Walking & Cycling
We in the UK walk a similar amount to other European countries with just over 1 in 5 trips being on foot. However only 2% of trips in the UK are by bike compared with 18% in Denmark and 26% in the Netherlands. Transport data for the UK shows that 80% of trips of less than a mile are on foot, but this drops rapidly for trips of between 1 and 2 miles, with 60% being in a private motor vehicle rising to over 80% for longer trips.
People are therefore using their car for many local trips that could be done on foot or bike, such as going to the shops or the school run, and these trips accounts for most local traffic problems. We should therefore be designing neighbourhoods to encourage more people to walk and cycle for local trips. Much can be achieved by tipping the balance, making the car slightly less convenient and walking and cycling slightly easier.
Low traffic neighbourhoods
This has been achieved in parts of London through low traffic neighbourhoods or ‘Mini- Hollands’ as they are sometimes called. They have been implemented in parts of London like Hounslow by closing streets to traffic while keeping them open to pedestrians and cyclists. This means that, if you want to drive you generally have just one way in and out of your neighbourhood, often involving quite a diversion. The hope is that you will decide it is easier to walk or cycle. In parts of London this has increased cycling by 18% and walking by 13% in a year while reducing car use for local journeys.
Care however needs to be taken to ensure that the problems of congestion are not displaced to other areas. The principle of cul-de-sac layouts is that people don’t mind a little extra distance once they are in the car, what they don’t like is sitting in congestion. Some low traffic neighbourhoods may have been effective because the congestion in the surrounding area has made it more difficult to drive. In areas where ‘rat running’ is less of a problem similar benefits may be possible by reducing traffic speeds by introducing 20mph zones, reducing road widths, widening pavements etc.
Cycling
The key to encouraging more cycling is quite simply bike lanes. In Denmark and Holland road space has been reallocated from cars to bicycles, and cyclists are able to complete their entire journey on dedicated cycle lanes that are physically separated from traffic. As a result of Covid many councils temporarily reallocated road space to cycling and where possible these changes need to be made permanent. This is particularly important at junctions where UK cycle lanes tend to disappear leaving no place for cyclists.
Walking
Encouraging walking involves a slightly different approach. There is much that can be done by widening pavements and redesigning junctions, removing the railings that force pedestrians to make long diversions. Surface crossings should also replace underpasses and bridges wherever possible with pedestrian phases introduced into traffic light junctions.
However research by Jan Gehl shows that the character of the urban environment is also important. Distances seem shorter if the walk is interesting with something new to look at every 10m, think of the difference between walking along a street of busy shops and walking through the car park of a supermarket. Safety is also important. Well lit and overlooked footpaths are more likely to be used after dark; by contrast off-street footpaths can feel dangerous.
What you can do
Communities
Start a discussion locally about traffic and the measures that people are prepared to accept. Low-traffic neighbourhoods will be right for some places but not everywhere. A good start might be a partnership with the local primary school to persuade parents not to drive their kids to school, possibly leading to the introduction of a school street.
Developers and designers
Create street networks that connect to the surrounding area, but consider carefully where traffic will be allowed. Incorporate cycle lanes and ensure that there are at least two cycle storage spaces for every new home, public bike racks and secure cycle storage for workspaces.
Councils
Work in partnership with local communities to consider whether low traffic neighbourhoods or other measures are appropriate locally. Invest in cycle lanes on all primary streets and other off-street routes, including junctions. Ensure that planning policy requires cycle storage in all new developments.
Case study
Movement: Icon and Houndwood Street, Somerset
The Icon neighbourhood is built on the original Clarks shoe factory site in Street, a Victorian industrial market town of 11,100 residents. The scheme accepts that many people need to use cars – particularly in a semi-rural location – but aims to integrate car parking in a more sensitive manner, creating a ‘shared space’ environment that provides equal rights for cars, pedestrians and cyclists.
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