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A WALKING STRATEGY FOR SCOTLAND

5. POLICY INTO PRACTICE

Implementation

5.1 The challenge is to translate policy into action on the ground. It requires changes in thinking across traditional policy boundaries and thus across departmental boundaries within local authorities to achieve solutions to the existing barriers to walking.

5.2 Local authorities may wish to consider the appointment of a walking officer to take forward the walking agenda within their locality. Such an officer would be responsible for working with all interested bodies and ensuring that the right connections are made so that all areas of the authority can work together effectively. The establishment of a local authority walking forum could also assist in the implementation of the local walking strategy. It is recognised that the needs of urban and rural walkers may vary and some authorities may find it beneficial to address these differing needs through two separate fora. In such situations there will be a need for continued dialogue between the two and the requirement to approach common issues jointly.

5.3 Many local authorities already employ access officers whose work relates primarily to recreational access to and through the countryside by foot, bicycle and horse-back. These posts are partly funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and in some areas have initiated the establishment of a local access forum. Some local authorities may have a local physical activity forum which could take on responsibility for walking. Local authorities will wish to consider existing relationships, roles and responsibilities and determine whether there is a need or not for a dedicated walking officer and/or walking forum.

5.4 The potential for practical action following policy changes falls into two timeframes; medium to long term investment programmes and short-term management and lower cost investment actions. The different policy and subject areas listed below may be more suited to one or other timescale and local authorities should be clear as to whether their proposed courses of action are for the short, medium or long term. This is essential when defining availability of resources and if bidding for funding from external sources of funding.

Land Use Planning

5.5 Carefully planned new developments within existing urban areas can help reduce the need to travel by car by increasing the number of people who can easily walk to jobs, shops, leisure and other facilities, including public transport interchanges.

5.6 When planning new developments, the aim should be to provide a mixture of uses that have easy access to each other. It is important to make the most of sites in and on the edge of town centres and local neighbourhood centres. National Planning Policy Guideline NPPG 17 sets out Scottish Executive policies in this area.

Reallocating Roadspace

5.7 Over the last 50 years, most planning decisions relating to the wider local transport network have been based on improving conditions for car travel. The needs of people on foot have usually taken second place. NPPG 17 clearly states that this hierarchy has to change (as referred to in paragraph 3.8). Good progress has been made by some local authorities towards redressing the balance, particularly in town centres and under the banner of urban renewal. In the new climate of improving the environment, we need to do more in the full range of urban and rural situations.

5.8 There is concern that measures of this kind may cause increased congestion away from pedestrianised or traffic calmed areas. However, research in urban and residential areas suggests that reducing the space available to road traffic in one location does not automatically lead to unacceptable congestion elsewhere.

Public Transport Interchange

5.9 A key to improving walking in urban areas will be the development of a more attractive and flexible public transport system. Improved walking routes to public transport facilities will encourage people to leave the car and use public transport.

5.10 Many people start or finish their journey on foot with a walk to or from the bus stop or train station. Organisations responsible for the design and maintenance of public transport facilities should provide safe, convenient and well signposted access and waiting facilities for all users, including those with mobility difficulties.

• Good quality shelters and seating at all bus stops is an example of the type of provision that might be adopted by local authorities.

5.11 Local authority reviews of walking routes should include an assessment of the network of walking links around key public transport nodes such as bus and railway stations, principal interchange points and main bus stops. Consideration must be given to the needs of those with limited mobility in terms of the spacing of bus stops and the provision of seating.

5.12 Alternatives to the car must be made more attractive than at present. Seamless multi-modal journeys can be encouraged by giving more priority to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and public transport as part of a package of measures. It will improve the quality of life in our villages, towns and cities.

Travel to Work

5.13 The journey to work is a key contributor to road congestion in many areas. Many people choose to use their car for the journey to work when there are viable alternatives and often where the journey length is very short.

5.14 Research in Glasgow¹³ has shown that 1 in 5 of those who lived less than a mile from the workplace commonly drove to work and 1 in 3 of those between 1 and 2 miles away. Clearly, the aim of encouraging walking on short journeys to work is a realistic one, whether as the main mode or in combination with public transport.

5.15 More employers are adopting travel plans as a way of encouraging their employees to leave their cars at home. Unfortunately, some plans ignore walking. It should be considered and promoted within plans as a matter of course. Encouraging travel by public transport by employers can be more effective if coupled with improved pedestrian access to the worksite. Some walkers, as well as cyclists, will appreciate lockers and changing facilities.

5.16 Some local authorities use planning agreements attached to consents for major new developments as a means to ensure that employers initiate green travel plans. Local authorities will wish to consider whether circumstances justify the use of such agreements in relation to the operation of travel plans. In general terms the use of planning agreements rather than conditions attached to a planning consent is preferred to give greater flexibility and accountability. Local authorities as employers will also wish to do more to encourage their workers to travel to work by modes other than the private car.

Health

5.17 The health benefits of walking are well documented. Local authorities should link their walking strategies to local health improvement programmes. Closer working at policy level between the local authority and the local NHS board would be very beneficial in targeting those neighbourhoods that could benefit most in both access terms and in health terms from improved facilities.

Mobility Needs

5.18 Not all in society have the same degree of mobility. Those with mobility difficulties may find independent travel very daunting and difficult. This may be due to physical difficulties or lack of information in an appropriate format such as Braille or large print. Difficulties with mobility may affect a large cross section of the population including those with sight or hearing impairments, wheelchair users, the elderly and parents with young children. In some cases the mobility constraints may be hidden such as a heart condition which prevents the person from walking any distance. The needs of all these groups must be taken into account when planning walking facilities.

Social Inclusion

5.19 Walking provides a cheap form of transport which, if combined with public transport, can enable all, but especially those without access to a car — the young, the low-waged, a high percentage of ethnic communities — to travel for work, for social purposes and for leisure. Other benefits arising from the provision of more opportunities to walk and the promotion of the activity are: improved health of those who may feel excluded in other areas by poor physical health, more social cohesion generated by communities seeing and meeting each other whilst walking and more independence for the young and people with disabilities resulting from confident use of routes designed for walking and cycling.

School Travel

5.20 There are significant benefits to children from walking to school in terms of their health, social development and education. Walking to school regularly can:

• Contribute to daily physical activity levels.
• Develop an understanding of road danger and road safety issues.
• Enable children to develop an awareness of the environment.
• Provide social interaction with peers.

5.21 As well as giving immediate benefits, it will be an advantage in the future if children are taught from an early age not to expect always to travel by car. Some schools are now beginning to take their safer routes work into the class room and make the link between the physical measures the children have seen outside their school with the types of travel choice decisions they can make about their own journeys. Local authorities are encouraged to develop programmes for safer routes to school leading eventually to comprehensive coverage of all schools.

Routes and Networks

5.22 Making it easier for people to walk for short local journeys is a simple way to begin to encourage walking. Good walking routes need to be clear, connected and well signposted. The provision of information, maps and signage is particularly important to encourage increased use of off road routes. In particular it is important that signs show the distance and the time taken to walk between destinations. Local authorities should integrate on-road and off-road routes in any given area into one continuous walking network wherever possible. These should connect key destinations in the neighbourhood. Local authorities should also bear in mind that high levels of latent demand for walking routes can exist without showing up in current travel patterns.

5.23 Areas that receive large numbers of visitors, such as historic towns, leisure developments and areas of scenic beauty, need strategies to encourage people not to travel by car. An attractive pedestrian environment with safe, adequately signed and convenient walking routes to and from public transport will help. It is also useful to include maps of walking routes in tourist and general transport guides. These measures will not only improve conditions for pedestrians, but also encourage more people to use public transport.

Pedestrianisation and Vehicle Restricted Areas

5.24 In recent years, town centre pedestrianisation schemes have become popular and economically successful. Well designed and managed schemes have returned vitality to town centres, making them interesting and attractive places in which to be. Local authorities should actively consider potential opportunities for pedestrianisation and targeted vehicle restrictions in their locality.

5.25 One of the key elements in the success of pedestrianisation is careful consultation, and ensuring that appropriate provision is made for public transport, cyclists and deliveries, and for those who rely on cars such as those with limited personal mobility.

5.26 All car journeys involve some walking, often to and from car parks at transport interchanges, at the work place and particularly in town centres. Surveys show people are seldom prepared to walk more than about 400 metres between their car and their intended destination. More in-depth research suggests the quality of routes between parking sites and destinations is of prime importance. Safer core routes with good pedestrian access from surrounding areas, peripheral car parks and public transport is essential in order to make pedestrianisation schemes successful and to prevent an increase in pedestrian/vehicle conflicts on surrounding roads.

5.27 In some circumstances targeted restrictions on vehicles (‘vehicle restricted areas’) can be a better solution than a simple ban. It is essential that the most appropriate approach is used to fit the local circumstances. It is also important to recognise that areas other than town centres, such as residential areas and rural areas, can benefit from vehicle restrictions.

Home Zones

5.28 The development of Home Zones should be considered as part of any strategy to encourage walking. However, care will need to be exercised in the selection and design of such areas. The support of local residents is vital to Home Zone success.

5.29 Home Zones can produce an environment in which the roads outside homes can be used safely for a variety of purposes and not just for access for people coming and going in cars. Children can play safely, people can socialise and the street becomes in effect an extension of their living space. Measures which achieve this include reduced speed limits, traffic calming, reallocation of road space and changes in design, such as signing and road surface colour, and the use of street furniture and planting. All these emphasise the change in status of the road and signal the new purposes of the environment.

5.30 The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 enables local authorities to designate Home Zones. The Home Zones (Scotland) (No.2) Regulations 2002 came into force in July 2002. These Regulations make provisions as to the procedures local traffic authorities must follow prior to designating a road in their area as a Home Zone. Guidance to local authorities on the implementation of Home Zones in Scotland was published by the Scottish Executive in August 2002.

Safety and Speed Management

5.31 The proximity or speed of road traffic can be frightening for many people. The fear of speeding traffic, accidents and injury is one of the main reasons people give for not walking, or letting their children walk more.

5.32 The speed of traffic should be managed so that it is appropriate for the local situation. Reducing speed, particularly in residential areas and along busy pedestrian routes, reduces casualties substantially and makes injuries much less severe. It can also be expected to improve perceptions of safety, which is important in encouraging walking activity. The Scottish Executive issues an extensive range of guidance on traffic calming and speed reduction measures.

5.33 Following a review of speed policy by the UK Government, a number of commitments relating to speed issues were set out in a comprehensive new road safety strategy for the period to 2010, published in 2000. The Department for Transport is working to develop a national framework for determining appropriate vehicle speeds on all roads with the aim of ensuring consistency across the country.

5.34 Local authorities have wide powers to introduce 20mph speed limits. The need to gain the Scottish Ministers approval for each scheme was removed in 1999. Local authorities now have power to introduce mandatory 20 mph zones, identified by 20mph zone signs, where engineering measures are a standard feature to force down the speed of vehicles, in addition to the mandatory 20 mph speed limits identified by 20mph speed limit signs, which may have some traffic calming measures, at appropriate locations. They can also introduce advisory 20 mph speed limits at suitable locations.

5.35 Monitoring of 20mph zones has shown that properly engineered schemes with self-enforcing traffic calming measures typically reduced injury accidents by 60%, child pedestrian casualties by 70% and child cyclist casualties by nearly 50%. Traffic speeds in the zones fell by an average of 9.3mph. Local authorities are encouraged to extend the introduction of 20mph zones and speed limits more widely, particularly in residential areas and near schools in association with safer routes to school programmes. 20mph zones enhance child pedestrian safety in particular and can make a contribution to the achievement of child casualty reduction targets. 20mph zones are also likely to be appropriate on other sections of roads where pedestrian activity is high, as in local shopping centres.

5.36 A recent study of 75 pilot advisory 20mph speed limits in residential areas across Scotland found that average speeds were reduced at 60% of the trial sites and that there was a considerable drop in the number of recorded accidents, despite the fact that there was no traffic calming or police enforcement at the pilot sites. The study showed that drivers’ behaviour can change in response to 20mph signs in suitable residential areas.

5.37 In some situations increased pedestrian safety is likely to depend on enhanced enforcement. The ability to deploy speed and red-light cameras on a self-financing basis will assist the police and local authorities in introducing more effective and comprehensive enforcement where it is needed to reduce casualties.

Street Design and Maintenance

5.38 Creating an attractive environment is important both in encouraging people to walk and as part of the drive to improve the general urban environment. Good design can create places which are attractive and people-friendly. When good design is coupled with better management and improved maintenance routines, places can be created that are more dynamic, attractive and economically stronger. Streets are not just places for walking, they are also valuable spaces for social interaction. A busy, lively street can be at the heart of a community. For many people who live alone the street is one of the few places they can meet their neighbours and exchange conversation.

5.39 Attention to detail is important. People are concerned about litter, pavement obstructions, broken or cracked paving slabs, too much street furniture, dog mess, and a lack of legible sign posts and street name signs. Such issues are often the responsibility of several organisations including utility companies. Improved co-ordination between all involved is required to reduce street clutter and ensure that what remains is useful, attractive and in the right place. Local authorities should consider initiating or enhancing improvement programmes, and need to ensure that their own working practices (for example in regard to signage or the location and management of waste bins) are not adding to clutter. This is both an urban environment issue and a mobility issue. Local authorities should be aware of the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and the need to provide suitable access for all.

5.40 Active management of the street environment is essential to keep temporary obstacles to pedestrian movement to the minimum, and to improve its appearance. The Environmental Protection Act 1990 provides powers to deal with litter and places a duty on local authorities to maintain acceptable standards of cleanliness. Under the Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act 1996, local authorities can designate areas in which owners must clear up after their dogs

5.41 Good design is the key to creating streets which are attractive and in which people will want to walk and to live. The I.H.T. Guidelines on providing for Pedestrians (I.H.T.2000) give much useful advice on design and standards. Design guidance for residential areas is set out in the good practice companion to the Department for Transport's Design Bulletin 32 titled Places, Streets and Movement. Local authorities will also have their own design standards and guidelines which they may find useful to review and update in the light of their walking strategies. Good design has to be coupled with good management and improved maintenance regimes in order to build and maintain confidence in the fabric of our town and cities.

Walking and Cycling - how close are the links?

5.42 Walking and cycling are both healthy, efficient and sustainable forms of travel. Local authorities are expected to give more road space and greater priority to both. In the past, there has been a tendency to group walking and cycling together as ‘non-motorised modes of transport’, but their needs are not identical.

5.43 The decision whether to develop separate or shared use facilities will depend upon local circumstances. Local authorities should consult widely on proposed schemes at an early stage, monitor them once in place and be prepared to modify them if problems arise.

5.44 Cycling By Design¹⁴, published by the Scottish Executive as a consultation document in December 1999, includes advice on both segregated and unsegregated routes for cyclists and pedestrians.

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