Key policy approaches to improving the uptake of walking and cycling in Scotland for travel

National Performance Framework Outcomes:

We Value, Enjoy, Protect and Enhance our Environment

We live in Communities that are Inclusive, Empowered, Resilient and Safe

We are Healthy and Active

We tackle Poverty by Sharing Opportunities, Wealth and Power more Equally

We are Creative and our Vibrant and Diverse Cultures are Expressed and Enjoyed Widely

We grow up loved, safe and respected so that we realise our full potential

We have a Globally Competitive, Entrepreneurial, Inclusive and Sustainable Economy

Active Travel Strategic Objectives:

Cut carbon emissions and other pollution

Delivering Liveable, more Pleasant Communities

Better Health & Safer Travel for All

Reducing Inequalities - Jobs, Services, Leisure

Supporting Delivery of Sustainable Economic Growth

Active Travel Vision:

2030 Vision for Active Travel: Scotland's communities are shaped around people, with walking or cycling the most popular choice for shorter everyday journeys

Active Travel Outcomes:

Increase the Number of People Choosing Walking, Cycling and Wheeling in Scotland

High Quality Walking, Cycling and Wheeling Infrastructure is Available to All

Walking, Cycling and Wheeling is Safer for All

Walking, Cycling and Wheeling is available to All

Delivery of Walking, Cycling and Wheeling is Promoted and Supported by a Range of Partners

Walking, Cycling and Wheeling Outcome Indicators

Increase the Number of People Choosing Walking, Cycling and Wheeling in Scotland

1. Proportion of short every day journeys by walking and cycling

2. Attitudes towards / propensity to walking, cycling and wheeling

3. Proportion of journeys to school by walking, cycling and wheeling

4. Frequency of walking and cycling for pleasure/exercise

High Quality Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Infrastructure is Available to Everyone

5. Km of traffic free walking and cycling facilities

6. Distance to Traffic-Free Cycling Infrastructure

7. Quality of walking and cycling infrastructure

Walking, Cycling and Wheeling is Safer for All

8. Casualties by mode of transport and distance travelled (number and proportion)

9. Perceptions of Safety of Walking, Wheeling and Cycling

Delivery of Walking, Cycling and Wheeling is Promoted and Supported by a Range of Partners

10. Level of inclusion of active travel in Local Development Plans

11. Level of public sector spend on walking, cycling and wheeling

12. Perception of Community Involvement in Walking, Cycling and Wheeling Initiatives

13. Proportion of Primary Schools Delivering On-Road Cycle Training

Walking, Cycling and Wheeling is Available to All

14. Household access to a bike (with focus on regional and socioeconomic variation)

15. Proportion of people identifying barriers to walking, cycling and wheeling

Evidence to Inform Active Travel Strategic Objectives

Alongside the indicators that will measure progress towards the active travel outcomes, additional evidence will be gathered that will inform progress against the active travel strategic objectives. Specifically, the focus will be on evidencing impact on:

Cutting carbon emissions and other pollution – this will include continuing to gather and analyse evidence on the positive impact of increased modal share of walking, cycling and wheeling on emissions and air quality

Better health and safer travel to all – this will include continuing to gather and analyse the evidence on the positive impact that walking, cycling and wheeling has on health and wellbeing

Supporting Delivery of Sustainable Economic Growth – this will include developing the evidence base which shows the contribution walking, cycling and wheeling can make to the Scottish economy

Active Travel Framework

Overview

Brings together the key policy approaches to improving the uptake of walking and cycling in Scotland

The Active Travel Framework brings together the key policy approaches to improving the uptake of walking and cycling in Scotland for travel. It has been produced collaboratively by Transport Scotland and key delivery partners¹, with input from Regional Transport Partnerships (RTPs) and local authorities.

Drawing on the long-term shared vision and strategic objectives for active travel developed and set out in partnership in 2014, at its heart is an ambition that by 2030, Scotland’s communities are shaped around people and place, enabling walking and cycling to be the most popular mode of travel for short, everyday journeys.

The framework model identifies five high level outcomes that will contribute to realising the long-term vision and achieving the strategic objectives for active travel policy at both a national and local level.

It then identifies key indicators we will use going forward to monitor progress and improve. Policy approaches and actions within these outcomes will vary across the country and take into account local factors and resources. They will also cover a broad spectrum of activity, ranging from local awareness raising projects to major transport infrastructure developments.

The framework incorporates the aims of the National Walking Strategy and the Cycling Action Plan and their related indicators and contributes to the Scottish Government’s overall strategic purpose and National Outcomes that feature as part of the National Performance Framework. The framework is also informed by a range other outcome frameworks, including Active Scotland; the Climate Change Plan; Fairer Scotland Action Plan; Road Safety Framework; and National Planning Framework. Brief details of these can be found in Annex A.

2030 Vision

Scotland’s communities are shaped around people, with walking or cycling the most popular choice for shorter everyday journey.

Delivering places that are happier, more inclusive and equal and more prosperous

The rationale behind this vision is that it helps people make healthy living choices and assists in delivering places that are happier, more inclusive and equal, and more prosperous. The intention is that travelling by foot or cycle is a realistic option for all local journeys as individuals.

It also aims to ensure people are confident to walk and cycle more often and they value and use their local transport networks (streets, roads and path networks), which offer safe, high quality, realistic and predictable journey options for active travel.

Strategic Objectives

The Active Travel Vision is accompanied by a number of strategic objectives that promote healthier, fairer, and more environmentally friendly choices while creating more pleasant, economically viable, safer and sustainable places. These objectives could equally be framed as outcomes that will be delivered as a result of achieving the vision of more people choosing walking and cycling for shorter everyday journeys.

Better health and safer travel

Environments in which walking and cycling are easy choices will be safer for everyone, promote healthy living choices, treat and prevent disease and reduce health inequalities. Walking, cycling and wheeling has a positive effect on people’s health and wellbeing.

Reduced inequalities

Access to jobs, services and leisure will be widened for all – including children, older people, people with disabilities and people on low incomes.

Cut carbon emissions

More people choosing to walk and cycle will reduce pollution and emissions from motorised travel and so help tackle climate change and improve air quality.

This will also bring related health benefits.

Deliver more pleasant communities

Places that are pleasant and practical for walking and cycling, with better pedestrian and cyclist safety will improve people’s lives in many ways, including feeling connected to the community. Communities where people value and use the active travel network, comprising streets, roads and path networks.

Support sustainable economic growth

Places that are designed for walking and cycling are generally more attractive. Scotland’s communities will benefit from this, becoming more desirable places to live, work and enjoy so helping attract investment and economic activity. Walking, cycling and wheeling will deliver benefits to the economy.

Active Travel Outcomes

Building on the Active Travel Vision and Strategic objectives, Transport Scotland and delivery partners have developed five high level outcomes

Building on the Active Travel Vision and Strategic objectives, Transport Scotland and delivery partners have developed five high level outcomes. These outcomes are long-term and are designed to drive the delivery of the active travel vision and in turn the strategic objectives. There is tacit acknowledgement that in order to realise the 2030 vision, these outcomes must be delivered collectively.

Increase the number of people choosing walking, cycling and wheeling in Scotland

At the heart of walking and cycling policy is a desire to encourage and enable more people to travel through active modes. Increasing the number of people who choose to walk and cycle will ultimately improve our health and well and contribute to reducing emissions. To achieve this we will need to drive behaviour change, both by changing attitudes towards walking and cycling, so that we all recognise these modes as everyday safe, healthy and environmentally friendly choices, and by providing the means for that choice to be made.

High quality walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure is available to all

Providing, improving and maintaining an infrastructure for walking and cycling will ensure that those who choose to walk or cycle can do so, and do so more often. The expectations of what that infrastructure will be will vary regionally and locally, from fully integrated hubs in urban centres to tailored facilities in other communities and settlements. Infrastructure is an integral element of ‘placemaking’, ensuring the design of places where people live, work and rest encourages sustainable travel. Allied with raising awareness of the benefits of walking and cycling, the design of high quality places and availability of high quality walking and cycling infrastructure can accelerate the desired shift in travel behaviour for shorter journeys.

Walking, cycling and wheeling is safer for all

Pedestrians and cyclists are considered vulnerable road users and it is widely acknowledged that safety concerns present a significant barrier to uptake and levels of walking and cycling, whether due to perceived safety of local neighbourhood or perceived safety on the roads.

Enhancing and improving the safety of walking and cycling is therefore imperative to change these attitudes and increase the levels of walking and cycling.

Delivery of walking, cycling and wheeling is promoted and supported by a broad range of partners

Key to achieving the 2030 vision for walking and cycling is an acknowledgment that there needs to be a broad range of support across the public, private and third sectors. A huge amount of activity has already been undertaken and this must continue through coordinated action from health, education, community safety and environmental sectors, as well as business etc. to foster a culture that enables and encourages walking and cycling.

Walking, cycling and wheeling is available to all

Key to the framework is the premise that the benefits of walking and cycling can be enjoyed by all. This poses challenges on a range of different levels for walking and cycling policy. While acknowledging that geographic and regional factors will influence the availability of walking and cycling, a key focus of the framework will be to ensure that walking and cycling are viable choices for all. As well as infrastructure, this means making bikes and other non-motorised mobility accessible to all, providing facilities at workplaces and in communities (such as bike storage, changing) and continuing to drive education and behaviour change programmes through literature, training and opportunities to try walking and cycling.

Analysis highlights that gender, age, health status and socio-economic circumstance influence levels of walking and cycling. In addition, those with mobility issues also face additional barriers to walking and cycling. Therefore, activity needs to be focused around all of these issues to improve availability.