Black Country Walking and Cycling Strategy and Implementation Plan Appendices Appendix 1 – Notes Workshop 1 Appendix 2 – Notes Workshop 2 Appendix 3 – Ongoing Cycling Programmes Appendix 4 – Cycling Design Best Practice Appendix 5 – Walking Design Best Practice Appendix 6 – Future Housing Development Sites Appendix 7 – Walking Audit Template Appendix 8 – Supporting Baseline Data and Analysis Appendix 9 – Walking and Cycling Scoring Methodology for Prioritisation Appendix 10 – Business Cases 10a West Bromwich 10b Walsall – Darlaston – Wednesbury 10c Brierley Hill – Dudley – Pensnett 10d Appendix to Business Cases; Best Practice Cycle Design Appendix 11 – High Level Business Cases 11a A449 Stafford Road 11b Wolverhampton to Walsall Appendix 1 Notes Workshop 1 Appendix 1 BLACK COUNTRY WALKING AND CYCLING STRATEGY Workshop 1 – Monday 22nd February 2016, 0830 - 1200 West Bromwich Leisure Centre, Moor Street, West Bromwich, B70 7AZ Note of Meeting ATTENDEES: Paul Wicker (Walsall); Adam Cross (Walsall); Marianne Page (Wolverhampton); Andy Thorpe (Sandwell); Paul Leighton (Walsall); Simon Dickinson (Centro); Alison Pickett (Centro); Dean Hill (Dudley); Joe Holding (Walsall); Tim Philpot (Wolverhampton); Simon Hall (Black Country Consortium); David Harris (Birmingham); Andy Chidgey (Birmingham); Stuart Everton (Black Country); Richard Adams (Centro / AECOM); Lea Ruzic (AECOM); Averil Parlett (AECOM); Lydia Barnstable (AECOM). SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE STRATEGY The focus for this work is on implementation – considerable good work is contained in the West Midlands Cycle Charter that provides an ‘umbrella’ document to this plan It needs to demonstrate the case for change from a more evidence led approach (as done in the health sector) There are considerable investment opportunities in the near future and these need to be exploited to ensure the infrastructure that is built / installed has cycle and pedestrian facilities as an integral component of the design We must take a ‘whole journey’ approach – even if delivery is phased - rather than piecemeal provision The focus on short trips and employment and economic growth must be viewed alongside the public health and sport objectives and benefits. This should recognise that leisure cycling is often the gateway for people to move to more utility cycling Ensure the strategy and routes co-ordinate with adjoining areas, particularly Birmingham and opportunities for a shared approach and initiatives are exploited The document should be in a format suitable to support funding bids Recognise what enables and discourages cycling and walking Need to understand the full drivers for change including inequalities; mental health commission and community cohesion aspects of people being connected. Use accessible language and avoid jargon The strategy will not include design guidance but instead will include reference / signposting to the national guidance when available and other best practice documents as appropriate SETTING THE VISION There was agreement that there is a need for a vision to frame the document and set inform objectives but that this needs to recognise: The strategy and implementation plan needs to demonstrate ambition but be deliverable The step change required will need to recognise the low base (1% cycling baseline) A useful way may be to state that the Black Country will be the new Holland / Copenhagen in 10 – 15 years’ time – what does success look like? Key point is that the focus of the approach is to tackle short trips (up to 3 miles in length) How to create a culture of walking and cycling and how to normalise these as modes of transport Needs to align with the Key Route Network Need to consider the journey from the doorstep to the destination Recognise that there will be increasing expectation moving towards increasing segregation ACTION: A vision to be drafted in light of the discussion and circulated for comment WALKING PRINCIPLES AND APPROACH Suggested approach is to identify key trip attractors as priorities for investment, including: Employment areas an proposed growth areas Education – Universities and Secondary Schools Hospitals Town centres Transport interchanges Focus investment on areas 500m / 5 minutes’ walk times Focus on key pedestrian routes to the attractors The school journey was highlighted as something the strategy should focus on to encourage good habits early in a child’s life and aim for long term changes; useful to engage through schools and utilise existing initiatives such as Mode Shift Stars, Safer Routes to School and 20 mph areas and zones. Understand what barriers to walking need to be overcome to encourage people to walk their children to school / allow their children to walk to school etc. Transport interchanges is the other area highlighted for investment focus The aim being that all these routes would be prioritised for investment to ensure they are . Direct . Coherent . Attractive . Comfortable . Safe Wolverhampton, in their Active Travel Strategy, has taken an approach of ‘guiding principles’ for all walking infrastructure rather than a geographical focus Should we have some elements of a Black Country approach, e.g. 20 mph areas in residential areas to improve conditions for walking and cycling – however little evidence to show that they actually reduce traffic speed and can be difficult to manage expectations for enforcement by the Police and Local Authorities. Need to more closely examine output from DfT current consultation and any results from elsewhere Crossing facilities to be as direct as possible and avoid multiple staggered crossings and excessive crossing times ‘Filtered permeability’ is another technique whereby traffic can be ‘calmed’ through selective road closures where pedestrians and cyclists can gain access but not motor vehicles. Common approach to signage, especially cross-boundary? Shared surfaces – again is there any opportunity to have a common approach? CYCLE PRINCIPLES AND APPROACH Recognition that there is a long way to go in terms of the infrastructure currently being provided and the current levels of cycling, despite the factors that show that there is a considerable propensity to cycle in the Black Country (factors such as commuter distances; terrain; socio-economic factors) A video was made that shows barriers to cycling in Wolverhampton (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNSGLWar_pQ) which was contrasted with the video from The Netherlands (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upaTWnBTt_Q) Much easier to build in cycle and pedestrian facilities when investing in new infrastructure rather than retro-fitting, especially when reallocation of roadspace is required The issue is fundamentally about the ownership and drive to make it happen – getting political will and leadership to champion this investment is key, especially at the detailed design and implementation stages. Leicester is a good example where the mayor is able and willing to drive the policies through, even if it causes some disquiet and objections with some motorists. Having designers with an understanding and skills to design for cycling and walking will be an important element (although this should not be read that the poor networks we currently have are caused by designers). There may also be a need for training and mentoring (?) TfL have a design panel to encourage and engender cycle friendly design and this may be something worth considering for the Black Country (Netherlands have a national design guide that engineers are required to follow) Trip end facilities are important also – well located and designed cycle parking Opportunities to better integrate cycling and the metro (new trams may allow cycle storage opportunities at least off-peak). Cycle routes along tramways – the stretch in Sandwell identified as a good route on the current network. Principles set out for walking – 20 mph, filtered permeability, shared surfaces and common signage apply here also, as do the need for investment priorities of direct; coherent; attractive; comfortable; and safe. IDENTIFYING NEW ROUTES AND EXISTING ROUTES TO BE UPGRADED Key Routes identified at the workshop taking into account trip generators; local knowledge of cyclists requirements / demand and latent demand; future investment plans. Cross boundary opportunities to provide longer distance and consistent / coherent routes was a focus. A34 Walsall to Birmingham A449 Wolverhampton City Centre to i54 Employment Site Pensnett Trading Estate M6 acts as a barrier – need to look at ways of getting cyclists across at key junctions – junction 9 (schools near motorway junction with catchment area the ‘wrong side’ of the motorway. Junction 10 opportunities with new investment in near future. New metro routes Wolverhampton – Sedgley – A4123 or Sedgley Road Exploit the investment currently planned for Bilston Urban Village and connections to key corridors Willenhall Road between Wolverhampton and Walsall A449 Wolverhampton City Centre to Wombourne There should be consideration of pilot routes / exemplar facilities and routes where early investment is concentrated rather than thinly spreading the available funds with little added benefit for cyclists and pedestrians Idea that we could look at movement corridors with parallel routes using strategic highway network; quiet streets; canal network. Access to these from adjacent areas regarded as ‘catchment areas’ where filtered permeability and 20 mph areas etc. could play a part. Some interest was expressed in having a cycle