Report to Scrutiny Item Number: 7 Contains Confidential or No Exempt Information Scope Review of Ealing Council’s Cycling Strategy 2010- Subject of Report: 2016 & Mini-Holland Bid Meeting: Scrutiny Review Panel 2 – Transport – 2nd October 2013 Nick O’Donnell, Assistant Director of Strategic Transport, Service Report Author: [email protected] 020 8825 8078 Scrutiny Officer: Dwight McKenzie, Scrutiny Review Officer, 0208 825 8227, [email protected] Cabinet Responsibility: Bassam Mahfouz, Transport and Environment Noel Rutherford, Director of Built Environment, Director Responsibility: [email protected] 020 8825 6639 To review implementation and progress of London Borough of Ealing’s Cycling Strategy 2010 - 2016 and Mini-Holland Brief: Bid. This is to enable the Council to make a determination of the Council’s effectiveness in increasing and facilitating cycling in the borough. The Panel is recommended to consider:- - Ealing’s Cycling Strategy 2010 - 2016 and progress Recommendations: in its meeting of targets and implementation of initiatives - Ealing’s Mini-Holland bid to be a part of the Mayor of London’s Vision for Cycling in London Page 1 of 15 1. Ealing’s Cycling Strategy 2010-16 Strategic Context 1.1 In October 2010, Ealing Council launched its “Cycling Strategy 2010-2016”. Ealing was the first local authority in London to develop a published strategy with ambitious short and long term targets for cycling. This set the footprint for the Borough to strive towards being a “Biking Borough” and to start the desired move towards being an exemplar Borough on cycling. 1.2 The Cycling Strategy sought to present a picture of cycling in the Borough, set new local objectives and targets and put forward a meaningful action plan to help the Borough work towards the Mayor of London’s aspiration of a 400% increase in cycling on 2000 levels by 2026 to achieve a 5% mode share across London. 1.3 The purpose of producing the Cycling Strategy was primarily: To allow a re-prioritisation of funds towards cycling To develop a methodology to enable prioritisation of measures To provide a structured, transparent and clear approach to cycling investment To start to build up a more comprehensive set of data on cycling 1.4 The Cycling Strategy has as its basis the following objectives:- Increase the overall number of trips made by bicycle, especially for short journeys Increase the number of people cycling in the borough Encourage existing cyclists to cycle more often and for different purposes Attract family members to try cycling, moving towards a critical mass within social groups that are already accepting of cycling Promote cycling as a convenient, safe, secure, inclusive and enjoyable activity Reduce the rate of cycle theft in the borough, and improve the detection rate for theft that does occur Targets and Action Plan 1.5 The Cycling Strategy had three primary targets: 1. Increase the number of cycle trips from 2008 in the Borough by over 200% (i.e. trebling) by 2026, in line with the Mayor’s London target for a 5% mode share of all trips in London. There was also a sub-target to increase the number of cycle trips in the Borough to over 20,000 on an average weekday by 2014. Page 2 of 15 2. To reduce the rate of Killed and Seriously Injured (KSI) cyclists per journey by 30% by 2026, to a rate of around one KSI every 440,000 trips. There was also a sub-target to reduce the rate by 10% by 2014 to a rate of around one KSI per 340,000 trips 3. To halve the numbers of bicycles stolen per cycle trip in the Borough. There was also a sub-target to increase the detection rate for stolen cycles to 10%. 1.6 There was also the development of a fourteen point action plan. This covered: 1. Establishing six cycle hubs in the Borough 2. Creating a strong brand for the Biking Borough programme 3. Establishing a robust monitoring strategy 4. Establishing a Political Champion for Cycling 5. Establishing Delivery Champions for the Biking Borough Programme 6. Enhancing stakeholder involvement 7. Extending the Direct Support for Cycling (DSC) programme 8. Improving cycle parking 9. Continuation of off-road routes (Greenways) 10. Improving station access and integration with rail 11. Development of the Cycle Skills Network Audit 12. Setting up bike recycling scheme(s) 13. Reviewing/removing cycling restrictions 14. Improving marketing and promotion of cycling Progress and Results 1.7 Ealing Council has made huge strides in relation to cycling levels and initiatives in the Borough and rightly received national acclaim for its efforts. This has included three national awards on cycling and being a finalist at the London Planning Awards. Ealing has now established itself as a leading cycling Borough, achieved “Biking Borough” status, and heads the London- wide Borough Cycling Officers Group. It has also provided input into key national debates on cycling, such as recently giving evidence at the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group which led to the Get Britain Cycling report published in April. Officers from Ealing also attend and input heavily into the Cycle Safety Working Group (set up by TfL). 1.8 In relation to the targets and action plan contained in the Cycling Strategy, much has changed in the world of cycling since this was originally written, with a step change in funding towards cycling in London and the appointment of a Cycling Commissioner. Nonetheless, Ealing has performed extremely well against its cycling strategy. Specific updates on the targets and actions outlined in paragraphs 1.5 and 1.6 are given below. Number of Cycle Trips 1.9 One the identified issues at the time of writing the Cycling Strategy was the Page 3 of 15 lack of data to help support more accurate review of cycling levels. Since this time, the Borough has invested in five permanent automatic cycle counters and worked with Transport for London (TfL) to see them deliver a further six. A bid for more counters has recently been successful and the intention is to work towards a strategic network of permanent cycle counters to help improve data monitoring and track patterns of cycling and growth. Data from the current Borough controlled cycle counters shows growth of just under 75% in the last 3 years. 1.10 In addition, since 2007 the Borough has conducted screen line counts of vehicle movements across its main town centres. In 2010, cycle counts were added to these. There has been significant year on year growth in cycling numbers from these counts with the three-year average (2010 to 2012) showing a 93% increase in cycling levels. The graph below shows that growth has been particularly strong since 2011, a positive reflection on the Council’s increased investment and prioritisation on cycling. 1.11 The basis for the baseline setting of cycling activity is the annual independent Travel in London (TiL) reports. These summarise trends and developments in relation to travel in Greater London. Data is reported at borough level data in 3 year batches. Cycle mode share and number of trips in Ealing were: 2007/08 to 2009/10: 1.8% (11,300 trips) 2008/09 to 2010/11: 2.1% (12,800 trips) 2009/10 to 2011/12: 2.4% (15,000 trips) 1.12 With the Cycling Strategy setting down a mode share target of 5% by 2026 and a target of 20,000 trips by 2014, it can be seen that we remain on course to meet these targets. It should also be noted that the most significant growth in cycling (namely in the last two years) is not fully reflected in the above Page 4 of 15 figures. Officers estimate that the current level of trips is approximately 19,000 based on recent trend data. Cycle KSI Rates 1.13 The Strategy set out a target of reducing the rate of cyclist KSI per journey by 30% by 2026 and 10% by 2014. 1.14 The pattern of cycling KSI rates (based on casualty rates) since 2009 is set out below. 2009 2010 2011 2012 Fatal 1 0 0 1 Serious 15 13 10 7 Total 16 13 10 8 1.15 As can be seen, the total number of KSI totals has halved, which is even more impressive given the recent boom in cycling rates. 1.16 In terms of cyclist KSI per journey, using the conservative Travel in London report rate of 15,000 daily cycle trips, this equates to a crude total of 5,475,000 cycle trips per annum. If this is divided by the 8 cyclist KSIs recorded in 2012, then we are presently achieving a rate of cyclist KSI of one every 684,375 trips. Given the cyclist KSI rate was one every 317,269 trips in 2010, we have reduced the rate by an incredible 216%, well in excess of the targets in the Cycling Strategy. Although there should always be caution about casualty statistics, especially with such small total numbers, the chances of a cyclist being reported as a Serious Injury in the Borough seems to have been reduced by a remarkable and welcome factor of three times. 1.17 It should also be noted that the Council is actively working towards measures to assist cycling and lorry accident rates. This has included signing up to the London Cycling Campaign’s “Safer Lorries, Safer Cycling” pledge and training over 100 of its drivers on the “safer urban driving course”. Cycle Theft 1.18 The primary target of the Cycling Strategy was to halve the numbers of bicycles stolen per cycle trip in the Borough.