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Scrutiny Presentation

Local Transport Plan and Active Travel Strategy

24th October 2013

Andy Summers and David Burt

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1. The Active Travel Strategy

2. Active Travel implementation - Cycling

Today’s Presentation:

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HertfordshireActive Travel Strategy

Andy Summers / David Burt

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The Local Transport PlanHertfordshire’s third Local Transport Plan

was adopted in April 2011:

• Statutory document (Local Transport Act)

• Sets out the strategy, policies and implementation for transport in Hertfordshire

• Subject to a full public consultation

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LTP3 Daughter Documents• Bus & Intalink Strategies

• Active Travel Strategy

• Intelligent Transport Systems Strategy

• Inter-Urban Routes Strategy

• Rail Strategy

• Right of Way Improvement Plan

• Road Safety Plan

• Rural Transport Strategy

• Smarter Modes of Travel Strategy for Schools &Colleges (SMoTS)

• Speed Management Strategy

• Urban Transport Plans (ongoing programme)

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Active Travel Strategy

The Active Travel Strategy has the following over-arching aim for Hertfordshire:

To increase the proportion of journeys made by walking or cycling to improve individual health, quality of life, the environment and the economy

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Active Travel Targets

Hertfordshire LTP3 IndicatorLTP3

Baseline level (2011)

LTP3 2015/16 target

LTP3 2030/31 target

Percentage of all journeys under 1 mile in length by walking

58.9% 64% 77%

Percentage of all journeys under 3 miles in length by cycling

2.7% 3% 11%

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Key Issues• Opportunities for short journeys: Over 56%of all trips

in Hertfordshire under five miles or less – an opportunity for modal shift to cycling or walking.

• Perceptions: 30% of respondents to ATS consultation said that ‘lack of safety and security’ was the biggest barrier to Active Travel

• Increasing Active Travel amongst children: Whilst 51% of children walk to nursery or primary school, and 47% walk to secondary school, cycling only accounts for 3% of secondary school trips. Furthermore, in some parts of Hertfordshire, over 23% of children are classified as obese.

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Overcoming barriers – ATS priorities for safety and security

Ensure children and adults have access to training to safely participate in Active Travel.

Deter inappropriate speeds of other vehicles on routes for Active Travel.

Develop urban transport plans to identify the pedestrian and cycling priority routes to encourage Active Travel.

Provide secure cycle parking at key destinations e.g. Rail Stations, Town Centres, Schools.

Identify and develop Active Travel routes for children to travel safely to and from schools (as part of Safer Routes to School).

Develop easily accessible information for the public on Active Travel in the County to encourage including information for employers to encourage Active Travel in their workforce.

Ensure that the needs of cyclists and pedestrians are considered in new developments and when changes are made to the highway network to encourage Active Travel.

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ATS Toolkit interventions – safety and security

• Traffic Calming, speed limits and enforcement (as set out in the Speed Management Strategy and design guide set out in Roads in Hertfordshire);

• Implementation of the Hertfordshire road user hierarchy through traffic management, including routing of HGVs to suitable routes;

• Ensure that transport schemes give high priority to pedestrian and cycle access and signing;

• Consider 20mph zones where deemed applicable.

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Active Travel Implementation

Traffic Speed and its influence on the design of

Cycling Facilities

David Burt

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Design of cycling facilities – Hierarchy of provision

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Matrix extracted from Roads in Hertfordshire, Highways Design Guide- Cycle Provision by Traffic Flow and Measured Speed (85th percentile)

As the measured speed and volume of traffic increases so does the scale of the required intervention.

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Case Study – Cheshunt schools cycle links

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Bridge implemented to cross the busy A10 to link routes to new St Mary’s school site

47,000 vehicles per day on the A10.

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New off road segregated cycle path was implemented to avoid A1170

20,000 vehicles per day use the A1170.

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Cycle route signed through existing 30 mph limit that had existing traffic calming. No additional measures were required due to existing low speeds and traffic volumes.

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Route signed through existing 20mph zone, no additional measures were required due to existing low speeds and traffic volumes.

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Summary

• When low measured speeds are achieved they create an environment that facilitates cycling on the carriageway.

• As measured traffic speeds and volumes increase the provision of cycling facilities relies upon more significant engineering interventions to reduce speeds or reallocate road space.