RT 167 - Walking Insides

forWolverhampton

WalkingStrategy

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Section 1 Foreword 1-2

Section 2 What is a walking strategy and why do we need one in Wolverhampton? 3

Section 3 Trends in Walking 5

Section 4 Context for the Strategy 7

Section 5 Policies and Actions 8

• Walking as a Mode of Transport 10• Walking to School 12• Walking, Public Transport and Cycling 12• Walking and the Built Environment 14• Safety and Personal Security 15• Design Standards and Maintenance 17

Section 6 Targets, Monitoring and Review 19

Section 7 Resources 19

Section 8 Useful publications 20

Section 9 Making Comments 20

ContentsPage

Walking continues to be a major part of allour lives whether we regard ourselves as amotorist, public transport user or cyclist. Itis the link between other modes of transportand a form of transport in its own right.

The health, environmental and social benefits of walking are widely accepted.However National statistics show that people are walking less and less as part oftheir daily routine. At the same time we are facing a number of complex, but related, problems with people leading lessactive lives and becoming less healthy, anda transport system that is becoming evermore stretched with the increasing demandfor travel. Walking can be an important partof the solution to these problems.Encouraging walking and addressing theproblems faced by pedestrians will thereforebenefit us all.

Evidence suggests a number of reasons whywe are reluctant to walk as part of our dailyroutine. These include fears about our personal security, the perception that it isan inefficient use of time, our use of cars forincreasingly shorter journeys, and the imageof walking as a mode of transport for thosewho have no other options available.

This Strategy provides a framework for us toidentify specific problems encountered bypedestrians and factors that deter walking inWolverhampton and seeks to provide some

Foreword

0 1 W A L K I N G S T R A T E G Y F O R W O L V E R H A M P T O N

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of the solutions to address these. Many ofthe solutions are ones of information andmaintenance and do not require very technical or major infrastructure solutions.The biggest rewards are often gained from a series of small measures.

The aims of this walking strategy are toencourage walking by recognising its role asa mode of transport and part of the solutionto tackling traffic congestion as well asurban regeneration and to improve our environment and health.

We have involved a wide range of peopleand organisations in the writing of this strategy. However, we would not assumethat we have covered all the issues or gotthe priorities absolutely right. We wouldwelcome your comments so that we cancontinue to improve the strategies and programmes for walking in the future.Details of where to send your comments areincluded at the end of this document.

Councillor M S JaspalCabinet Member for Transportation

W A L K I N G S T R A T E G Y F O R W O L V E R H A M P T O N 0 2

In the past walking has not received theattention from transportation professionalsor received the levels of funding that is merited from the benefits that accrue froman improved pedestrian environment and itsimportance as a mode of transport.

In Wolverhampton the City Council hasmade great efforts to provide a high qualitypedestrian environment in our City. Over 80% of the pedestrian crossings are provided with 'dropped kerbs', and most ofthese have tactile paving surfaces and audible signals indicating when it is safe tocross.

Large parts of the City Centre andWednesfield and Bilston Town Centres havebeen pedestrianised providing a high qualityenvironment and making an important contribution to their vitality and viability.However much more needs to be done tomake walking a more pleasant, safe andconvenient travel option and one that people choose over other modes of transport.

The walking strategy gives our commitmentand aims and provides targets that the CityCouncil will seek to meet. It sets out theprinciples, policies and specific measuresthat are required to increase the number ofjourneys undertaken on foot and to improvethe quality of the environment for pedestrians. It provides a basis for

measuring and monitoring progress.

The strategy recognises the importance ofwalking as a mode of transport and givespedestrians a high priority in transport andland use proposals in order to promotewalking, improve safety and encourage morepeople to walk. It can enhance the abilityto secure funding opportunities from theTransport Settlement, European grants, and other regeneration and health focused initiatives. Specific action that will beundertaken will include audits of highwayand traffic schemes to ensure they take full account of the needs of pedestrians.

The provision of new and improved infrastructure, better management andmaintenance of the highway and a review of standards for pedestrian facilities willform part of this work.

Encouraging people to walk and providingbetter facilities can benefit Wolverhamptonin terms of:

• Economic Revitalisation - the reallocation of space to favour pedestrians can assist in providing anattractive environment for residents,shoppers, visitors and investors.

• Accessibility and Social Inclusion -Walking is the most widely available andflexible form of transport.

What is a Walking Strategy and why do we need one in Wolverhampton?


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• Sustainable Travel Patterns - As analternative to the car, walking can helpto reduce traffic congestion, make roadssafer and minimise pollution for vehicleemissions.

• Safety and Health - As a simple meansof exercise incorporated into dailylifestyles, walking can help to improvethe general health of the population.Walking to school can create a habit informative years that children will bemore inclined to continue on a regularbasis in adulthood. Furthermore it provides an opportunity for teachingessential road safety skills.

More people walking in the urban environment improves levels of surveillance, discourages opportunisticcrime and provides safer conditions thatgive people the confidence to walk.

• Integration - Walking is the ‘glue’ that links other modes of transport. All public transport and car trips beginand end with a walk. Encouraging people to use the bus, tram or train iseasier if the walk to the stops / stationsis attractive, convenient and safe.

The City Council and the Health Authorityhave both recognised the links betweenhealth and transport. They are committedto working together to promote and

facilitate wider transport choices and achange to more active lifestyles.

Evidence suggests that people choose towalk for reasons of fitness and health, forsocial interaction, and to ‘pass the time’.Reasons why walking is declining includesthe increase in motor traffic making thewalking environment less attractive, increasing car ownership and use, dispersalof development resulting in increased distances travelled, increase in childrenbeing taken to school by car, and thedecline in the use of public transport.


The design of the highway can also presenta deterrent to walking. Traffic signalsdesigned to optimise vehicular flows candelay pedestrians needing to cross the road,narrow or absent footways along some highways make walking more dangerous,lack of appropriate signing for pedestriansmay introduce uncertainty, and insufficientor inappropriate lighting can add to the fearfor personal security and safety. Trafficspeeds can also be a significant deterrent.The consequence of these can be to encourage a person to take the car if one is available or even to discourage them frommaking the journey at all.

The monitoring and evaluation of theWalking Strategy will check whether theCouncil has done what it said it would,check if the defined targets have been metand assess whether we have begun tochange people's behaviour.

The street environment impacts on everyoneand any initiatives that improve its attractiveness and safety will be of universalbenefit. Everyone is a pedestrian at sometime.

There is very little information about walkingtrends of at a local level. Some Nationaland Regional level information is availablethrough the 2002/03 National Travel Survey(NTS) for Great Britain and the 1991Census. Relevant figures from the TravelSurvey are set out below.

• How far do we walk? The number ofwalking and cycling trips both fell by 20per cent between 1992 / 94 and 2002/03. Walking now accounts for less thana quarter of all trips made in GreatBritain. The total distance we walkedcontinued to fall from 244 miles perperson per year in 1985/86 to 193miles in 1996/98 a nd a further 20%fall in the 1990's to 2002/03. Four outof five of our journeys are under a mileand only 4% of journeys are over 2miles in length. At 0.6 miles, the average length of a walk has remainsbroadly consistent from the 1980's.

• Who walks the most? Women walk for more of their journeys than men,although the average distance walkedper year is broadly comparable.

• Why do people walk? The main reasons for a journey on foot were to go shopping (24%), for personal businessor to escort someone (22%), for leisureor social purposes (20%). In addition,14% of journeys were ‘just walk’, walking the dog, exercise or jogging.

Trends in Walking


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• Walking to School. Despite a dramaticfall in the numbers of children walking to school there are still over 50% of primary school children and over 40%of secondary school children walking toschool. For school trips under a mile84% of journeys were on foot for primary school children and 92% forsecondary school children. The TravelSurvey found that almost three fifths of

children aged 5-16 years said theywalked for 20 minutes or more at leastonce a week, but a fifth said they hadnot walked that far in the last year.

• Walking to Work. Although the numberof people walking to work has declined at a steady rate since 1991, the totalworkforce has grown so the actual number of people walking to work hasremained constant. There is a large difference between men and womenwalking to work with 16% of womenand just 7% of men doing the journeyon foot.

• Does owning a car make a difference? Adults living in householdswithout a car walked much further onaverage than those living in householdswith a car -275 miles compared with163 miles. Children living in householdswith access to a car also walked less -187 miles a year compared with 293miles for those households with no car.

• Walking as a leisure activity. Walkingis the most popular sporting and leisure activity with 45% of adults reportingwalks of 2 miles or more in the previous2 weeks in the General HouseholdSurvey undertaken in 1996. More menwalked for leisure than women, 49% inthe previous 4 weeks prior to the surveycompared to 41% for women.


The Strategy has been influenced by andaccords with the Unitary Development Plan(Under Review), Regional Planning Guidancefor the West Midlands, WolverhamptonRegeneration Strategy, and the City CentreStrategy and Action Plan.

Local Transport Plans are a core part of thenew approach and are statutory documents.They should meet local needs and set localtargets, for example, to improve air qualityand road safety, increase cycling, walkingand the use of public transport. The challenge is to accommodate the forecastgrowth in the demand for travel while avoiding the problems of traffic congestion.

The walking strategy is a requirement of the Local Transport Plan and the aims andobjectives of this strategy are complementaryto other local and national strategies andpolicies. The Government publishedPlanning Policy Guidance Note 13 (PPG 13)'Transport' in March 2001, which notes thatwalking is the most important mode of travel at a local level and offers the greatestpotential to replace short car trips, particularly for those trips under 2km inlength. The Government wants LocalAuthorities to use their planning and transportation powers to give greater priority to walking.

The vision for transport in the West Midlands is for:

• a thriving, sustainable and vibrant community where people want to liveand where businesses can develop andgrow;

• town, city and local centres will beattractive and vibrant. High quality public transport will be the norm andwalking and cycling will be commonplace;

• Cleaner air and less congested trafficconditions;

• a safer community where there will befewer accidents and people will feel lessat risk and more secure;

• Equal opportunities for everyone to gainaccess to services and facilities andenjoy a better quality of life with travelchoices that are attractive, viable andsustainable.(Local Transport Plan for the WestMidlands)

Our walking strategy will play an importantpart in achieving this vision by encouragingwalking as an alternative to car use, especially for local trips, by creating an environment for pedestrians that is safe,convenient and attractive.

Context for the Strategy


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Introduction

Those involved in maintenance, town planning and architects need to be sensitiveto the need to address the issues facingpedestrians. Providing for pedestrians mustinvolve:

• Putting pedestrians first and ensuringthat they are not an afterthought in thedesign of any scheme.

• Adopting design principles for facilitiesfor pedestrians, as exist for vehicles.These should look at the quality of footways, the general environment, andshould seek to improve journey timeand reduce delay.

• Ensuring that facilities provided forpedestrians are consistently providedand easily understood.

The special needs of those with a physicaldisability or learning disability have to becatered for. We may all at some stage havea mobility problem, for example, travellingwith young children, carrying bulky or heavyshopping, or travelling with a pushchair.The provision of formal pedestrian crossingsis governed by legal requirements. Otherthan these requirements there has beenvery little design advice or guidance available for footways and walking areas.Although in recent years there has been a

greater acknowledgement of the needs ofpedestrians and design guidelines andexamples of good practice are now beingpublished.

A checklist for the Local WalkingEnvironment is included in the document'Advice to Local Authorities' (based on workdone by the London Planning AdvisoryCommittee), which poses a series of questionsthat a local action plan for walking shouldaddress. These are set out on the followingpages. They will be used to assess newdevelopment and to audit existing routes.


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Policies and Actions

Is the local walking environment connected?

• How well is walking integrated with public transport? Are there, forinstance, partnerships with public transport operators to develop localwalking networks?

• Are routes to key destinations continuous,that is without barriers such as majorroads that are difficult to cross?

• Are walking networks designed to givegood access to key destinations?

• Is the distance to public transport stopsas short as practical for people withinthe area served?

• Are pedestrian crossings sited on desirelines where people want to cross to getto public transport interchanges?

• Have important routes been given sufficiently high priority, for exampleshort waiting times at signalled crossings on routes to bus and rail interchanges?

Is the local walking environment comfortable?

• Do local facilities meet design standards, such as footway widths, good quality walking surfaces, planningfor disabled people?

• Is pavement parking a problem?

• Is there a problem with cycling on thefootway?

• Are routes safe?

• Is the general condition of the walkingsurface clear of obstructions, brokenpaving etc?

Is the local walking environment convenient?

• Are the walking routes continuous, forexample, is the road raised to footwaylevel at junctions?

• Are pedestrian crossings appropriatelylocated to allow people to cross conveniently, easily and safely?

• Do existing facilities cause delays to pedestrians?

• Are there pedestrian signals or phasesat traffic signalled junctions?


Is the local environment convivial?

• Is the urban design to a high standard?

• Is it as attractive as it could be?

• Are pedestrian routes interesting?

• Are the footways substantially free fromlitter and dog mess?

• Is crime or the fear of crime a cause forconcern?

Is the local walking environment conspicuous?

• Are walking routes clearly sign-posted?Is it obvious how to get to the shops,leisure facilities, or bus stops?

• Are local walking routes published?

• Are there local maps and are theyincluded with travel and tourist information?

• Are there local walking schemes such asschool crossing patrols or 'Safer Routesto School'?

• Are street names clearly visible and arethey repeated at regular intervals?

Policies for Walking

The following policies reflect the issues mentioned previously and are consideredunder the following headings: Walking as aMode of Transport; Walking to School;Walking, Cycling and Public Transport;Safety and Security; Design Standards andFootway Maintenance.

Walking as a Mode of Transport

How we will achieve this?

• Improve key pedestrian routes

• Review and audit of the rights of wayfootpaths

• Encourage employers to adopt TravelPlans and encourage their employees towalk to work where feasible.

• Work with the Health Community andother bodies to promote walking including supporting the ‘Walking forHealth’ Initiative (This is co-ordinated bythe Wolverhampton City NHS PrimaryCare Trust and provides route maps andregular short led walks).


W1 - To replace many of the shorttrips currently made by car by tripson foot

The West Midlands conurbation generallygenerates more car trips relative to walktrips when compared with other UK conurbations. The reasons for this are notclear. Within some parts of Wolverhamptonhowever there is a higher reliance on walking and public transport use than theaverage. This may be due to low car ownership, the relatively short commutingdistance for some traditional industries, andthe close knit communities, particularly inthe south-east of the City.

We need to encourage more people to walkfor more of their shorter journeys - to thelocal shops, the doctor's surgery, to school,the local park etc. Former railway lines, thecanal towpath and the suburban footpathnetwork provide excellent opportunities forwalking away from the principal highwaynetwork.

The aim of this strategy is not just toencourage people to walk more for personalhealth and welfare reasons but to replacetrips that are currently made by car.Achievement of this aim will have wide ranging benefits including improved healthand well-being of the individual, reducedvehicle emissions and consequent improvements to the local air pollution. It can contribute to reducing the problemsof traffic congestion and increased activityon local streets so improving the perceptionof safety and personal security.

How we will achieve this?

• Support the ‘Steps to Health’ healthwalks initiative and other HealthCommunity Initiatives.

• Promote walking as part of WorkplaceTravel Plans

• Give pedestrians a priority when considering the location and design ofnew development

Improving the pedestrian environment andtaking pedestrian access into account whenconsidering the location and design of newdevelopment to improve access to shops,parks and leisure centres, are important factors to allow people to lead active, independent and healthy lives.

Wolverhampton City Council, through the'Steps to Health' initiative operate a schemeto provide route maps and trained healthwalk leaders for people of all abilities towalk in their local area. GPs participating inthe scheme also refer patients recoveringfrom heart attacks, other illnesses andweight problems to these walks as part oftheir treatment.


W2 - To promote walking as ahealthy alternative to the car forshort trips and to encourage morepeople to walk for leisure

Walking to School

How will we achieve these?

• We will continue to expand the SaferRoutes to School programme in line withthe Local Transport Plan targets

• Encourage and assist schools to adoptSchool Travel Plans

• Provide an efficient School CrossingPatrol Service to help children andadults across the City's busier roads

• Promote annual walk to school eventswith local schools

The proportion of children walking to schoolhas steadily declined in the last 30 years.British children are taking less than the recommended level of physical activity tomaintain good health and the proportion ofoverweight and obese children has morethan doubled in the last twenty years.Britain also has some of the highest rates of

child pedestrian accidents when comparedwith the situation elsewhere in Europe.

The challenge is therefore to encourage children to adopt healthy, more activelifestyles that they will continue on throughinto adulthood. Education and training iskey to this. This should help to improvepedestrian safety and reduce accidents.Care needs to be taken in evaluating childpedestrian accidents to ensure that anyreduction does not simply reflect a decreasein the number of children walking to schooland walking generally as part of their dailyroutine.

Integrating Walking with Public Transport and Cycling

How are we going to achieve this?

• Work with Centro and Bus Operators toensure bus stops are safe, convenient,no more than 5 minutes walking timeapart along main roads in accordancewith the bus strategy for the WestMidlands (Local Transport Plan).


W3 - To increase the proportion ofchildren who walk to school ratherthan travelling by car.

W4 - To increase children’s awareness of the health and environmental benefits of walking

W5 - To ensure pedestrian access toand from public transport stops andstations is direct, safe, and attractive

• Pedestrian Crossing facilities should belocated for convenient access to bus,tram and train stops.

The distance, safety and ease of walking to bus, train and tram stops are important factors that people take into account whenconsidering whether to travel by publictransport. Addressing the pedestrian environment is therefore vital in the overalltransport strategy to encourage walking andpublic transport use.

It is generally accepted that people will walka maximum of 400m to get to a bus stopand 800m to get to a railway station. Whatthese distances don't consider is the qualityof the walking environment for people, howmany busy roads need to be crossed andhow well lit the local streets are.

Cyclists and pedestrians often use the samerights of way and parts of the highway without conflict and both are seen as 'vulnerable users' in relation to motor traffic.

Conflict can occur for example betweenpedestrians and cyclists in pedestrianisedCity and Town centres, on purpose-builtshared routes, and bridleways where theremay be confusion over access rights andwho should have priority.

How are we going to achieve this?

• Where possible cycle routes will use the highway or separate off-road routes.However in an urban setting likeWolverhampton where space is at a premium this is not always feasible andshared use of the footway is the onlypractical, safe and viable option.

• Where there is shared use of the footway - warning signs and delineationon the footway will be used to separatepedestrians and cyclists.

• Provision of Toucan Crossings whereappropriate.

Cycling and walking are both promoted as being more sustainable ways of movingaround and both activities often use thesame rights of way. Conflict can arise wherethere is confusion over access rights. For example cyclists aren't always allowedinto pedestrian city and town centres, cycleuse of the footway etc. The relative speedof cyclists can be intimidating to the pedestrian particularly if they have notheard the approaching cyclist.


W6 - To minimise the potential forconflict between pedestrians andcyclists.

Walking and the Built Environment

How will we achieve these?

• A programme of audits of pedestrianroutes and access to key destinationswill be undertaken to inform the spending programme

• Pedestrian Crossings to be located toimprove safety and for the convenienceof pedestrians (minimising the distanceto be walked)

• A maintenance programme adopted toensure well maintained, well lit, andclean pedestrian routes

• Update and maintain City CentrePedestrian ‘finger post' signs.

• Provide street names in prominentplaces

• Give pedestrians priority in Local SafetySchemes and traffic calming measures

• The programme of improvements forpedestrians at the Ring Road junctionsto improve links into the City Centre willcontinue

• Developer contributions will be soughtto improve pedestrian links between theCity Centre and new development onthe periphery

• Continue to upgrade car parks to meetthe 'Secured by Design' standard. FiveWolverhampton car parks already meetthese standards.

Urban design relates individual buildingsand spaces to the surrounding environment.Good urban design creates places that people find safe, stimulating, enjoyable and easily navigable. Central to this is providing a human scale of design thatensures it is easy for a pedestrian to movearound and within it.

Good pedestrian routes should:

• Provide direct and continuous routesbetween key destinations and be wellconnected to public transport


W7 - To ensure that the built environment is designed to bepedestrian friendly.

W8 - To ensure that key pedestrianroutes and main attractions for people are well sign-posted

W9 - To ensure that pedestrianaccess to and within car parks issafe, direct and well-signed and givespriority to the pedestrian

• Be free of obstructions, major barriersand clutter

• Provide a good walking surface andseating to be provided at regular intervals

• Be designed and marked for the convenience and safety of those withmobility disabilities and visual impairment

• Be well signed, with key destinationsand distances marked

• Connect with other pedestrian thoroughfares to form a network

• Be attractive, clean and offer interest to the pedestrian

• Have sufficient capacity to cater forexpected pedestrian flows

• Be well used throughout the day

• Provide clear lines of sight and be overlooked

• Relate to familiar views, landmarks andstreets

• Provide easy, safe and convenient crossing points that reflect ‘desire lines’to the places that people want to go

• Minimise conflict with motor traffic anddelay to the pedestrian at signalledjunctions

The City Council has already implemented asuccessful programme of pedestrianisationof the City Centre, Bilston and WednesfieldCentres that have greatly improved the general environment. More recently theCouncil has introduced a 20 mph restrictionon traffic speeds within the City Centre RingRoad. This will give greater priority topedestrians, improve road safety, andreduce the number and severity of injuriesfrom road traffic accidents.

Safety and Personal Security


W10 - To reduce accidents to pedestrians in line with Governmentand Local Authority targets

W11 - To ensure fears for safety andpersonal security do not discouragepeople from walking

How will we achieve this?

• To reduce traffic speeds within residen-tial areas, the City Centre and TownCentres

• Enforce speed restrictions in partnershipwith the Police

• Provide safe and attractive alternativesto pedestrian subways

• Continue the programme of pedestrianisation within the City andTown Centres

• Focus safety schemes on accident dan-ger spots

• Continue to expand the Safer Routes toSchool initiative

• Work with bus and rail operators andCentro to improve safety and security atstations and stops

• Ensure that best practice is adopted fordesigning out crime in new development

• Promote publicity campaigns on roadsafety to vulnerable road users

Throughout the country there has been adownward trend in pedestrian casualtiesfrom road accidents since the 1980s followed by the adoption of national road accident reduction targets.

In Wolverhampton there has been a corresponding substantial fall in the numberof fatal and serious casualties in line withthe strategy we have adopted to treat accident trouble spots and introduce lowerspeed limits and traffic calming measures inresidential areas.

People are reluctant to use pedestrian subways to cross major roads because of afear for personal security so exposing themto increased risk of conflict with road traffic.The perceived fear for personal security canencourage people to make a journey by caror even not to travel at all. This fear is moreacute after dark and the need to use subways, segregated over-bridges, alleyways,car parks, bus stops and rail / bus stationsor the need to pass by places where groupsof people linger. People do not tend to feelafraid in busy, well-managed environmentssuch as supermarkets and shopping centres. The presence of others tends to create confidence and may be the greatest contribution to a safer, comfortable walkingenvironment.


• A pedestrian footway should be provided in areas of high pedestrianflows and all residential areas

• On segregated routes, pedestriansshould be separated from motor trafficby a kerb face and from cyclists by atleast a white line.

• Dropped crossings should be providedat all junctions between footpaths orfootways and vehicular carriageway

• All facilities should be designed and maintained for easy use by older people and those with sight, hearing, or mobility disability

• Highway works will be well publicisedand temporary arrangements made forthose with a sight or mobility disability

• Provide conveniently sited seating atsuitable locations along key routes

• Ensure all footways are unobstructed for the safety of pedestrians


Design Standards

How will we achieve this?

The following are the principles that shouldguide the provision for pedestrians,although detailed design solutions to meetthese will be implemented in accordancewith current guidelines and good practice.It is not proposed to include these withinthe Walking Strategy.

W12 - To ensure that pedestrianfacilities meet the requirements ofpeople with disabilities and thosewith mobility problems

There are some basic qualities that thefootway should possess. They should bedirect and open to view, adequately lit,usable all year round and appropriately landscaped not to increase fears for personal security. They should take accountof 'desire lines' and designed to be wide,inviting and attractive.

As a principle the highway should providean environment that is safe and appropriatefor use by pedestrians - able bodied anddisabled persons alike. An environment thatis accessible to people with disabilities isaccessible and benefits us all.

Footway Maintenance

How we will achieve this

• Support and promote the telephonehotline number to report problems onthe highway

• Continue the monitoring and maintenance programme to ensure that the condition of the highway is

of the highest standard that availableresources allow in accordance with standards set out in the Local transportand that 'Best Value' principles areadopted.

The City Council is responsible for the maintenance and repair of its roads andfootpaths, including kerbs, bridges, subways, verges and landscaping. Also signs and street nameplates, all pedestrian crossings and street lighting are the responsibility of the Council. All adopted highways in the Borough areinspected on a regular basis and defectsreported for repair. Alongside these 'reactive works' are programmed maintenance of the highway.

The Council also has a telephone hotline for the public to report problems on thehighway. This is Wolverhampton (01902) 555888


W13 - To ensure that all footwaysare maintained to a standard thatminimises the opportunity for tripaccidents and contributes to makingwalking a pleasant experience

The following targets will provide indicatorsof the achievement of the objectives of theStrategy:

• To limit the growth of road trafficmileage in the metropolitan area to notmore than 7% between 2004 and 2010(Local Transport Plan (LTP) target)

• Increase the percentage of childrenwalking, cycling, or using public transport to school to 70% for primary school-age and 90% for secondary school children (LTP target)

• Over 99% of the total length of footpathsand other rights of way to be of a standardthat is easy to use by the public (BestValue Performance Plan (BVPP))

• Over 60% of footpaths sign-postedwhere they leave a road (BVPP)

• Reduce the length of high usage footways requiring further investigationaccording to DfT rules and parametersby 5% between 2003/04 and 2010/11(LTP target)

The targets and policies will be monitoredand reported annually. The Strategy will bereviewed in 2006 in line with the review of the Local Transport Plan for the WestMidlands or sooner if the results of theannual monitoring process indicates a needfor changes before this date.

Improvements to the pedestrian environment and the promotion of walkingwill be funded principally through the CityCouncil's Local Transport Plan settlement for Capital and Revenue expenditure that isconfirmed by the Government annually.Opportunities will also continue to be takento secure funding from developers for newpedestrian facilities where these arerequired as part of the new developmentand grants sought from European andnational regeneration programmes to addvalue to other public and private investment. The City Council has an excellent record working closely with ourhealth and education colleagues and withpublic transport operators, adjoining LocalAuthorities and the voluntary and businesssectors. The objectives of the WalkingStrategy will not be achieved unless thisapproach to partnership working continues.

Targets, Monitoring and Review


Resources

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DETR 'A New Deal for Transport: Better ForEveryone' - The Government White Paper onthe Future of Transport

DETR 'Encouraging Walking: Advice to LocalAuthorities'

DETR 'Guidance on Full Local TransportPlans'

Planning Policy Guidance Note 13'Transport' March 2001

Making the Links: Integrating SustainableTransport, Health and EnvironmentalPolicies. A Guide for Local Authorities andLocal Health Authorities, HEA 1999

Taking the Strategy Step: Preparing a Local Walking Strategy. The PedestriansAssociation 2000

Please send your comments to:

Transport Strategy SectionWolverhampton City CouncilRegeneration and EnvironmentHeantun HouseSalop Street Wolverhampton WV3 0SQ

Or e-mail to:

[email protected]

Useful Publications


Making Comments

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Transport Strategy SectionRegeneration & EnvironmentWolverhampton City CouncilHeantun HouseSalop StreetWolverhamptonWV3 0SQ

Telephone: 01902 555684Email: [email protected]: www.wolverhamptontravelwise.org

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RT 167 - Walking Insides

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Transcript of RT 167 - Walking Insides