Spaces for People measures on Crewe Road have made it easier and safer for people cycling to work at the Western Infirmary. Neil Hanna/Sustrans
The City of Edinburgh Council launched its £5 million Spaces for people project in partnership with Sustrans Scotland.
The temporary changes seen across Edinburgh have been put in place to support physical distancing and active travel during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Protected cycle lanes, funded through Spaces for People, have been introduced on routes to two hospitals within the city.
Streets for Everyone: Crewe Road, Edinburgh – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEd8gYbvvmc
Physical barriers have been added to pre-existing painted cycle lanes on Crewe Road South and Ferry Road to protect cyclists from vehicle traffic on the streets.
Similar protection has been introduced on Dalkeith Road to better enable cycling to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Many Edinburgh residents don’t have access to a car, so creating safe cycling routes to hospitals has been crucial for providing access to hospitals for both service users and staff.
The importance of safe routes
Crewe Road connects North Edinburgh with the west end of the city centre. Protected cycle lanes run along the adjoining Ferry Road to provide a physically protected route for residents to access amenities and work in the west end.
As traffic gradually returned to the streets, it was necessary to provide protective options to allow people to continue cycling.
51% of people in Edinburgh are concerned about cycling safety. Providing simple interventions such as these traffic wands allows people to feel safer when using cycle lanes along the road.
Traffic wands are uses to create a temporary cycle lane and space for pedestrians on Lothian Road, Edinburgh. Neil Hanna/Sustrans.
In May, Cllr Lesley MacInnes said:
“As offices and worksites begin to return, we will address arterial routes to support commuters.”
The safe routes along Ferry Road and Crewe Road have helped some people to cycle who didn’t feel confident to do so previously.
Cycling for Heroes
During the height of lockdown, key workers and other NHS staff were still travelling to work.
Helping key workers get to work during the pandemic has been a priority for Sustrans and our partners. We supported 100 free cycle hire scheme passes and 110 free 4-month passes for key workers. We also produced a map cycle offers and discounts available to all key workers (including NHS staff) across the UK.
Free cycle hire passes helped key workers stay on the move when other transport options were limited. John Linton/Sustrans.
The Bike Station launched its Hero Bikes scheme back in April, donating refurbished bikes to key workers.
Bridge 8 Hub/ Bikes for Refugees also provided free loans of bikes to key workers.
Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
What do you need to know?
Following Transport Scotland’s announcement, Places for Everyone is pleased to be able to confirm a significant change in the match funding requirements for projects.
All projects are now eligible to receive up to 70% funding towards construction costs.
In addition, the 10% cap on pre-construction funding will now only be applied once projects reach construction, i.e. pre-construction funding will be extended 100% and any over payment will be deducted from the grant made available for construction (this will be subject to the Places for Everyone teams discretion).
The Spaces for People programme provided Scottish local authorities £38.97 million to create temporary infrastructure for walking, whee;ling and cycling as part of the Covid-19 recovery. John Linton/Sustrans
What do I need to do now?
Category 1-3 projects already at construction stage: Please submit a project update form on the application portal detailing any increased funding request. Where these increases are solely attributable to the increase in intervention rate they will be automatically approved. Should you be requesting increases in funding for any other reason, please include a change control with the form.
Category 1-3 projects at design stage: Pleaseincrease your forecast construction request the next time you provide Places for Everyone with an updated programme and spend profile; this will likely be at the next stage review for your project.
Category 4 projects not yet approved by Panel: Please follow the previous recommendation for category 1-3 projects. Those partners who are about to submit to Panel should ensure that their submission documents reflect any increase in grant request.
Category 4 projects Approved by Panel and other legacy projects in receipt of multi-year funding: Where there is an existing budget or programme revision awaiting approval, please submit revised financial information to the portal via a project update form and both these figures and any previous figures provided will be presented to a Change Control Board alongside your existing change control. If you are not otherwise waiting for approval, please submit a revised grant request via an update form and this increase will be approved.
Neil Hanna Photography
www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk
07702 246823
Mapping pavement widths can help local authorities identify pinch points in urban centres or where physical distancing is otherwise unachievable. High Street, North Berwick. Neil Hanna/Sustrans
Responding to a crisis
With the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, the scarce amount of space allotted to people across Scotland’s towns and cities is firmly in the forefront.
Attempting to maintain a two-metre physical distance from other pavement users whilst navigating by foot or wheel can be a nuisance at the best of times and an impossibility at others.
In aid of this, Sustrans’ Spaces for People programme, funded by the Scottish Government, has distributed almost £40 million to local authorities to provide temporary infrastructure to help people walk, wheel and cycle.
Spaces for People is delivering temporary infrastructure throughout Scotland to help people walk, wheel and cycle safely through the Covid-19 pandemic. Forrest Road, Edinburgh. Sustrans/Neil Hanna
With a common bid by local authorities’ being to widen public footways, Sustrans have set to calculate and map pavement widths in towns and cities through Scotland to help identify potential crowding pinch points and support physical distancing.
Early mapping in Edinburgh
In 2010, City of Edinburgh Council began work on developing an Active Travel Action Plan, a long-term city-wide project to improve the accessibility and safety of walking, cycling and wheeling infrastructure.
One of the ways Sustrans has been assisting the council with this ambitious project is by undertaking the painstaking work of mapping individual pavement widths throughout the city.
Princes Street allows 6.8m of pavement width. However, for such a busy street this often is not enough
Morningside Road has been widened with traffic wands in several locations in order to bolster the 1.7m width the pavement currently allows for.
Edinburgh is an historic and densely packed urban centre within which pavement widths vary greatly.
With physical distancing guidelines now in effect as a matter of public health, the construction of a working pavement width database for the whole of Scotland has taken on a new urgency.
Once lockdown was announced, Sustrans accelerated work on providing City of Edinburgh Council with a comprehensive dataset of pavement widths.
This was achieved by adapting code developed for New York to complement Ordinance Survey data.
From this initial success, Sustrans has been able to develop further datasets for Glasgow, East Lothian, Dundee, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire, with the offer being extended to any other local authorities who would find such data useful.
The coding process
Infrastructure Coordinator for Sustrans Alasdair Anderson was a key player in developing the mapping datasets. As lead on the project, he explains:
“The Python code used to do the analysis utilised Ordinance Survey’s most detailed Mastermap Topograpic Area mapping.
This identifies pavements and paths within a given local authority and accomplishes the surprisingly difficult task of measuring the width of an irregularly shaped object by using a tailored algorithm.
By first calculating the centreline for each of the thousands of bits of pavement that have already been identified, the algorithm then measures the distance back from individual pavement centre point to the pavement edge to calculate the width.
Finally, the results are compiled into a GIS dataset which can be analysed statistically or displayed on a map”.
Even Edinburgh’s busiest shopping streets have very narrow pavements. Raeburn Place, Stockbridge. Ordinance Survey.
Using the data
An immediate benefit of this data is that it can be used to help people navigate routes which only follow wider pavements.
For example, Sustrans officers have been looking to use pavement widths data to enable them to plan led walks with volunteers or school children once lockdown restrictions are sufficiently eased.
The larger impact, however, of these mapping capabilities is apparent when the data is combined with other information in order to identify the narrowest or busiest streets in order to prioritise them for widening interventions.
While the £38.97 million available under the Spaces for People fund is a lot of money, it is not nearly enough to widen every pavement in Scotland. As such, working out how to prioritise pavement widening initiatives becomes crucial.
Pavement distancing description
Width
km
%
Easy
>4.7m
133.97
4
Comfortable
3.8 to 4.7m
105.93
3.1
Possible
2.7 to 3.8m
362.75
10.7
Difficult
2 to 2.7m
608.84
18
Too narrow
1.5 to 2m
975.01
28.9
Less than minimum design guidance
<1.5m
1192.8
35.3
Total ‘difficult’ or narrower
<2.7m
2776.65
82.2
Table demonstrating the widths of pavements throughout Edinburgh as they relate to physical distancing health guidelines.
Applications in Dundee
One of the first practical applications of Sustrans’ pavement mapping capabilities took place in Dundee city centre.
While nearly empty during lockdown, Union Street in Dundee has been closed to traffic in anticipation of crowds of people returning as businesses reopen. Union Street, Dundee. Paul Reid/Sustrans
A dataset of shops and services in Dundee was first created. This was then overlaid with the footway width dataset Sustrans had created to help identify narrow pavements where high footfall was likely to occur. From this, a unique set of Covid-19 emergency proposals for shopping streets in Dundee was able to be generated.
Using these emergency proposals, Sustrans was then able to highlight particular areas where it would be most crucial to prioritise pavement widening interventions.
Areas in blue are streets which would most benefit from widened pavements. Similar approaches have now been utilised in Edinburgh and East Ayrshire.
Looking forward
Looking beyond the Covid-19 pandemic, the datasets Sustrans has created provide local authorities with an invaluable resource with which to maximise the benefit of footway renewal programmes.
Initial progress can be made by first focussing on pavements which fall short of 1.5m, normally considered to be the minimum.
Interventions in areas such as these would improve accessibility for those with additional mobility support needs immensely, such as those manoeuvring a wheelchair or a pram.
Recent adaptations in the code used to calculate pavement widths have now enabled Sustrans to calculate the widths of entire streets.
This new capability could be instrumental in helping Scottish local authorities understand where it would be most beneficial to deliver cycling infrastructure in the future.
Gallery
Take a look at some of the Scottish towns and cities Sustrans has created GIS pavement width maps for in the image gallery below.
Case study photos taken as part of Bike Life Perth 2018 report Children
by Chiquita Elvin, Sustrans Scotland Infrastructure Manager, Places for Everyone
Our transport infrastructure and built environment needs to adapt in order to provide people with genuine sustainable travel choices.
We need fundamental changes to the way we travel.
In order to respond fully to the climate
crisis we need to reduce our dependency on cars altogether, not simply change
the type of cars we use. The importance of this cannot be over emphasised
enough.
Too often electric cars are seen as the
answer to how we respond to the climate crisis, be that as individuals or
within the transport planning and design community.
But although electric vehicles appeal to our sense
of newness and novelty, whilst keeping the status quo, they do not address a
number of the key issues faced by professionals working to ensure climate adapted infrastructure is
integrated into master planning and regeneration.
Ultimately, an electric car is still a car, and
they impact on place, safety and sedentary lifestyles in the same way as
conventional cars.
People need genuine sustainable travel choices
Our transport infrastructure and built
environment needs to adapt in order to provide people with genuine sustainable
travel choices. And not just in Scotland, but across the UK and across the rest
of the world as well.
Not only would this bring many positive
environmental impacts, from lowering net carbon emissions, reducing noise
pollution and the environmental cost of building and maintaining news roads,
but active and sustainable travel infrastructure offers improved health and
economic benefits too.
Designing for everyone
In practice, this means accounting for the
most vulnerable groups in society first in the design process. By designing our
streets and public places to be accessible to all, we end up with places that
work for everyone.
So, for example, if we make our footpaths
safe, attractive and appropriate for the setting, then this has a knock on
effect for other road users and the natural environment.
Slowing and/or reducing traffic volumes and
the types of vehicles which use our streets then makes them safer and more
pleasant for people to walk, wheel or cycle through.
Making sure we include green and blue
infrastructure, such as trees, rain gardens or other sustainable urban drainage
systems, means that our streets and public places are more pleasant to spend
time in.
Thinking about the context
As planners and designers we must also consider
the context in which people travel and how their lives can often dictate
this. Responding to the needs of women as a group, for example, means taking
into account travelling with children, fears around personal safety and
recognising that women more often trip-chain than men.
By then, for example, ensuring there is widespread,
affordable public transport which is more accommodating of all users, would
provide people with a realistic option to leave their car at home for more (if
not all) of the journeys they make every day.
Equally, creating an extensive network of
continuous, safe walking and cycling routes in an urban area would enable
parents with children, along with everyone else, to travel more actively and
sustainably. This could be through addressing the way traffic flows through our
streets, as above, or by incorporating protected cycle lanes where this is more
appropriate.
The knock on effect of this would allow all
groups access the vast range of benefits that active and sustainable travel
brings. From a boost in
health and wellbeing through increased physical activity, air pollution and
carbon emission reduction, inclusivity, economic benefits (can we add a
hyperlink?) and a number of other outcome areas.
The best way
to ensure that future urban transport systems support people’s wellbeing, and
support flourishing, healthy communities, is to invest in infrastructure that
can be shown to make a positive impact.
Shoreditch is not the first area of London you think of when you think “parks”. Shoreditch High Street is a hub of trendy shops, with high tech start-up stretching off to either side and on fleek bars peppering the area. It’s the place to go in London for an artisanal coffee or a craft beer rather than relaxing in the sun.
In 2017, the urban greens and design agency Meristem was commissioned by three local authorities to create a modular system which would bring park life to Shoreditch’s Calvert Avenue. Taking over just two parking bays, an outdoor seating area for up to fourteen people was created outside the paper&cup coffee shop. .
The seating alone isn’t the biggest impact on the local area. The parklet contains twelve meters of planters with hardy shrubs, which screen the seats from the road and help to adsorb pollution in the local area. There are also two trees providing shade and increasing urban biodiversity, as well as parking for eight bikes.
The new seating created by the parklet provides more space for customers visiting local businesses and encourages people to linger in the area, helping the local economy. More cycling spaces encourages people to cycle or use public transport rather than driving to their destination.
A Parklet for People
The Shoreditch Parklet is one example of what can be done in a small space to open it up to the community. Temporary parklets, as Friends of the Earth created on George Street, Edinburgh, can help show the impact that reduced traffic can have on an area, while we can support the creation of permanent or semi-permanent parklets through the Community Links scheme, to let communities create a new space for relaxation.
Please get in touch if you would like to find out how a parklet can be added to your town, street or village through Places for Everyone.
Michael Matheson, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity at Places for Everyone Launch 2019
Five major transformative projects in Perth, Edinburgh, Arbroath and Glasgow (x2), will benefit from Sustrans funding, expertise and support to make walking, cycling and wheeling more accessible to all. They will receive almost £60m over the course of their development.
During the next year (2019/20), a further 200 projects across Scotland will benefit from the Places for Everyone expertise, support and funding.
The investment was announced in Perth by Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson, alongside the launch of the public consultation for Scottish Government’s new National Transport Strategy (NTS2) for Scotland.
Speaking in Perth, Mr Matheson said:
“The National Transport Strategy sets a clear direction for a future where we have a sustainable, inclusive and accessible transport system that helps deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland.
“We know cycling, walking, use of public transport and shared transport options all need to be more affordable, accessible and attractive if we are to make this vision a reality.
“The Strategy is being launched alongside the allocation of £60 million for five new active travel projects, underlining the importance of sustainable transport and the added benefits that it can bring.”
By putting people back in the heart of places – whether in cities or smaller towns, Places for Everyone makes it easier for people of all ages and abilities to travel actively and to create healthier, happier places to live, work and play.
SUSTRANS SCOTLAND DIRECTOR, GRACE MARTIN
Sustrans Scotland Director, Grace Martin, said: “We are delighted to announce the projects that will be supported by Sustrans Places for Everyone programme, funded by Transport Scotland. Five large scale projects that will make a real difference to the residents of Perth, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Arbroath.
“Working in partnership with the Sustrans Places for Everyone programme provides support and expertise through all stages, from concept and design to delivery and construction. The programme helps to connect communities and create liveable towns and cities.
“We’re excited by the new National Transport Strategy designed to make sure transport helps Scotland to meet its priorities for prosperity, reducing inequality, tackling climate change and healthier people.
“Sustrans Scotland looks forward to working with our partners to deliver these goals by helping more people to walk, cycle and wheel.”
The funding comes from the South City Way Small Grants Fund, which was created to inspire communities and organisations along the 3km segregated active travel route to form new places for people to gather and mingle, new artworks and projects to encourage walking and cycling.
Projects receiving grants of up to £5,000 have been put forward by a range of local groups including the Govanhill Baths, local cycling charity Bike for Good and South Seeds, who have previously developed a community croft for the area. Other funded projects will see the creation of a new mural in the Queens’s Park Arena, development of a new public space by residents of Albert Avenue and new additions Glasgow’s rich landscape of city murals.
Lucy Gillie, General Manager of South Seeds said, “This small fund has enabled us to run some short life projects which we hope will have a big impact, the first is to brighten up Queen’s Park Station and we already have loads of volunteers.”
Several projects are focused on the challenges facing locals who want to cycle more. Soul Riders is restarting and expanding a group encouraging women to start cycling by hosting led rides, training and cycling events to inspire those who are unconfident on a bike or new to cycling. South Seeds are seeking to tackle bike storage issues common in tenements by installing a new secure cycle locker in the local area. Other projects include new facilities to secure bikes along the route and creation of sculptures from recycled bike components.
Tierney Lovell, Infrastructure Manager for Sustrans Scotland said, “We have had tremendous support from the local community for South City Way. We wanted to make sure that the project reflected the diversity and the passion of the communities along the route, and we have been able to give our support to an amazing array of projects as a result. We’re really pleased that South City Way is going to create an artistic and cultural legacy for the area.”
South City Way was the first project to be awarded funding from Transport Scotland though Sustrans Scotland’s Community Links PLUS scheme (now Places for Everyone), with match funding from Glasgow City Council. The project will see the creation of a segregated cycle route from Queens Park to the Trongate, with improved pavements and crossings. A brand new artwork is being created in cooperation with the New Gorbals Housing Association, Glasgow City Council and Pidgin Perfect.
Phase 3 of the project is currently underway, with the construction of new cyclelanes, pocket parks and upgraded pavements along Victoria Road between Queen’s Park Station and Coplaw Street. Phase 3 of the route is expected to be completed in early 2020.
Meadows to George Street is one of the winners of
Sustrans Scotland’s 2017 Community Links PLUS competition, now known
as Places for Everyone. Places for Everyone is an opportunity to conceptualise,
design and deliver exemplary and inspirational walking, cycling and
placemaking projects in Scotland.
Our vision is to transform cycling,
walking, public spaces and accessibility for all on some of Edinburgh’s busiest
and most iconic streets.
Our design proposals include new segregated cycleways, wider
pavements, and pedestrian priority areas. We propose to close some streets to
some types of traffic. We also want to plant new trees and create new public
seating areas.
As part of our consultation we wanted to invite people to enjoy a
street usually dominated by vehicles, to have time to pause, look up and enjoy
the architecture and see the street in a new way.
Join us as we pedestrianise one of Edinburgh most historic streets for a FREE family fun day of buskers, circus performers and incredible art installations on Sunday 9 June, 10am – 4pm.
Street art specialists Open Close will create a huge installation with natural turf covering much of the street road surface. They invite you to claim the space as your own and imagine what Candlemaker Row would be like if it was pedestrianised. How would you use it?
Chris Rutterford is one of Scotland’s leading mural artists and he will be displaying several pieces from his portfolio which largely focus on crowd scenes from iconic Scottish moments. He will also be painting live during the event.
There will be roaming circus performers from Think Circus who will be delivering ad-hoc workshops for any budding acrobats, clowns or jugglers who want to get involved!
A programme of six busking musicians will be playing throughout the day, alongside the Bubble Whisperer, to help bring the street to life.
We invite you to come and participate in this fantastic FREE event and a rare opportunity to see Candlemaker Row pedestrianised! There is no particular schedule for the day and no matter what time of the day you arrive you will be able to enjoy all of our outlined activities.
Date: Sunday 9 June Time: 10am – 4pm Venue: Candlemaker Row & Merchant Street
Lowering traffic speeds in towns and cities to 20mph can seem like quite a small change to make to an area, but the move can have a hugely positive effect on local communities and businesses as well as the environment.
Glasgow’s Woodside area has become the latest in Scotland to adopt a lower speed limit. The move, which extends the current 20mph limit in the majority of the city centre, follows on from the completion of Edinburgh’s city-wide reduction in speed earlier this year – which was funded by Scottish Government through our Community Links programme.
Sustrans’ vision is for active travel to become the default option in cities and communities throughout the UK. And there is a growing body of evidence around the world showing that reducing speed limits on roads can reduce the risk and impact of collisions, helps our towns and cities thrive and can make streets more appealing for walking and cycling.
Safety issues aside, one of the more pleasing findings from Edinburgh’s roll out of 20mph limits was that the changes meant that more children were now playing outside, thanks to the decreased risks. People also report benefits such as less noisy streets – particularly at night – as well as better air quality.
As a winner of Sustrans’ 2017 Community Links PLUS design competition, Connecting Woodside aims to introduce safe, segregated cycle routes, walking opportunities and links to nearby neighbourhoods. However a key part of the project, which is being run in partnership with Glasgow City Council, is also focused on improvements the local area, making it an attractive place to live and visit.
Introducing 20mph limits in residential zones will be key to meeting these aims.
By doing so, the move will help to transform the neighbourhood into a safer, more attractive place for people to live, invest and visit helping to contribute to a healthier, more active Glasgow for everyone.
Funded by the Scottish Government through our Community Links PLUS design competition, the project aims to transform this busy transport route in the heart of Edinburgh.
Residents are being invited to visit the project webpage to sign up for updates and take part in the online Placecheck tool. The tool allows the public to feedback on what they would like to see improved on specific sections of the planned Community Links PLUS funded route.
Placecheck will be open for feedback until the 31st July 2018.
There will also be the opportunity to chat with the project team in person on Saturday 21st July. Tell us what you like, don’t like and what you would like to see improved between 10am – 3pm, near the Greyfriars Bobby statue on the corner of Forrest Road and George IV Bridge.
If you would like to participate but can’t make it along on Saturday, there is also a freepost address:
FREEPOST-RTCHJJEK-TCCZ, G4 MGS, Active Travel Team, The City of Edinburgh Council, 4 East Market Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BG
