic and take account of the targets set for other "green modes". For example if a demanding cycling target is to be achieved this may be at the expense of significant increases in walking activity. It is a matter of balance and using different modes to best advantage to meet the targets set.

4.7 Local authorities will wish to consider the full range of policy areas in which walking is relevant and to look in detail at a number of specific areas. The list below sets out areas which are relevant to local walking strategies:

• Land Use Planning
• Health
• Environmental Health
• School Travel
• Road Traffic Reduction
• Social Inclusion
• Community Planning
• Leisure and Recreation
• Information Provision/Promotion
• Walking Environment:
  • Routes and Networks
  • Public Transport Links
  • Maintenance
• Barriers to Walking
• Safety and Security
• Pedestrianisation and Vehicle Restricted Areas
• Local Agenda 21/Sustainable Development
• Travel to Work and Green Travel Plans

Setting Targets

4.8 Local walking strategies should include targets. To set targets local authorities must first determine their baseline figures for walking activity. A distinction is drawn between input and output targets, and local authorities should set both types of target as part of their walking strategy. Input targets relate to facilities or resources under the control of the local authority. Output targets will usually include walking activity and pedestrian safety targets. They are more aspirational in nature and involve greater uncertainties. Providing improvements through the setting and realisation of input targets should help to achieve output targets, and local authorities are encouraged to make explicit links between input and output targets where possible. The realisation of an output target may well depend on a package of inputs, and ultimately achieving activity targets will depend on changing individual attitudes to walking.

Input Targets

4.9 Input targets in this context relate to facilities or resources under the control of the local authority. Within a local authority setting they are likely to be linked to service standards, improvement programmes or other changes in the management, or maintenance of the physical environment.

4.10 In order to increase the number of journeys made on foot there has to be systematic improvement and maintenance of the physical environment in which people walk. Input targets need to be specific and time limited. They should relate to specific aspects of the physical environment and can be utilised by local authorities to consider resource priorities within the overall context of their local transport strategy.

4.11 An example of an input target is:

• All deficient sections of footway to be upgraded to meet minimum width standards, where this is physically possible, by a set target year.

An input target such as this ensures a systematic review of footways in order to identify the magnitude of the problem, the quantification of the resource required to rectify the problem, and the prioritisation of expenditure through local authority budgets in order to meet the set target date.

A further example of an input target might be:

• Traffic calming schemes will cover X percent of residential streets by a set target date.

This example illustrates an input target that can be directly linked through to a road safety output target for the reduction of child pedestrian and other casualties.

4.12 It is likely that local authorities will wish to set a limited number of input targets. Two or three well defined targets are likely to be more effective and achievable than a large number of targets which will fragment resources. Suitable subjects for input targets might include:

• Pedestrianisation;
• Traffic calming;
• Pedestrian crossing facilities;
• Facilities to assist those with mobility difficulties;
• Removal of pavement clutter;
• Development of new routes
• Signing of routes

The above list is not exhaustive and the targets chosen will depend upon the local situation. In addition to identifying their own resources for this work local authorities may find that detailing input targets in this way is useful when putting together packages of improvements to bid for funding from other sources.

Output Targets

4.13 Output targets are by their nature less easy to quantify and to monitor. They will tend to be more aspirational in nature. However, output targets have an important role to play in measuring and monitoring progress. It is unlikely that the distance walked for the average journey will increase significantly. Therefore targets should aim to increase the overall number of trips made on foot. The process of setting output targets may in itself help to clarify priorities.

4.14 Local authorities should consider setting output targets as part of their local walking strategy and within the context of the local transport strategy. At this stage local authorities may wish to consider setting only two types of output target; walking activity and pedestrian safety.

4.15 Walking activity targets can be measured as either the number of trips made or the length of trip made. Local authorities should consider defining their target in terms of the number or proportion of trips made, since the average length of walking trips is unlikely to increase significantly. Most walking trips are short in length and local in nature. Local authorities should consider the local circumstances and set realistic targets to increase the number of trips made. These may well vary between urban and rural areas and across settlements within a local authority. Activity targets will also need to be considered in conjunction with any targets set for increases in other non-car modes.

4.16 Local authorities may wish to consider setting specific output targets by journey type for example:

• work
• school
• leisure

However, much more extensive monitoring will be required to determine the extent to which these targets have been achieved. A number of local authorities have already incorporated such targets into their local transport strategies or countryside access strategies. We would encourage more to do so, and in doing so to make links with input targets and resource allocation priorities.

4.17 Pedestrian safety targets will support walking activity targets. One of the key questions asked when considering whether or not to make a journey on foot is ‘will I be safe?’ The majority of concerns relate to danger from traffic and personal safety. The setting of pedestrian safety targets will contribute both to casualty reduction targets and to local walking activity targets. It is important that local authorities also seek to improve people’s perceptions of safety in the local walking environment. Local authorities should consider setting not simply an overall casualty reduction target for pedestrians but disaggregated targets for more vulnerable groups of pedestrians such as children and the elderly. Such targets would be informed by and be incorporated into local authorities’ road safety plans.

4.18 Suitable subjects for pedestrian safety targets might include:

• Reducing the number of child (or elderly) pedestrian casualties.
• Reducing the number of pedestrian injuries due to broken, uneven or cracked pavements.

A linked input target might be to meet specified pavement maintenance standards by a specified target year.

Review and Monitoring

4.19 For local walking targets to be meaningful they must be backed up by direct input into local authority decisions on resource allocations. Clear links need to be established between the targets set in strategies and local authority work programmes.

4.20 In order to set meaningful input targets local authorities should first conduct a review of walking routes and facilities within their area. The review should consider the current network and identify where there are missing links or where linkages or standards could be improved. This should involve a review of all existing routes and catchment areas. The physical condition of all routes such as surfacing, signing, street furniture, lighting and cleanliness should be considered. Local authorities may also wish to consider benchmarking prior to setting targets for their area.

4.21 Local authorities must also commit to a programme of routine monitoring of progress against stated targets. Data is available at national level from Scottish Transport Statistics. This data has been used to draw up the national targets referred to in 3.2 above. Data on walking activity at local authority levels can be derived from the Scottish Household Survey. However other local data on levels of walking activity may be required to supplement national sources and inform the detailed local monitoring which local authorities should be carrying out.

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