Hi

There is an internet based consultation questionnaire available at

http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=rsap2

The consultation is open until 20^th Nov.

According to the EU :-

This consultation aims at engaging the European citizens and stakeholders in governments at national, regional and local levels, as well as the business and professional sectors, in identifying the key road safety problems to be addressed by the European Road Safety Action Programme for the period 2011 – 2020 and the priority actions which could be taken to address the unacceptable and costly levels of road death and serious injury across the EU.

Involvement in a road traffic crash is the leading cause of death and hospital admission for citizens of the European Union (EU) under 45 years. With 39,000 road traffic deaths in 2008 and socio-economic costs of around 2% of GDP (€180 billion), road safety continues to be a priority area for action in the EU.

The aim of this consultation is therefore to get the views from stakeholders on how to best tackle the key road safety problems. For this purpose, the questionnaire attached contains a listing of the main problem areas and of possible ways of dealing with the problems concerned.

Apart from filling in the questionnaire, respondents may also send separate comments to the European Commission (TREN-ROAD-SAFETY-ACTION-PROGRAMME) but the main analysis of this internet consultation will be based on the responses to the questions raised in the questionnaire.

Best regards

Rod

Rod King

07973 639781

rodk@...

www.20splentyforus.org.uk

www.20splentyforus.blogspot.com

Hi all.

For some time I have been suggesting that there are signs that the DfT is beginning to change its thinking on Road safety and Transport, realising that much can be learned from the successes of our European neighbours.

 The following article in Local Transport Today is very encouraging. Earlier this week, Transport Minister Sadiq Khan announced a policy paper which seeks to put far more emphasis on walking and cycling on local authority plans for urban transport.

It recommends that besides Congestion the costs of Road Casualties, Pollution and  Physical Inactivity should all be taken into account. It also puts values against these as follows :-

Congestions                       £10.9bn

Casualties                            £8.7bn

Air Quality                           £4.5bn to £10.6bn

Physical Inactivity             £9.8bn

Noise                                    £3bn to £5bn

We look forward to the DfT publishing new guidance on 20 mph speed limits in December. It will also be publishing a new “active Travel” strategy in December. Lets therefore look forward to some real presents for those who wish to walk and cycle this Christmas.

You can see the full Policy Paper at :-

www.20splentyforus.org.uk/usefulreports/thefutureofurbantransport.pdf

I recommend reading it and the article below, there are some very interesting pointers to the DfT’s thinking.

Rod

Article from Local Transport Today :-

Ministers seek council buy-in to revamped urban transport vision

The DfT this week urged urban local authorities to reform their transport governance, give greater attention to the needs of pedestrians and cyclists, and recognise the importance of good urban street environments.

The calls came in a new policy paper – The future of urban transport – launched by transport minister Sadiq Khan at the Core Cities Summit in Liverpool.

The paper builds on an in-depth  review of urban transport led by the Cabinet Office and with input from a number of Government departments. The review was prompted by last December’s resounding referendum defeat for Greater Manchester’s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) plans for a congestion charge and transport investment package.

The DfT paper and the Cabinet Office report signal a shift away from the fixation on congestion that characterised the DfT’s TIF programme. The Department has put a monetary value on the ‘costs’ of different facets of the ‘urban transport problem’ and suggests that excess delays amount to £10.9bn, accidents £8.7bn, poor air quality £4.5m-£10.6bn, physical inactivity £9.8bn, greenhouse gas emissions £1.2bn-£3.7bn and noise £3bn-£5bn.

“New policy will need to consider the broad finding that congestion is not the only, or most important, transport cost in urban areas,” says the Cabinet Office.

Overall, the DfT says not enough has been done to improve urban transport systems in recent years. “This is not primarily a matter of money,” it says. “Funding for local transport has been at an all time high in recent years.

“Nor has the analysis identified any serious deficiencies in the policy framework or the tools available to authorities,” it goes on. Instead, the Department says the barriers to better urban transport are “more subtle”.

Although local authorities have been good at forging new partnerships to deliver transport improvements, the DfT says “few have yet provided sufficient incentivisation or drive to overcome fragmentation of responsibilities and the different perspectives of the various professional groups who are involved in delivery”.

“Nor has championship within authorities of the needs of walkers and cyclists been strong,” it adds.

The Cabinet Office says skills shortages in local transport are “most notable in traffic engineering and modelling and capacity to manage and procure bus services”. But in another part of the report it says the “two areas of most concern with regards skills shortages are traffic management and active travel”.

On roads and streets the Cabinet Office expresses concern that “no ‘local transport profession’ exists to drive improvements in skills”.

The reports emphasise the Government’s desire to see authorities reform transport governance using the powers in the Local Transport Act 2008.

“Evidence suggests that an upward devolution (sic) by the metropolitan district councils to Integrated Transport Authorities of control of highways and traffic responsibilities would have major benefits,” says the Cabinet Office. The DfT paper lists five criteria that proposed governance reforms should satisfy.

Turning to policy matters, the DfT talks about achieving a “triple win” of a transport system that improves the economy, health and the urban environment simultaneously. 

Policies to increase walking and cycling will be contained in a new ‘active travel’ strategy to be published by the DfT in December.

“Active transport is not embedded as a priority in decision-making,” says the Cabinet Office, adding that “walking and cycling are not usually high priority of senior officers.” Furthermore, it says the  “impacts on pedestrians are not routinely modelled and monetised as part of [scheme] appraisals”.

The Cabinet Office gives extensive and generally favourable consideration to ‘smarter choice’ travel behaviour change measures. But it says there is  “still a limited evidence base and ... more evidence on [their] long-term effects is required”. “Further investigation of the case for significantly increasing funding for these measures is required,” it adds.

Both the DfT paper and the Cabinet Office report give extensive consideration to the urban street environment. English cities have been slow to progress streetscape improvements, says the DfT. “There are still too many places where a lack of attention to the competing demands for roadspace has led to both continuing high congestion and also unattractive public spaces,” it says.

The reports point out that a companion document to Manual for Streets, to be called Manual for Streets 2: wider application of the principles, is being prepared under the management of the Institution of Highways and Transportation (and part-funded by the DfT).

This will provide guidance on street types such as high streets and town and city centres, bridging the gap between Manual for Streets and the Highways Agency’s Design manual for roads and bridges.

Rod King

07973 639781

rodk@...

www.20splentyforus.org.uk

www.20splentyforus.blogspot.com

Hi Folks

As we celebrate events like the Mickle Trafford Greenway launch and other positive things in the ‘life’ of cyclists in the Chester (and beyond) area I would ask that we continue to be vigilant about maintaining our own standards.

Where I work in the Fundraising Office of the Countess of Chester Hospital I come across many ordinary members of the public.  On Friday one lady, who I recognised from walking her dog along the canal tow path next to my house, came in with a donation. I enquired after her (and her dog’s) health since I had not seen her for a while.  Her reply was that she had been put off by the arrogance and bad manners of many cyclists who also use that track.  She then went on the complain that increasingly she found that she was experiencing the same behaviour on normal urban footpaths too.  You may think this is just one person with an axe to grind but on Thursday my wife stopped on her cycle back from work where the former railway track route drops down to the canal to chat to a man carrying out a survey of usage.  He told her that several people had made this point too.  A little while back the local paper also carried quite a few letters about poor behaviour from cyclists (until the many CWaC related stories stole the headlines!!)

The problem I guess in addressing this issue, is that the majority of people who subscribe to this forum will already be responsible cyclists.  However, I mention this point, not only because I said I would to the lady I met, but to ensure it remains part of our agenda when promoting cycling in our city.  As a BMC member (and therefore a walker) as well as a cyclist I feel it is vital NOT to lose the support of a significant section of the community who we should be counting upon to support our vision.

Answers on a post card please.

Sorry I will not be able to join you this weekend but I will be in Jersey – cycling! Hope it all goes well and that the weather is kind to you.

Cheers

Andy Scargill

Hi

If there is anyone who walks as well as cycles(!) then you could assist Ian of Living Streets who is conducting a survey for West Cheshire.

Remember that what is good for pedestrians is usually also good for cyclists.

See below.

Best regards

Rod King

Rod
 
I wonder whether you can help us at the Wirral & Chester branch of Living Streets.  We are presently carrying out the West Cheshire Pedestrian Survey aimed at those who live in and or work/study in the area controlled by Cheshire West and Chester Council and who frequently walk in the area.
 
Would you be able to spread the word about the above survey.  Would you be able to email your contacts who interested in pedestrian safety and the 20sPlenty campaign.  The West Cheshire Pedestrian Survey closes 15 October 2009.  It is located at www.livingstreetswirralchester.org.uk under 'Our Surveys'.
 
Regards
Ian Gilmour

Beyond Hotmail - see what else you can do with Windows Live. Find out more.

Dear campaigner

It was a good press release from Living Streets last week that got picked up in The Telegraph. See http://tinyurl.com/telegraphls20 and even the RAC see http://tinyurl.com/racls20.

Best regards

Rod

Rod King

20's Plenty For Us

07973 639781

www.20splentyforus.org.uk

www.20splentyforus.blogspot.com

A survey, published today to mark the start of International Walk to School Month, has found that 40% of parents would be happier letting their children walk to school if speed limits were reduced to 20mph.

The new findings, released by national charity Living Streets’ Walk to School Campaign, show just what an impact reducing speeds would have on children’s exercise levels.  One in five parents whose children don’t currently walk to school say they would be more likely to if traffic speed were reduced, with a fifth of regular walkers reporting that a switch to 20mph on local streets would make them happier about their child’s walk to school.

These findings should act as a wake up call to councils stalling on 20mph limits.  Government statistics show almost half of primary school children currently don’t walk to school regularly, with an enormous 41% driven to the gates, despite the majority of pupils living around a mile from school.  This situation is particularly alarming given predictions that the percentage children classed as clinically obese in the UK will reach a quarter by 2050. Walking to school is one of the simplest and most accessible ways to increase the amount of physical activity that a child does, yet with our streets dominated by fast moving motor traffic, it’s no wonder that the number of children walking has declined over the past 3 decades.

The new research strongly suggests that reducing the speed limit to 20mph where we live, work and play will have an immediate impact on the number of children walking to school. When traffic is moving at 20mph or less, parents become more confident about letting their children walk and play on their streets.  And with good reason.  One in 5 pedestrians that are struck by a car at 30mph die. At 20mph this number is reduced to one in 40.  Existing 20mph schemes across the UK and Europe consistently report a significant decline in the number of pedestrians killed or seriously injured on our roads. Hull city council introduced 20mph zones to a quarter of its roads has seen a 74% reduction in the number of child pedestrian casualties.

Tony Armstrong, Chief Executive of Living Streets said:

“Walking to school has so many benefits we need to make sure it’s an attractive option for families right across the UK – something that can be impossible when faced with by speeding traffic.  The evidence in favour of 20mph schemes is so well established it’s shocking there aren’t more council-wide limits in place – it’s time for less talk and more action.   Local authorities around the UK are catching on and talking about setting 20mph as the default, we want more to follow suit, and the government should be making this process as easy as possible.

“We’d like every parent to:
• Give walking a go during October. We think you’ll be amazed by how easy and enjoyable it can be
• Write to your local MP and council calling for 20mph limits where we live, work and play
• Sign up to our website for tips, advice and suggestions of how to improve your walk to school

“We are facing a child obesity time bomb and changes need to be made to curb this trend.  If we can get children walking more on their journey to and from school we can help more of them reach the daily 60 minutes of activity as recommended by the Chief Medical Officer, and all the health benefits that brings.  But drastic action needs to be taken on our streets to make this happen – creating safe, attractive and enjoyable places for everyone.  Reducing the speed limit needs to be our priority up and down the country.”

Dear Campaigner

After attending the Portsmouth Conference yesterday, I thought it would be useful to create a single page report that you could use in emails to Councillors or Newsletters.

Therefore please use the following as you wish. If you can attribute it to 20’s Plenty for Us that would be appreciated.

Downloads of the presentations made by Portsmouth City Council and the Dft, as well as a single page pdf of the following are available from :-

www.20splentyforus.org.uk/UsefulReports/Portsmouth/Angela_Gill.PDF

www.20splentyforus.org.uk/UsefulReports/Portsmouth/DFTAudit2009.PDF

www.20splentyforus.org.uk/UsefulReports/Portsmouth/Portsmouth%20Changing%20the%20way%20we%20share%20our%20streets.pdf

Best regards

Rod

Portsmouth – changing the way we share our streets.

The presentations made yesterday in the Guild Hall in Portsmouth may well have been a pivotal point in road safety and danger reduction in the UK.

Until now, speed management has mainly been implemented by means of localised interventions on streets to make the driver slow down. Whether they are speed cameras, or speed bumps the essential engagement has been with the driver on the road whilst he or she is driving.

Yesterday Portsmouth City Council and the Department for Transport reported on the results from the completely different approach taken by Portsmouth when in March 2008 they completed their setting of all residential roads, bar arterial routes, with a speed limit of 20 mph. No bumps or humps, but most importantly a decision not just made by Traffic Officers but the whole community as they sought a way to deliver lower speeds and a better quality of life for their residents. Quite simply, Portsmouth people decided to slow down wherever people live!

Of course, setting lower speeds with traffic calming is so expensive that one only usually does it where you have excessive speed problems. But when you make the decision as a community to slow down wherever people live then it is inevitable that many streets will already have speeds below 20 mph. In fact in Portsmouth they monitored 159 sites. 102 already had mean speeds of 20 mph or less. 36 were between 20 mph and 24 mph, whilst on a further 21 the mean speed was above 24 mph.

And because of that mix it was found that overall the mean speed for all the roads did not change very much. In fact it reduced by just 1%. But what was very significant was the fact that in those streets where speeds previously were 24 mph or above then a huge 7mph reduction in mean speed was recorded.

Whilst casualties also fell by 15% and total accidents by 13%, more time will be needed to establish statistically significant collision figures. However, the presenter noted the changes in child and elderly casualties in before and after numbers :-

Portsmouth’s success is as a community that has debated how the streets should be shared more equitably and go through the due political, democratic and administrative process to take that community commitment and turn it into a framework within which everyone can take their part in making their city a better place to live. One where casualties reduce and people have quieter streets with more opportunities for cycling and walking.

The spaces between our houses, which we call streets, will never be the same in this country. Portsmouth has shown that communities can change their behaviour and sensibly embark on a 20’s Plenty Where People Live initiative that delivers real benefits to every road user. More and more towns, cities and villages are following this trend to put citizenship back into the way we drive and share our roads. People in Portsmouth are perhaps no different from us all. But what they have found is a way to enable them to turn an aspiration for safer and more pleasant streets into a reality. I suspect there will be plenty more similar communities saying 20’s plenty for them as well.

Rod King, 20’s Plenty for Us.       07973 639781                                     30^th September 2009

Interesting article in Sunday Times today by Jonathan Leake:-

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6841326.ece

MINISTERS are considering making motorists legally responsible for accidents involving cyclists or pedestrians, even if they are not at fault.

Government advisers are pushing for changes in the civil law that will make the most powerful vehicle involved in a collision automatically liable for insurance and compensation purposes.

The move, intended to encourage greater take-up of environmentally friendly modes of transport, is likely to anger some drivers, many of whom already perceive themselves to be the victims of moneyspinning speed cameras and overzealous traffic wardens.

Many will argue that it is the risky behaviour of some cyclists — particularly those who jump red lights and ride the wrong way along one-way streets — that is to blame for a significant number of crashes.

However, policy-makers believe radical action is required to get people out of cars and onto bicycles or to walk more. Only 1%-2% of journeys are at present made by bike.

Other proposals to promote greener — and healthier — transport include the imposition of blanket 20mph zones on residential streets.

Supporters want such measures to be included in the government’s National Cycling Plan and Active Transport Strategy, due to be published soon.

Phillip Darnton, chief executive of Cycling England, an agency funded by the Department for Transport (DfT) to promote cycling, said four key policy changes were needed. “I would like to see the legal onus placed on motorists when there are accidents; speed limits reduced to 20mph on suburban and residential roads; cycling taught to all schoolchildren; and cycling provision included in major planning applications,” said Darnton.

Such proposals will be seen by some as part of a battle for control of Britain’s roads between motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

In London, where cycling has bucked the national trend and increased sharply, clashes are already common.

Last week James Martin, the television celebrity chef, described in a newspaper his joy at running a group of cyclists off the road and into a hedge while test-driving a sports car. Martin was forced to apologise after thousands of angry cyclists protested.

Matthew Parris, a columnist for The Times, was similarly forced to backtrack last year after suggesting that piano wire should be strung across roads to decapitate cyclists. Parris said he was joking, but statistics show that cyclists are actually among the most vulnerable road users, with 115 deaths last year alone.

Last month Harry Wilmers, 25, a mental health support worker, was killed when his bicycle was hit by a lorry in Manchester. Wilmers was the boyfriend of Rebecca Stephenson, the daughter of Sir Paul Stephenson, the Metropolitan police commissioner.

The government is spending £100m on building cycle routes in 18 pilot towns. Yet motorists and residents are often infuriated at seeing swathes of road space, or the kerbs where they park their cars, turned into cycle lanes. Councils in York, Huddersfield and Cambridge, have all had to deal with anti-cycling protests.

Last week lobbyists for cycling and walking groups met Jessica Matthew, the DfT official in charge of sustainable transport who is drafting the National Cycling Plan. Placing the onus of responsibility on motorists is perhaps the most controversial move under consideration.

Such scheme would place the presumption of blame against whoever was driving the most powerful vehicle involved in an accident, so they or their insurers would be liable for costs or damages.

If a cyclist were hit by a car, the presumption of blame would fall on the driver, while a cyclist would automatically be blamed if he or she knocked down a pedestrian.

Similar policies — which would not extend to criminal law — have already been adopted by Germany and Holland, where transport campaigners say they have had a significant influence in changing attitudes towards cycling.

Matthew, who has been briefing Lord Adonis, the transport secretary, also confirmed that ministers want to slash speed limits in urban areas.

Her report is expected to recommend that councils should introduce 20mph zones in all residential streets and on other roads with high numbers of cyclists or pedestrians. This would include roads around schools, markets and shopping areas, as long as they are not major through routes.

Edmund King, president of the AA, said it was wrong to see cyclists and motorists as separate and opposed groups. “Many cyclists are motorists and many motorists are cyclists,” he said.

“Simple changes in the law that assume one party is in the wrong because of what they drive will not help harmony on the roads.”

Best regards

Rod King

20's Plenty For Us

07973 639781

www.20splentyforus.org.uk