Walking & Cycling Technical Design Guidance 2016 a Quick
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Walking & Cycling Technical Design Guidance 2016 A quick reference guide to supplement The Royal Parks Walking and Cycling Technical Design Guidance first published in 2016. The main guidance document should be referred to for detailed design advice. This document summarises our recommended approach and tools for planning and designing walking and cycling related infrastructure in busy parkland settings. 2 INTRODUCTION The Royal Parks THE ROYAL PARKS Experience and Challenges 3 The Royal Parks recognise that historic WHY DO WE NEED WALKING CYCLING A DESIGN GUIDE? Over 90% of the 80 million visits to the Infrastructure improvements that are sensitive landscapes and multifunctional parks are The Royal Parks Walking and Cycling Technical Royal Parks are enjoyed on foot and this to the parkland setting can be an effective way important in people’s lives for many varied Design Guidance (2016) was produced after has significantly increased over the past few to enhance the experience and enjoyment of more than 10 years of research and observation, years. Walking activities within the parks the parks for all visitors. The design guide sets reasons, attracting millions of visitors each year. monitoring the changing relationship of walking are undertaken for a multitude of reasons; out how to ensure that a scheme proposal In addition to Richmond Park, Greenwich Park, and cycling in London’s Royal Parks. Existing as an important part of people’s health and is fit for purpose and appropriate for the Hyde Park, St James’s Park, the Green Park, urban design best practice for walking and wellbeing, as well as providing for national and context. For example any proposal to open cycling primarily relates to road environments, international tourism. up a shared cycle route must go through a The Regent’s Park and Kensington Gardens, and so this guidance looks to bridge a rigorous process of objective analysis and The Royal Parks manage Brompton Cemetery, knowledge gap by focusing on parkland settings. Increasing visitor numbers over recent consideration. It sets out a robust evidence based planning years is, however, putting pressure on the Primrose Hill, Victoria Tower Gardens and approach to promote a consistency of high fabric of the parks, Providing facilities in The Royal Parks changed park regulations by Grosvenor Square. quality parkland design. different areas of the parks helps spread the an Act of Parliament in 1983 to permit cycling concentration of usage and using high quality in the parks on designated routes. This was There has been a significant increase in the materials and sufficient paths or hard standing devised at a time when there were relatively low Pedestrians comprise the majority of visitors popularity of cycling in the capital, with a areas in popular locations helps reduce the cyclist and visitor numbers. With the recent across the parks, but with many other users growing pressure on parks to accommodate maintenance burden. growth in cycling and renaissance in the use of including cyclists, provision for all visitors needs both more cycling and walking. It is anticipated parks and open spaces in general, there is an to be balanced to maintain a high quality of that there will be further increases in walking It is recognised that there are some challenges ongoing challenge to help visitors get along and experience. Walking is permitted in all areas and cycling in London based on the continuing associated with ensuring inclusive and not impinge on the enjoyment of others. The of the parks except oprational areas, areas trend for Government and Mayoral Strategies accessible parkland environments; many Metropolitan Police and other interest groups licenced to others and nature conservation to support active modes. The Royal Parks has of these issues centre on providing safe report that poor cycling behaviour and high enclosures. Cycling is allowed on all roads and developed a process to make sure that any access to the parks, particularly for more numbers of cyclists can cause discomfort some specially designated cycle routes within intervention scheme is considered holistically vulnerable visitors looking to cross park roads to other visitors. We therefore encourage the eight parks and Brompton Cemetery. The and maintains a high quality of provision or cycle routes. Studies have shown that considerate cycling to ensure a healthy respect parks provide fantastic ‘green’ routes in London, for visitors, and that interested parties and some visitors consider these as barriers to for fellow park visitors and the wildlife. taking walkers and cyclists away from traffic stakeholders participate in the process. It is enjoying the parks, but that providing access and through some of the most attractive hoped that this sharing of research and points that feel safe, are signed well and Issues associated with cycling and dog walking areas of the capital. There are 28 miles of experience will help other parks professionals convenient can encourage greater use and are the most common concerns raised in various cycle routes and 32 miles of roads to cycle on make informed decisions about walking and inclusivity. The provision of toilets, benches, stakeholder forums and through correspondence in the parks, with many of the routes linking cycling initiatives. refreshment facilities and a good path network with the public and local groups including the in with the wider London Cycle Network. also encourage use as they provide resting Friends of the Parks. Cyclists and cycle lobby opportunities, focal points (for orientation), groups regularly request more cycling facilities gathering areas and service basic needs. within the parks to provide more convenient Partnering with other authorities to provide routing and help makes their journeys quicker. good wayfinding such as Legible London, Sports cyclists enjoy using the parks and ask guided walks, sponsored walks campaigns and for interventions that will enable them to train podcasts also help encourage walking journeys more frequently and in a safer environment. and enjoyment of the parks. The Royal Parks aims to maintain the integrity and quality of the parkland environment and this guidance looks to provide support in managing these challenges. 4 5 OTHER USERS SHARED USE APPROACH SHARED USE PATCH SEGREGATION WITH WHITE LINE There are other regular park users that need The Royal Parks contain areas where routes to be considered within the design of the are ‘shared use’, generally referring to places CYCLISTS ONLY PEDESTRIANS ONLY parks including horse riders; rollerbladers; that visitors using different modes of transport runners; joggers; scooter users; carers with come together. ‘Shared use’ is the preferred prams/buggies. Projects are informed by approach for enabling cycling on appropriate Equality Impact Assessments and specific park paths. Not all paths are suitable for guidance from user groups through The Royal cycling as some paths may already be heavily Parks Diversity Network to ensure that used by pedestrians and offer insufficient people with disabilities or vulnerable users capacity for safe cycling, paths may link to are considered. Other stakeholder groups are busy or hazardous junctions, or the alignment used to consult on proposals so that views are may be of historic significance that would be Cyclists and pedestrians share the full width No longer appropriate for the Royal Parks taken into consideration and improvements adversely impacted on by cycling. of the path. Appropriate in suitable locations delivered across the parks. across the Royal Parks Across all shared use areas, the path design There are many interventions that have to be and layout needs to maintain pedestrian �+ Contributes towards �+ Pedestrians and � -- Creates low levels � -- Some pedestrians carefully balanced such as the presumption priority and enhance awareness between high levels of pedestrian cyclists have no highway of pedestrian comfort do not understand or that signage should be kept to a minimum to different users. Shared paths are signposted comfort as people are style markings to as people are forced to notice the white line respect the beauty of the historic significant at the start of the route, as well as where able to use the full conform to and can use a more constrained and walk across the width of the path. enjoy the parkland area of path. full width of the path. landscapes, and selecting surface materials that pedestrian only paths intersect the shared use environment. assist pedestrians with visual impairments, cycle route. Signage is kept to a minimum to while maintaining the visual and historic reduce clutter. �+ Cyclists ride at a � -- Commuter cyclists � -- Cyclists ride at a � -- People feel character of the parks. considerate speed and may become frustrated very high speed and constrained as there give way to pedestrians. that the path does not incorrectly assume are high pedestrian The Royal Parks therefore advocates utilising Pedestrians and cyclists sharing the full width enable high riding priority over pedestrians. flows and knowingly the processes outlined in this design guidance of the path, with no white line delineation, speeds during busy times. choose to walk to take a holistic approach in making a is the preferred approach for providing for across the full width balanced decision on a case by case basis. cycling across paths within the Royal Parks. of the path. It has been shown in several recent studies, that a shared use area with no separation of modes