HIGHWAYS AGENDA ITEM JOINT MEMBER PANEL 3rd November 2010 No. 14

HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL CYCLING STRATEGY UPDATE

REPORT OF THE PROGRAMME AND STRATEGY MANAGER HERTFORDSHIRE HIGHWAYS

1. PURPOSE OF REPORT

To update the panel on Hertfordshire County Council’s Cycling Strategy and its delivery.

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 Hertfordshire County Council has a cycling strategy to promote increasing levels of cycling in Hertfordshire as a convenient, quick, healthy and sustainable form of transport that is well suited to many short to medium distance journeys. Increasing levels of cycling forms an essential part of Hertfordshire’s transport strategy. 2.2 Cycling is very simple way for people to incorporate more physical activity into their lives and can provide access to jobs, services and recreational opportunities for many people. By replacing trips made by car with cycling there is also the added benefit of reduced emissions and congestion on the highway network. As a result increase levels of cycling in Hertfordshire can make a contribution to the 5 goals of the current Local Transport Plan (LTP2) and priorities of the County Councils corporate plan, particularly reducing carbon emissions. 2.3 With the aim of increasing levels of cycling the County Council endorsed a detailed cycling strategy in 2007. The strategy includes a comprehensive set of policies with the aim of encouraging more cycling more often in Hertfordshire. The delivery of the cycling strategy was subject to scrutiny by a Members Topic Group in October 2009. One of the recommendations from the topic group was to have an annual agenda item on cycling at the Joint Member Panels. This report summarises current progress and developments for cycling in Hertfordshire.

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3. PROGRESS UPDATE

3.1 A number of improvements have been made over the last year related to the delivery of the cycling strategy, these are outlined below 3.2 Cycling information Hertsdirect has recently been updated to include an area called Cycleweb to provide the public with readily available information on cycling in Hertfordshire. The pages are structured to include information on cycling to work, school, and for leisure purposes. One of the key developments of the website has been the online cycle mapping of all of the designated cycle facilities in the County including rights of way that can be cycled on. This mapping was collated with the assistance of the Borough and District Councils. Members are encouraged to visit the site and provide feedback. www.hertsdirect.org/cycleweb . Cycleweb has been launched for Bike week (19 -27 June) to gain press coverage and raise awareness of the site and its content including Bike Week events. The site is also being used to assist with consultation on some schemes. 3.3 The Council has developed with local partners a series of printed maps that are available for some areas of the County. Recently new cycling maps have been developed by District Council and Borough Council and for the . Additional maps are being developed for , and and and . The maps can be viewed online and are available on request with the exception of the Broxbourne map that is being exclusively offered as part of the TravelSmart project, however, will be made available to all once the project is complete. 3.4 The development of information on cycling forms part of the marketing plan that has been developed to support the delivery of the cycling strategy.

3.5 Cycling Infrastructure

Cycling and Walking Routes are currently being reviewed during the Urban Transport Plan process. Urban Transport Plans are produced by the County Council in its role as transport authority. The Plans set out a framework to focus transport improvements within a specific geographical area for the next 15 to 20 years. All solutions need to demonstrate that they meet agreed existing County Council’s objectives and policies. Plans are due to be finalized this year for and Ware, , and Waltham Cross and . New plans are to be developed for and and Broxbourne this year. A separate cycling study has also been commissioned to review the cycling infrastructure in South West Herts as identified in the South West Herts Plan. Consultation with members on this plan will take place in the coming months with a view to bringing it to the JMP with a report in January.

Item 14 Page 2 3.6 In order to ensure that the County Council meets its challenges and to ensure best use of available resources all Highways and Transport schemes and projects are required to demonstrate that they meet a number of criteria. With this in mind a ranking system has recently been developed to prioritise the cycling schemes. Cycling schemes are ranked on a number of criteria based on attractors, detractors, potential users and other considerations. The ranking list will be reviewed each year and the highest ranking schemes are considered by the LTP cycling target group and put forward in the County Council capital bidding process. The Passenger Transport Unit also works in partnership with Rail Operating Companies to improve cycle access and parking provision in the County.

3.7 Currently the following cycling projects are being progressed by HCC via the Local Transport Plan:

• A10 Cycle Links Project – Waltham Cross and Cheshunt – Project to provide cycle links to local schools and new pedestrian cycle bridge over A10. • Royston Cycle Links Project – Scheme to improve accessibility for local cyclists to schools and facilities. Cycle routes will link to proposed rail underpass. • Town Hall Cycle Link Phase 2 – Watford – Off road cycle facility next to A412 Rickmansworth Road to link Park Avenue to Cassiobury Park and High Street. • Cowarch Cycle Link – South Oxhey – Project to improve accessibility to rail underpass between Delta Gain and Prestwick Road. • Advanced Stop Lines for cyclists at traffic signalised junctions – St Albans – Project investigating provision of Advanced Stop Lines at signalised junctions in St Albans. • Road Cycling Improvements – St Albans – Project investigating improvements for cyclists on London Road from existing Cycle Route into City Centre. • Hartspring Lane ( Road Phase 2) – – Continuation of cycle facility on Aldenham Road between Little Bushey Lane and the A41. • Borehamwood Cycling Improvements Scheme - Cycling improvements at various locations in Borehamwood. Public Consultation currently underway. • Black Fan Road – Garden City – Scheme to complete link in Cycle Network between Panshanger and Mundells/Town Centre. • Hyde Way to Chequers Cycle Link – Welwyn Garden City - Scheme to link existing cycle network on Chequers and Bessemer Road in Welwyn Garden City and provide improved link to Station Cycle Parking in Hyde Way. • Rail Station to Business Park Cycle Link – Hatfield – Off road cycle link between Rail Station and Business Park.

Item 14 Page 3 • Chilterns Cycleway – Joint project with Chilterns Conservation Board, Buckinghamshire, Central Bedfordshire & Oxfordshire. – Signed leisure ride around country lanes. • Cadwell Lane Study – – Scheme to investigate cycle link between Willbury Way and Town Centre. • Stevenage Cycle Network review – Review of signing and use of cycle network. • The Passenger Transport Unit are also working in partnership with rail operators to provide cycle parking at the following station in the current financial year: Watford Junction, Watford North, Elstree & Borehamwood, Hatfield, Potters Bar, Brookman's Park, Welham Green, Harpenden, Radlett, St Albans, Royston, Welwyn North, Hitchin, , Stevenage, Waltham Cross and Theobalds Grove.

3.8 The projects are funded from Local Transport Plan cycling funding, developer contributions, and external funding (e.g Sustrans). By developing a cycling programme the County Council has successfully attracted in excess of £600,000 of external Links to School funding from Sustrans for specific projects over the last year.

3.9 Hertfordshire County Council is also currently reviewing Roads in Hertfordshire a document that provides detailed advice on the design of highway infrastructure in Hertfordshire. As well as setting out advice relating to the layout of roads and other highway features for the developments, the guide contains details of the standards that must be met before adoption of highways can take place. As part of the review of Roads in Hertfordshire the section on designing for cyclists is being updated to contain detailed guidance to ensure consistency of provision. The revision is being developed with input from officers at HCC, Borough and District Councils and external bodies. The revision of Roads in Hertfordshire will be considered by HCC Highways and Transport Panel later this year.

3.10 Promotion of cycling – TravelSmart and Travel Plans 3.11 TravelSmart TravelSmart is an innovative project offering households information and support enabling people to walk, cycle and use public transport more often. The first project in Hertfordshire started in Watford in 2008 and ran until 2010 with the aim of to reducing car use and encouraging healthier lifestyles by increasing active travel.

3.12 A total of 25,000 households across Watford were invited to take part in the project. Residents were able to choose from a wide selection of information such as local walking maps, cycling maps and bus timetables, as well as a discount card and the opportunity of a personal advice session with an expert. The information pack was delivered to households on foot or by bike.

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3.13 The Watford projects interim survey results found that walking trips increased by 14%, cycling by 36%, and use of passenger transport by 9%. Car trips accordingly reduced by 12%. Currently a further TravelSmart Project has taken place in the Borough of Broxbourne over the summer and another project started in Croxley Green in September it is hoped that similar results can be achieved. Work is also still ongoing in Watford to sustain the results of the initial project.

3.14 The current projects have been developed in partnership with Sustrans, Socialdata, HCC, District and Borough Councils and funded from a mix of local funding, Lottery Funding, DEFRA ‘Greener Living Fund’, District and Developer Contributions. Further information on TravelSmart and how it works can be found at www.hertsdirect.org/travelsmart

3.15 Travel Plans

A travel plan is a package of measures aimed at promoting sustainable travel within an organisation, with an emphasis on reducing reliance of single occupancy car travel. A wide range of organisations are encouraged to develop travel plans, these include businesses, schools, retail and leisure, community buildings, colleges and sports centres. Travel plans also frequently cover new residential sites and are a requirement for certain types of planning permission.

3.16 HCC has a School and Business Travel Plan team who work with the following organisations:

• Schools • Colleges and Sure Start centres • District councils (planning authorities) • Development Control • Businesses • Community groups • Developers to help them all develop suitable transport solutions

3.17 The Travel Plan team offers the following services:

• Guidance information and advice service • Pro-formas and support for travel plan development including school travel plans. • Assistance in finding contacts within the HCC • Events and promotions such as the Stevenage cyclist’s breakfast, Walk to School Weeks etc. • Training for travel planners • Hertsliftshare.org car sharing portal

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3.18 A key cycling project being delivered by the school travel plan team to support school travel plans is ‘Bike It’. ‘Bike It’ projects are national schemes managed by Sustrans, with local authority support. Each project has a ‘Bike It’ officer works in schools using a variety of ways to encourage more cycling to school, from cycle training to PTA events. The County Council has appointed two ‘Bike It’ officers (jointly funded with Sustrans and neighbouring local authorities ) to work clusters of schools in St Albans, Harpenden and Broxbourne. Schools actively involved currently are: Wheatfields Junior, , Fleetville Junior, Camp Primary, Windermere Primary, St John Fisher Primary, Prae Wood Primary, Wood End Primary and Sandringham schools in St Albans and St Mary’s Church of , Burleigh, Downfield, Woodside, Hurst Drive, St Clements and Dewhurst St Mary schools in Cheshunt (as well as schools in Luton and Essex). The ‘Bike It’ officers have organised a number of activities, including bike to school days and all participating schools have recorded an increase in the number of children cycling to school. The school travel plan team have also worked directly with schools promoting cycling in schools via their Cyclicous and Cyclone projects.

3.19 Further details of business and school travel plans are available on the school and work cycling sections of www.hertsdirect/cycleweb

3.20 Cycle Training

HCC road safety team coordinates training courses for children and adults wishing to learn to ride, or to improve their cycle skills. Training is now provided to new national Bikeability standards delivered through local cycle instructors. Bikeability is the Cycling Proficiency Test for the 21st century, designed to give the next generation the skills and confidence to ride their bikes on today's roads and comprises of three levels of training.

3.21 The instructors run a range of courses for primary schools in term time and for the general public during the summer holidays. Children aged 8 - 9 years can improve their cycle skills (Bikeability level 1), while older ones can learn the basic on-road manoeuvres (level 2). Those at secondary school can take part in more advanced training including how to plan their route to school and negotiate busier roads, roundabouts and traffic light junctions (level 3).

3.22 Currently the council charges for cycle training with half price concessions are available to families on any form of income support. The Council accesses funding from Department for Transport through the Cycling England grant which is used to provide additional places for training at reduced rates. The County is also working with School Sports Partnerships (SSP) operating in the county to co- ordination activity and make use of grants SSP’s are able to access for cycle training. Further details of the cycle training can be found on www.hertsdirect/cycleweb

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3.23 Local Transport Plan – Cycling Target

Hertfordshire County Councils current Local Transport Plan (LTP2) currently sets a target of increasing cycling levels in the County by 11% over the plan period (2006/7 -2010/11). Cycling levels are monitored at 18 sites in the county. The target increase of cycling levels has been achieved; however, members of the recent topic group on the cycling strategy have requested a more challenging target be considered in the preparation of Local Transport Plan (LTP3).

3.24 Local Transport Plan 3 is being developed, with public consultation currently underway on a draft. The final plan is due to be published on 1 April 2011. The existing cycling target is currently being considered in the context of the whole suite of indicators and targets for Local Transport Plan 3. The cycling strategy will be refreshed for the publication of LTP3 and planned to be reviewed formally in 2011/12.

3.25 Stakeholder Engagement

The county council holds a cycle forum twice a year to discuss strategic cycling issues and developments in the County. The cycle forum is chaired by Hertfordshire County Councils Cycling Champion, County Councilor David Andrews. The cycle forum is attended by representatives of local and national cycling bodies and officers of the County, District and Borough Council. To address cycling issues at a local level some Districts and Boroughs have their own cycle forums. There are currently active forums in St Albans, Stevenage and .

4. RECOMMENDATIONS Members note the content of the report and are asked to contact the author directly with any questions. A further report on cycling will be brought to panel next year as per the recommendation of the cycling strategy topic group.

5. CONTACT OFFICERS David Burt – Programmes and Strategy Manager, Countywide Cycling and Broxbourne, Hertfordshire Highways , Tel 01707 356576

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