Worcester – how to create modal shift of short journeys from cars to modes of active travel
Council (city and county)
- Is there a desire across the councils and political parties to increase rates of active travel?
- Create Cabinet position / Champion with responsibility for Active Travel, spanning transport, health, economy, environment, education
- Create active travel taskforce of stakeholders to discuss and implement change
- Put benefits of active travel front and centre in discussions regarding local transport
- Acknowledge that deaths and serious injuries (KSI) are unacceptable, and adopt a target of zero KSI on our roadsMeasurement of active travel levels (counters, regular surveys, schools)
- Set targets for improvement (SMART)
- Lead by example – councillors visibly choosing active travel
- Communicate desire to create modal shift
- Communicate encouragement and reward for modal shift
- Promotion of positive choice and message, from all parties (Council and Councillors)
- Incentives for individuals / businesses for modal shift
- Use of Strava Metro data
- School streets / modal filers (LTNs)
- Genuine engagement and consultation with informed stakeholders (local advocacy groups)
- Increase enforcement of illegal parking, of note is delivery drivers
- Review of current Free on street parking in the city centre, and free overnight parking in car parks
- Encourage / incentivise active travel food delivery services. Discourage delivery services by car
- Encourage last mile parcel delivery service by active travel
Infrastructure
- Dedicated annual budget as part of Highways for changes to benefit cycling
- Acknowledgement that current infrastructure is poor
- Communicate desire for engagement of how to improve the public realm
- Provide open system for collection and collation of improvement ideas in public realm
- Attempt to make visible changes (even if low cost or small) to demonstrate intention to improve
- LCWIP targeted to reduce journeys made by car
- consideration of more 20 mph limits
- Enable bikes to travel both directions on one way streets (see Cheltenham, also Hebb Street in Worcester)
Education
- Survey of current travel choice
- Update travel plans to schools
- Undertake project-based identification of problems and improvements
- Schools encouraged to sign up to active travel schemes
- Implementation of school streets
Police
- Communicate desire to protect vulnerable road users
- Greater visibility of police on bikes
- Communication of Operation Snap statistics
- Education of motorists regarding illegal behaviour
- Education of motorists regarding requirement for protection of vulnerable road users
Walking
- survey footways / cycleways not adjacent to roads - some are in a poor state
- review of timers on crossings
- sync crossings (eg. 2 stage crossing of road bridge in city centre)
- identify additional desire line crossing points
- publicise Highway Code changes
- hedge cutting where footways are narrowed
All parties
- Reinforce and support other stakeholders positive message (eg. if West Mercia share Op Snap stats or road safety messages this is shared by City Council, County Council, and councillors)
History of Active Travel improvements in the city
| Positive | Negative |
| Opening of gates between viaduct / Hive | Bike give way to pedestrian signs |
| Removal of swan gate | PSPO dangerous cycling |
| Crowngate Bike Parking | Signage re. PSPO |
| Rejection of trial of museum bike parking | |
| Extension of cycling ban on High Street | |
Please add other suggestions in the comments below...!
