Strategic actions
Introduction
This chapter sets out the strategic actions that have been identified through the CAPS review and consultation with stakeholders.
Potential Strategic Actions
Local Authority Active Travel Strategies
Potential strategic option
Condition receipt of funding on local authority having adopted a high-quality active travel strategy that includes a well-specified and outline costed plan of new active travel infrastructure, prioritised, and with a timescale for delivery.
Source
CAPS Review
Local Authority Capacity Support
Potential strategic option
Provide direct support to local authorities to produce high quality active travel strategies with new support staff, most likely in government itself rather than in Sustrans or other third party organisation. Given that these posts would be linked to the delivery of infrastructure, it is likely that their funding could be capitalised.
Source
CAPS Review
Local Authority Feedback
Support to local authorities on road space reallocation and traffic reduction
Potential strategic option
Provide guidance on modelling of road capacity reduction and roadspace reallocation.
Provide case studies of road capacity reduction and roadspace reallocation, including evidence regarding local economic impact and of actual traffic impacts compared to previously modelled impacts. Changes to TRO process (see below).
Transport Scotland to pilot at least two schemes of roadspace reallocation to create high quality segregated cycle facilities and pedestrian facilities at Roads for All standard on trunk roads in small unbypassed towns, and to organise for local authority traffic engineers (not just active travel staff) site visits and training based on the experience. These projects must be included in STPR2.
For any authority that does implement a Workplace Parking Levy, condition its Ministerial approval on a certain proportion of the net proceeds being spent on active travel infrastructure.
Source
CAPS Review
Local Authority Feedback
TRO and redetermination order processes
Potential strategic option
Accept evidence of ATTF consultation that current processes are barrier to timely scheme delivery. Review experience in terms of public perceptions, awareness and feedback on implementation of works on Edinburgh’s Picardy Place which were carried out on the street prior to the approval/adoption of TROs and Redetermination Orders.
Consult on:
- Giving equal legal weight in process to supporters as well as objectors of proposed TRO.
- Reducing number/scale of measures requiring any TRO process (for example, a stipulated minimum length of double yellow line that can be implemented without a TRO, in the same way that bus stop clearways currently do not require a TRO).
- Removing need for hearings for all measures on local roads.
- Removing need for referral to Scottish Ministers of unresolved TROs and objections to Redetermination Orders.
Adopting English process for Experimental TROs (in England, Experimental TROs can be made permanent directly. In Scotland, the identical permanent order must be advertised and adopted before the Experimental Order expires).
Source
CAPS Review
Local Authority Feedback
Funding for local infrastructure
Potential strategic option
Increase national capital funding to a level and duration to provide sufficient funding for high quality local cycle networks to be introduced as specified in the improved Active Travel Strategies.
Reduce/eliminate need for match funding for segregated cycleways on arterial streets which involve significant reallocation of road space from private motor vehicles, parked or moving. Consult on modification of road maintenance block grant to be calculated including off-road cycling and core path infrastructure; and consult on whether to remove all or part of the competitive award element of Community Links and Community Links Plus.
Source
CAPS Review
Local Authority Feedback
Local authority staff capacity
Potential strategic option
Offer national funding to local authorities for employment of additional traffic engineering staff to work on design and implementation of active travel infrastructure. Since such posts would be infrastructure related, there is a strong possibility that they could be capitalised.
Source
CAPS Review
Local Authority Feedback
National guidance such as LTNs, DMRB, and TALs do not appear consistent with the new infrastructure designs but will continue to be used in conflict with new guidance
Potential strategic option
Ensure that process for new design guidance clarifies where and when it supersedes other guidance that is currently more relied upon by traffic engineers such as the DfT’s TALs, LTNs and DMRB.
Ensure that new guidance resolves conflicts between new road design for cycling and walking and older guidance such as DfT TALs. An example for pedestrians is the placing of signalled crossing on desire lines at or very close to junctions.
Separate guidance for trunk roads and local urban roads must be produced.
The guidance should reflect the requirement of the Equality Act to build reasonable adjustments into new schemes and maintenance schemes.
Ensure that any new guidance is consistent with TS’ own Roads for All document and any update of DfT’s Inclusive Mobility.
Guidance should be supplemented with a training course for traffic engineers in the use of the new guidance and its relationship to existing guidance that they use (LTNs, TALs, DMRB more than Designing Streets). Receipt of cycling and walking funds should be conditioned on all traffic engineering staff in a local authority completing the training course.
Source
CAPS Review
Local authority feedback
Increase access to bikes and bike storage
Potential strategic option
Consider directly funding the purchase of new or second-hand bikes for all or a means tested proportion of the Scottish population. Using bulk purchase discounts, a basic new adult bike could be obtained for around £100. These could either be given to people or rented on a long-term basis to include maintenance. By way of comparison, the Air Discount Scheme for Scottish Island and Caithness residents’ costs around £113 per member per year (and is not means tested).
Deliver an action plan to remove income barriers and ensure anyone who requires access to a bike and storage at home/work is supported.
Provide a free bike to every child taking account of the different needs by providing a range of options.
Source
CAPS Review
Stakeholder Feedback
National leadership
Potential strategic option
Organise smaller more focused meetings with senior local authority staff and transport convenors to explain the benefits of investment in active travel, and to explain the funding linked to it. Bring local politicians who are already committed to active travel to lead these meetings with their political counterparts in other authorities.
Lead by example in national Government
Source
CAPS Review
Stakeholder Feedback
Road safety to reduce pedestrian and cyclist KSIs
Potential strategic option
Study road safety infrastructure and legislation adopted by countries with lower KSI rates per trip or km travelled for cyclists and pedestrians.
Implement similar infrastructure on national roads, and legislation.
Introduce dedicated fund for local authorities to bid to expand 20mph zones that include speed reducing measures and to implement safety infrastructure found to be effective in other countries with lower KSI rates per trip or km travelled.
Enable Police Scotland to increase enforcement, introducing Third Party Reporting of dangerous driving infrastructure above all, improving access to bikes and storage, improving road safety and increasing cycle training
Source
CAPS Review
Stakeholder Feedback
National Planning Framework and high-density development
Potential strategic option
Assess likely economic impact of including in NPF4 presumption against greenfield development, at least in Scotland’s former City Regions.
Assess likely economic impact of stipulating minimum in NPF4 average densities for new residential development.
Seek to influence NPF4 on these issues.
Increase level of call in on planning applications that do not support walking and cycling in their proposed location and/or detailed design of internal street network and permeability.
Source
CAPS Review
Cycle Training
Potential strategic option
Every child to receive on-road Bikeability cycle training in school
Source
Stakeholder feedback
Flexibility in Design Standards
Potential strategic option
Enable flexibility in design standards for different types of local locations by establishing a panel that would review proposed deviations from standards.
Clarify when and where is a segregated cycle route appropriate.
Source
Local authority feedback
Cycle route infrastructure
Potential strategic option
Build and maintain a network of cycle routes, separate from traffic, to enable more people to cycle, particularly in urban areas
Source
Stakeholder feedback
Community Engagement
Introduce Peoples Panels to understand views on cycling and to effectively consult on proposals
Source
Stakeholder feedback
Integration with public transport
Potential strategic option
Improve capacity in trains for long distance journeys to enable a reduction in car mileage by tourists.
Trial dedicated buses to transport bikes to tourist destinations.
Source
Stakeholder Feedback
Behaviour Change Campaign
Potential strategic option
Build on Spaces for People by promoting the benefits through real life examples. Focus on joyful journeys, freedom and mental health
Develop a communications campaign that will start to prepare people for the changes that they will have to make to support net zero carbon targets. This could be at a national and local level
Source
Stakeholder Feedback
Equalities
Potential strategic option
Enable non-standard bikes to be used on cycling infrastructure and available through cycle hire schemes
Source
Stakeholder Feedback
Equalities
Potential strategic option
Mitigate conflict between cyclists and other users, including disabled people
Source
Stakeholder Feedback
Data
Potential strategic option
Develop a means of data gathering to consider trends and distinguish between utility and leisure journeys.
Source
Stakeholder Feedback