LTP 2006 Appendices

Present Situation

Levels of Walking

Walking accounts for 18.8% of all trips in our Area (West Midlands Transportation Surveys, 2001).  This is not as popular as car travel (56% of all trips, as a driver or passenger) and is also marginally behind bus (24%).  However, walking is more popular for travel over short distances.  The National Travel Survey (NTS) 2003 shows that of the 68% of all trips that are less than five miles long, 36% are made on foot, a higher proportion than any other mode.  In the West Midlands 81% of all walk trips are less than 2 kilometres in length.

For 'purposeful' or utility trips, local people walk most often to get to work or for education purposes.  However car ownership is an important factor in mode choice for work trips.  The 2001 West Midlands surveys showed that 15% of people in households with no car walked to work, but less than 8% where a car was available.  Around a third of the survey respondents live within 3 kilometres of their workplace.  Within this distance walking offers an efficient means of getting to work, but survey evidence suggests that around 70% still choose to travel by car.  Utility walk trips are declining in general.  For example Table 1 ‘% of Trips to Work by Mode’ shows the fall in walk trips to work in the West Midlands over the last 20 years:

Table 1 % of Trips to Work by Mode

Mode	1981	1991	2001
Car	53	63	64
Bus	24	17	14
Walk	13	10	9
Rail	2	2	2
Other / work at home	8	8	11

Moreover the Mmetropolitan Area is currently lagging behind most other English conurbations in terms of the number of walk trips its residents make to work, as Table 2 ‘% of Walk Trips to Work by Metropolitan Area’, based on information from the 2001 Census, shows.

In contrast, leisure walking has become possibly the most popular recreational pastime in Britain.  The urban parks and canal towpaths of our Area provide popular local amenities for leisure walking.

Table 2 % of Walk Trips to Work by Metropolitan Area

Metropolitan Area	2001
West Yorkshire	11.00
Merseyside	10.26
Greater Manchester	9.97
Tyne & Wear	9.57
West Midlands	8.87
Greater London	8.32

The overall decline in walking has a variety of causes, notably the greater distances travelled for work, shopping and other services, our increasingly time-driven lives, the desire to purchase a car for whatever reason, fears for personal security and inadequate investment in pedestrian infrastructure.

Pedestrian Casualties

The total number of pedestrian casualties from local road traffic accidents fell again in 2004 to 1,967 (16.6% of all casualties), a fall of 24% from the 2000 level of 2592.  Of these, 742 were children, again a fall of almost 36% from the 2000 level of 1,156.  While the trends are encouraging, the number of pedestrian casualties must remain a concern.

Role of Walking

The Metropolitan Authorities see the need to encourage and provide better facilities for walking for a variety of reasons:

• Economic Revitalisation – The reallocation of space in favour of pedestrians in our town and city streets will provide an attractive environment for shoppers, visitors and investors.   The reintroduction of housing within and adjacent to centres, the raising of building densities around public transport nodes and the development of brownfield sites will all generate extra walking trips that need accommodating.
• Accessibility and Social Inclusion – Walking is the most widely available, socially inclusive, affordable and flexible mode of independent travel.  Improvements to infrastructure, personal security, and the availability, accessibility and affordability of public transport will all help to tackle social exclusion.  A key element linking to this strategy is the improvement of access to jobs and services via the introduction of Accessibility Planning to the LTP process.
• Sustainable Travel Patterns – Walking is a viable alternative to car use for short journeys.  Current land use policies that encourage mixed use developments in  centres encourage walking rather than car use, so reducing congestion and emissions and making roads safer.  It is important this is recognised in the future planning of pedestrian improvements and that new employment and housing related development includes elements to encourage walking to work
• Safety and Health – Walking provides valuable exercise and can help to improve the general health of the population.  A strong link has been drawn between the decline in children walking, particularly to school, and increasing levels of obesity and heart disease in young people.  Whether as a simple means of exercise incorporated into daily lifestyles, or through initiatives such as exercise on prescription and health walks, it is important that good quality networks and infrastructure exist to encourage walking trips.  Walking to school can create a habit in formative years that children will continue on a regular basis in adulthood.  Safer Routes to School programmes and 'Walking Buses' are being introduced to teach young children basic road safety lessons, and School Travel Plans can reduce congestion and danger outside schools.  More people walking in the urban environment can improve levels of surveillance, discourage crime and provide safer conditions to give people more confidence to walk.
• Integration – Walking is the 'glue' that integrates other modes of transport. Most public transport and car trips start and end with a walk.  The use of public transport will be more attractive to people if the walk to the bus stops, shops and rail station is safe, direct and attractive

Current Work

All the Metropolitan Authorities encourage walking to work through improving key pedestrian routes close to key employment destinations and working in partnership with employers and health professionals to develop walk to work initiatives as part of Company Travel Plans.

All Authorities have, or are developing, local walking strategies with the involvement of local communities and other interested parties.

The School Crossing patrol service provides additional support for children on the school journey at popular crossing points.  Over £3.5 million is invested in the service across our Area, which provides safer crossing places for over 90,000 children.

In order to increase the number of young children and parents walking, all Authorities undertake child pedestrian training programmes.  Kerbcraft pedestrian training is now in place in addition to a number of 'Walking Buses', Walk to School and School Travel Plan initiatives.

Unpopular pedestrian subways are being replaced with surface level crossings.  These initiatives are complemented by the 'Safer Routes to Public Transport' project promoted by Centro.

In Birmingham city centre, pedestrianisation to improve the environment is being extended to support the regeneration of the City.  Pedestrianisation schemes in other centres, including Solihull High Street, Queen’s Square in Wolverhampton and Coventry’s two new public squares, Millennium Place and University Square, have provided attractive shopping environments

A number of local proposed Major Schemes include significant investment for pedestrians, for example Coventry's Station Transport Hub, and Swanswell Area Regeneration; Birmingham's Eastside and Walsall's Brownhills Transport Project.  The Masshouse Circus redevelopment in Birmingham was largely driven by the needs of pedestrians to have better access into a regeneration area adjacent to the centre.  Replacing uninviting subways and isolated footways has produced good examples of high quality surface level provision for pedestrians which will be replicated on other proposed Schemes.

The most direct spend on improvements for pedestrians will come from the Integrated Transport block.  The creation of safer and more pleasant conditions for pedestrians is an important aspect of other LTP2 programmes such as Red Routes and Bus Showcase.  Through the 'Coventry Partnership' the City Council has instigated 'Safer Routes to Bus Stops' scheme, which will evaluate links and improve the walking environment.

Rights of Way are often locally important pedestrian access routes.  The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 seeks to clarify existing rights and encourage the creation of new routes.  Through this, local authorities must review and publish plans for improving Rights of Way by November 2007, taking the needs of the public, especially people with disabilities, into account.  Progress with the development of Public Rights of Way Improvement Plans is detailed in an Annex to the main LTP2 document .  This legislation will put the network in good order and help identify potential new routes, so encouraging walking.  However Section 57 of the Act also gives highway authorities new powers to make special extinguishment and diversion orders to prevent or reduce crime in designated areas.  Local Authorities have to apply for the powers to designate such an area and justify these on the basis of crime trends.  Requests for closures of Rights of Way are often supported by the police, bringing pressure to reduce the number of pedestrian routes.  Care will need to be taken to ensure that the pedestrian route network and the objectives of the Walking Strategy are not prejudiced.

Consultation

Wide scale consultation on pedestrian matters was undertaken as part of the 2003 LTP process.  Issues raised at the main three consultation seminars include:

• Personal security and the vulnerability of pedestrians
• The need to market the health benefits of walking
• Better signing of routes
• Acknowledge the close links between highway maintenance, and cycling and walking
• Support for further pedestrianisation of town centres
• The need for safer walking routes to school
• The importance of walking is underplayed and pedestrian facilities are cost-effective and relatively easy to implement

More views on walking issues came from local forums:

• The perception of the street as a dangerous place, both in terms of speeding vehicles and 'stranger danger', is a significant deterrent to walking.
• The status of the pedestrian needs to be raised.  Local Area Safety Schemes and 'home zones' in residential streets can help to alter attitudes on a wider scale.
• The increasing number of motor vehicles that are driven along the pavement to park outside shops and houses is proving a major hazard for pedestrians.
• There is great scope to improve pedestrian signposting of local routes, for example, to bus stops, local shops and centres (particularly from peripheral rail stations), local amenities in the suburbs and places of interest.  The provision and maintenance of street nameplates and street maps is also important, especially for strangers to an area.
• The potential for accidents and injury to people on ‘shared-use’ paths used by both cyclists and pedestrians continues to be raised as a concern.  Because of the potential for accidents, even where a division between users is clearly marked on the path, the Metropolitan Authorities will continue to put forward shared pedestrian / cycle paths only where no practicable alternative exists and where the existing path is wide enough to accommodate both modes.

The 2004 and 2005 consultations showed that walking was a 'middle' priority in a strategic context  when ranked against a range of other modal issues.

The Strategy

General

Historically, walking has not received the attention from transport planners, or the levels of funding, that its importance as a mode of transport merits.  The Transport Strategy over recent  years has sought to redress this balance.

The strategy sees increases in journeys undertaken on foot as an important contribution to creating a healthier, safer, more accessible and more affordable lifestyle for all.  The Walking Strategy therefore contributes to the vision of our Area as a place where walking will be 'commonplace' and where people increasingly choose to walk for shorter journeys and are not discouraged due to fears for road safety or personal security.

The implications for pedestrian movement in all schemes are already considered and, wherever possible, the potential for and ease of movement on foot is incorporated.   In addition, specific walking schemes are being implemented to overcome existing barriers to movement, such as subways replaced by at grade crossings, new footways and audits of the walking environment.

The following measures are a selection of those being undertaken by the Authorities to provide for walking in their area.  The particular measures employed are determined according to local needs, priorities, user feedback therefore not all the measures are appropriate to every area.

• Promotion of the health and environmental benefits of walking, particularly through the TravelWise campaign, the Safer Routes to School and Walk to School initiatives, Travel Plans and work with Primary Care Trusts and other stakeholders.
• Improve conditions for pedestrians in residential areas by managing traffic volumes and speeds, for example through traffic calming and 20 mph zones; for example Coventry is progressing a 'Street Design Manual' looking at issues of clear pedestrian areas, quality of materials, maintenance to aid the design and decision making process.
• Improve facilities for pedestrians in town and city centres to reduce accidents and to create a cleaner, more pleasant environment that can act as a stimulus for investment and economic regeneration, for example Coventry is one of the pilot Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) which looks to invest in the pedestrian environment and public realm.
• Improve street lighting.  The street lighting maintenance and replacement programme will seek to provide upgraded lamps with better colour rendition to provide better illumination of the footway for pedestrians.
• Install and enhance pedestrian crossing facilities in accordance with Government Guidance and taking account of:
  • The current pedestrian accident record (relates to LTP safety objective)
  • The proximity to schools and as part of the ‘Safer Routes to School’ initiatives
  • Existing pedestrian desire lines and the need to reduce the community severance effect of major roads
  • The potential for conflict between pedestrians and motor vehicle traffic
• Safe, secure and direct pedestrian access to public transport stops / stations and car parks and to other locations of high pedestrian demand, for example through the Safe Routes to Stations programme.
• Target particular neighbourhoods and known problem sites and areas to maximise people's willingness to walk.  The focus will be on the Bus Showcase Routes, major public transport hubs such as bus and rail stations, and main pedestrian thoroughfares to key attractions such as town centres, leisure and shopping facilities.  The strategy adopted for walking will address security issues and the partnership work with Centro and operators will address problems on public transport vehicles.
• Implement traffic signal improvements to provide full pedestrian crossing provision at new and upgraded installations, to include appropriate facilities for disabled persons.
• Removal of unattractive pedestrian subways where safe at grade alternatives can be provided.
• Ensure a regular footway maintenance regime is in place that minimises disruption to pedestrians during the street works and addresses the problems of tripping, 'ponding' and controls the growth of vegetation that may hinder walking (relates to safety and accessibility objectives).
• Reduce obstructions on the pavement by acting against inappropriate shop displays, removing extraneous street furniture and enforcing against illegal parking on the pavement, for example Coventry has just launched a Decriminalised Parking regime to deal with issues of illegal parking.
• Implement a programme of direction and information signing for pedestrians in town and city centres, to local shops, public transport nodes and leisure routes, for example via street name plates, street maps, information boards and fingerpost signs.
• All new developments to provide pedestrian facilities (with reference to appropriate PPGs/PPSs), for example Coventry comment on all planning applications, this has lead to significant contribution towards pedestrian facilities especially with some of the larger developments.
• Provide new pedestrian routes and footways where need is identified.
• Undertake Walking Audits to provide a focus for future investment in pedestrian facilities.

Improving the urban environment for pedestrians will be a gradual process and will require considerable investment.  In addition to the above measures, it is important to influence people’s attitudes and willingness to walk for at least some of their journeys.  Local Authorities are working with partners from the health, education and other sectors to achieve this.  In addition, through the planning process, the location of new development is being assess ed in terms of pedestrian access to allow real mode choices to be made.

Mobility and Sensory Impaired People

All new pedestrian facilities will provide for mobility and sensory impaired people in accordance with the Disability Discrimination Act, by following guidance such as DfT’s 'Inclusive Mobility', through the provision of:

• Dropped kerbs to help wheelchair users negotiate the step down to road level
• Consistent use of tactile paving to provide information to the visually impaired about controlled and uncontrolled crossing points, cycle tracks, carriageway edges, bus stops and platform edges
• Audible signals to indicate to people with visual impairment that it is safe to cross
• A rotating cone located beneath the signal call button box to indicate to deaf and blind people that it is safe to cross
• Installation of the latest 'puffin crossings' where possible.  These make allowances for people crossing at different paces
• Reducing mobility barriers and working towards a barrier free environment

Coventry is in the process of trialling a Vulnerable User Audit, which will look to redress the balance for vulnerable users such as pedestrians in major planning applications as well as highway and non-highway schemes.

Partnerships

The Metropolitan Authorities will continue working with other public bodies, particularly health interests, commercial organisations, voluntary groups and the wider community to improve conditions for pedestrians and increase walking.  The following are some examples.

The work the Authorities are undertaking with stakeholders within the education sector and road safety to develop School Travel Plans.  The recent introduction of capital grants from DfES and DfT have seen a considerable rise in the number of Travel Plans, addressing the issues around walking to school and the school run.  As a direct result of Travel Plans there has been introduction of Walking Buses and Park and Stride.  Physical facilities as part of Safer Routes to School initiatives and the capital grants are, pedestrian waiting shelters, pedestrian entrances and segregation of vehicles and pedestrians: all aimed at encouraging more walking to school.

Sandwell Council continues to work alongside Streets Ahead, Ramblers Association, Black Country Groundwork, Sandwell Primary Care Trusts, Age Concern, Sandwell Road Safety Organisation etc in the Sandwell Walking Forum to develop and implement the walking strategy for Sandwell, and to identify potential funding sources for pedestrian schemes.

Wolverhampton City Council work alongside the Health Trusts, particularly through the Health Improvement Programme and Health Action Zone, the City Centre Forum, and through its Local Agenda 21 Action Plan to promote walking as an activity with health, environmental and economic benefits.  It is very active in promoting walking to school through the 'Walking Bus' initiative and Safer Routes to School programme.

Coventry City Council works with the Primary Care Trust ( Physical Activities Group) in promoting walking through various initiatives such as Health Walks and links to GP referrals.  Consultation through Coventry’s Local Strategic Partnership, in particular the transport and health theme groups has resulted in a 'Walk to Bus Stops' scheme.  The Council regularly consults with disabled people and has carried out pilot Community Street Audits (CSAs) looking into community involvement into the decision making process.  Coventry is one of the Liveability pilot schemes which aims to improve the quality of liveability / public space services by building 'liveability' principles into a package of innovative initiatives.  This is all underpinned by work with stakeholders locally developing Safer Routes to School and Safer Routes to Work schemes.

Birmingham have the Walk 2000 programme which promotes walking for health in Birmingham and is a partnership between Birmingham City Council, National Health Service and is supported by Neighbourhood Renewal Funding.  The main aims of the project are to way-mark 2 kilometre walking routes in parks and open spaces, to provide walking group led by qualified Walk Leaders and to train people to become Walk Leaders on a nationally accredited course.

Solihull Council continues to work closely with the Health and Education Authorities to promote Walking Buses, Safer Routes to School and Travel Plans for schools and businesses.  It has a Walking Strategy produced in consultation with partners from pedestrian groups, disabled people and cyclists.

'Walsall on the Move' is a multi-agency group developing a physical activity action plan as part of the primary prevention strategy for the borough and continues to oversee the progress of a walking strategy, the promotion of Wwalking Bus' schemes and the development of School ravel Plans.  Walsall’s Health and Work group will be promoting travel plans for companies and the opportunities for walking to work.  Close liaison is developing with groups representing people with disabilities.  All of the major pedestrian proposals in Walsall town and district centres over the next five years are promoted as part of Walsall Council's 'Quality Streets Initiative'.

Dudley Council work with the Health Authority to promote walking as a healthy mode of travel and are designing Walking Zones to be promoted through the internet and the Council’s GIS mapping system.

Health professionals in Birmingham and Walsall have also participated in the formulation of policy with their respective Councils and in promoting walking for its benefits as physical activity.  Wolverhampton, Birmingham, Walsall, Coventry and Sandwell Councils have all developed 'healthwalks' schemes, which promote walking to reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease, diabetes and other illnesses.  Coventry City Council is looking into a 'calorie map' to promote walking around the city centre with funding from the British Heart Foundation.  'Walsall Walk On' has an innovative Groundmiles loyalty scheme for walking and other exercise, where people participating in health walks can accumulate points that could be converted to vouchers from shops and other businesses.  The scheme has featured in DfT and DoH publications, in commercial journals and also on British and Korean television programmes.

Working with the Planning Authorities

The Metropolitan Authorities have recently adopted, or are in the process of adopting, their Unitary Development Plans (UDPs) and all are commencing work on Local Development Frameworks ( LDFs).  The UDP transport policies all acknowledge the need to cater for pedestrians in new development in accordance with Government Guidance contained within PPG13 'Transport'.  PPG6 'Town Centres' additionally stresses the need to focus retail, leisure and office development in town and city centres and encourages people back into these centres to live, so minimising the need to travel for essential services and to encourage more journeys to be undertaken on foot.  Where a formal road user hierarchy is contained in local UDPs, for example Sandwell’s UDP, the needs of pedestrians are placed first.  Other Development Plans such as Dudley and Wolverhampton’s UDP (Deposit Draft) give pedestrians a high level of priority, although do not propose a hierarchical approach.  This emphasis will be reflected in LDFs.  Part 3 of Coventry’s Walking Strategy, will become a Supplementary Planning Document (SPD), and will set out the criteria for walking facilities covering policy to technical guidance.

Targets

While there are no specific targets in the LTP2 solely focused on increasing walking, largely due to utility walking being so difficult to monitor on a large scale, targets that will encourage walking include:

• Reduce the length of high usage footways requiring further investigation according to DfT rules and parameters by 5% between 2003/04 and 2010/11, ie improved footway maintenance
• A target considering walking to school at the expense of car travel, as part of a wider travel to school target, may be introduced in 2007/08 when monitoring issues are resolved.

Coventry and Wolverhampton City Councils carry out pedestrian and cycle cordon surveys into their city centres.  These could be used as indicators to measure levels of walking activity.

There are a number of network accessibility target standards applicable to buses, trains and Midland Metro in Centro’s 20-Year Public Transport Strategy that relate to walking.  The 20-Year Strategy also monitors pedestrian facilities at public transport interchanges, and personal security on routes to stops and stations.

Projects and Programme

Each Authority has its own annual programme to promote pedestrian schemes as part of their local Integrated Transport programme.