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Cycling by Design

14. TRUNK ROAD CYCLE AUDIT SYSTEM

Introduction

14.1 All future trunk road works (including land use development proposals that impact upon the trunk road) are to give due consideration to the needs of the cyclist. The implementation of a cycle audit system is considered to be the most effective way in which this requirement can be monitored and is a Key Strategic Output of the National Cycling Strategy.

14.2 In taking forward this Key Output, the former Scottish Office assisted DETR and the Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT) in drawing up guidelines for Local Authority use. These were published in 1998 by IHT entitled Guidelines for Cycle Audit and Cycle Review.

14.3 However, the institutional arrangements for the operational management of the trunk road network, together with the nature of that network and its current purpose and use, indicated that specific cycle audit arrangements should be developed and applied to the Scottish trunk road network. These are presented below and are to be formally introduced immediately.

Cycle Audit Objectives

14.4 In line with National Cycling Strategy guidelines the aim of a cycle audit is to encourage increased use and to ensure that the needs of cyclists are considered during the salient stages of the scheme development process.

14.5 The objectives of a cycle audit may be further defined as follows:-

(i) To ensure that the current and future needs of cyclists within a scheme are recognised and developed;

(ii) To ensure that the opportunities for accommodating cyclists on more suitable parallel non-trunk routes are recognised and exploited, and

(iii) To ensure that there are no elements of infrastructure within a scheme which will endanger or unnecessarily impede cyclists.

Cycle Audit Structure

14.6 The Trunk Road Cycle Audit System (Refer to Figure 14.1) is structured in three parts:-

(i) Stage 1: Overview Audit;

(ii) Stage 2: Project Audit, and

(iii) Stage 3: Safety Audit.

14.7 Stage 1 Overview Audit: Application of the Overview Audit procedures detailed in Paragraphs 14.19-14.24 and Figure 14.2 facilitates identification of the considerations which will be required towards cycling infrastructure as part of the scheme.

14.8 Stage 2 Project Audit: Application of the Project Audit procedures detailed in Paragraphs 14.25-14.31 and Figure 14.3 will enable Project Managers to confirm that the current and future needs of cyclists within a scheme have been recognised and developed. The Project Audit is sub-divided into two discrete parts to assist the structured application of procedures:-

(i) Longitudinal Facilities Audit; and

(ii) Crossing Facilities Audit.

14.9 Stage 3 Safety Audit: Application of the Safety Audit procedures detailed in Paragraphs 14.32-14.36 and Figure 14.4 will identify whether or not a scheme incorporates any feature which will affect its use in terms of safety or ease of passage and permits such features to be adjusted as necessary.

Which Schemes To Audit

14.10 All capital investment schemes that impact upon existing trunk road infrastructure shall be subject to Cycle Audit. These include:-

(i) All major and minor trunk road improvement schemes;

(ii) Traffic management schemes;

(iii) Traffic calming schemes;

(iv) Structural maintenance schemes, and

(v) Developments impacting upon the trunk road.

Figure 14.1: Trunk Road Cycle Audit System

When to Audit

14.11 All Cycle Audit work, including the instigation of subsequent actions, are to be completed prior to the following scheme preparation stages:-

14.12 A trunk road scheme should normally be subject to all 3 Audit Stages. However, in certain circumstances, Stages 1 and 2 may be combined at Stage 2 subject to the approval of the Cycling Officer. In this event, those factors that would normally have been considered only at Stage 1 shall be reviewed at Stage 2.

Who Undertakes the Audit

14.13 It has been argued that Cycle Audits should be undertaken by the staff of an independent Cycle Unit that carries all the necessary specialisms, for example, structural and pavement engineering through to traffic engineering. This is neither considered necessary nor desirable in the case of trunk road Cycle Audit Stages 1 & 2 for the following reasons:-

(i) Trunk road project design, including developments impacting upon a trunk road, is normally undertaken by experienced practitioners within registered Quality Assurance environments where auditing and checking is an everyday fact of life. Once established design guidelines are available to practitioners it is normal practice for these to be followed. Additionally, in facilitating the operational management of the trunk road network by external contractors, the Scottish Executive acts as an ‘intelligent client’ ensuring that policy is implemented and that procedures are followed. In this respect the design of cycle facilities is no different to other projects.

(ii) It is not the intention that the introduction of formal cycle audit procedures should remove the design engineer’s duty of care. Rather the audit procedures are considered to be complementary to the draft design guidelines put forward by ‘Cycling by Design’ and an important transitional element in ensuring that the cultural, behavioural and attitudinal changes towards the inclusion of cycling in all transportation planning practice actually take place. This in turn will ensure that cycling continues to make relevant and steady progress towards being a valid and genuine mode of choice.

(iii) It is considered that the process of change mentioned above will be that more effective if ‘ownership’ of the design and the learning experience from the conduct of the cycle audit rests with the individual Design Organisation. Reliance on an independent audit process to drive design practice change is not necessarily helpful whereas introducing a process which in itself signals a change in behaviour has the potential to be more effective and sustaining.

14.14 It is thus considered that Cycle Audit Stages 1 & 2 should be undertaken by a senior member (³5 years post-qualification road design experience) of the project design team. Once completed these Cycle Audits are to be checked and certified by the Design Organisation Project Manager. This will be followed by Client Project Manager and Cycling Officer Unit scrutiny and commentary. The Stage 3 Cycle Safety Audit is to be undertaken independently, by integrating it with current Road Safety Audit Stage 3 procedures.

14.15 On cycle only projects and on road projects where the scheme is not subject to Road Safety Audit the independent Stage 3 Cycle Safety Audit is to be applied on a ‘standalone’ basis.

14.16 The overall process has the advantages that it should:-

(i) Allow Cycling Officer Unit staff to minimise their involvement in individual schemes;

(ii) Increase design team awareness of cycling issues;

(iii) Expand the consideration of cyclists’ needs within the existing Road Safety Audit process;

(iv) Make best use of existing resources and established practices.

14.17 Nevertheless, as with all other aspects of ‘Cycling by Design’ the trunk road Cycle Audit process will be subject to monitoring, review and adjustment in the light of experience.

Cycle Audit Procedures

14.18 The Trunk Road Cycle Audit procedures have been designed to be as straightforward as possible. The procedures for each stage are described below while the standard proforma to be used are reproduced at the end of this Chapter.

Stage 1: Overview Audit

14.19 The Stage 1 Overview Audit (Figure 14.2) is designed to identify what cycling facilities are to be included as part of the trunk road improvement works (or development impacting upon the trunk road). As with all infrastructure development the views of interested bodies must be sought and the impacts on the environment considered.

14.20 The Overview Audit recognises that a busy trunk road is not conducive to cycling and it looks to find alternative options on suitable parallel routes or remote cycle tracks. The Audit encourages the Design Organisation to find appropriate solutions whilst recognising that the highest level of provision will not always be possible, particularly where projects are limited in scope (e.g. a straightforward structural maintenance scheme).

14.21 The process of completing the Stage 1 Audit is as follows:-

(i) Completion of the Overview Audit form is undertaken by a senior member of the Design Organisation. This will normally be a senior engineer with 5 years or more experience in road planning and design.

(ii) The completed Audit is to be checked by the Design Organisation’s Project Manager. Once the Design Organisation Project Manager is content that the Audit has been completed satisfactorily he or she is to countersign it, retain action and file copies and pass 4 copies together with the relevant drawings to the Scottish Executive Project Manager for consideration by:-

Scottish Executive Project Manager

Scottish Executive Route Manager

Scottish Executive Cycling Officer Unit

Scottish Executive Road Safety Team

14.22 Thereafter the Scottish Executive Project Manager will coordinate any amendments/ changes/ discussions etc. to the Audit or project deemed necessary including those resulting from feedback from the Route Manager, Cycling Officer Unit and Road Safety Team.

14.23 The outcome of the Stage 1 Overview Audit should be identification of the extent and level of cycling provision to be taken forward to detailed design together with the constraints and impacts this is likely to have on the overall development of the project.

14.24 The project should not normally progress to detailed design until such time as the extent and level of cycling provision to be included have been established through the Overview Audit.

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