Tag: Knowledge Sharing

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ConstructiveConversations Engage • Inspire • Learn PfE

Preventing Child and Pedestrian Casualties

Group of people discussing a design board

By Design Constructive Conversations – 17 January 2024.

In this session the focus is on preventing pedestrian and child casualties. What makes a road or street safe to walk along and cross? How can design features slow, direct or change driver and pedestrian behaviour to reduce the potential for collisions?

Our expert panel spent half an hour discussing these questions and more around how urban design can increase safety of people travelling actively, and prevent casualties of people walking, wheeling, cycling, or otherwise actively travelling or socialising in public spaces.

Following watching the recording you may find it useful to take a few minutes to reflect on the discussion.

  • What is still circling around in your head on this topic?
  • What do you feel is ‘squared away’ – you feel you have a much clearer understanding of?
  • What key takeaways or highlights do you have from the discussion?

Below are contact details for some of our panelists if you wish to contact them directly, and some links to further information relating to this topic that you may find useful.

Feedback Survey

We would appreciate you taking a moment to complete our short feedback survey after you’ve watched the recording.

Complete our feedback survey

Further Information

See below for some links to further information and projects mentioned by the panelists. Some of our panelists have also kindly provided contact details if you would like to get in touch with them about their work in this area: 

  • Lucy Marstrand Taussig – Design Policy Lead for Streets, Transport Strategy and Policy, Transport for London
  • Kristina Mattsson – Project Manager, Traffic Safety, Vision Zero Academy, Swedish Transport Administration – kristina.mattsson@trafikverket.se
  • Cherie Morgan – Director of Projects, Play Scotland
  • PC Stewart Sinclair – Road Policing Traffic Management, Police Scotland – Contact Police Scotland – Police Scotland

Useful Links and Further Information

The Vision Zero Academy was established by the Swedish Transport Administration. Vision Zero Academy is a global knowledge hub with the overall purpose to spread knowledge about Vision Zero and support and collaborate with different stakeholders around the world in their strive for safe road transport systems. Vision Zero Academy – Bransch (trafikverket.se)

Some visual examples of traffic calming measures from the Vision Zero Academy in Sweden:

  • Zebra Crossing being used to calm traffic on approach to a side road. semi rural location.
  • zebra crossing and cycle crossing side by side on residential street
  • traffic calming measures on road in lead up to zebra crossing before a busy junction - narrow road lanes textured surface, and road markings.
  • zebra crossing - raised to pavement level and textured surface and markings on road in lead up.
  • urban area roads separated by fences with frequent gaps for pedestrians, and traffic slowed by speed bumps.

Zhero is Heroes on route to Vision Zero – this is a campaign to bring together multiple stakeholders across society to achieve vision zero. Together we are Zhero – Zhero.se

The Swedish Transport Administration (STA) have requirements how to build roads and streets. But the municipalities can have their own requirements for design of the streets they have responsibility for. STA has some supporting documents for how to plan and design the traffic environment. This is a website with description and links to these documents: Traffic strategic work – Accessibility in a sustainable society

Note: the above website is in Swedish – there is a language option, but it takes you away from this page. We found google chrome was better than microsoft edge for translating this page.

Police Scotland works with Transport Scotland to regularly publish collision and casualty data. There is more information with links to the relevant databases here – Road traffic collision data – Police Scotland

Play Scotland Has recently launched the ‘State of Play in Scotland’ report bringing together research into children and young peoples attitudes and access to play, with several design elements mentioned as potential barriers. PS00105-PS-State-of-Play-in-Scotland-2023-Digital-links.pdf (playscotland.org)

Research into Low Traffic neighbourhoods from Transport for London is ongoing. A summary of some studies to date can be found here: Cycling & walking – Transport for London (tfl.gov.uk) and a more in depth study from 2022-25 is currently underway. You can find an overview and a summary of year one data here: Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London project – year one summary | University of Westminster, London

Other links that may be useful

Home – Road Safety Scotland

The Safe System and road safety | Brake

About Constructive conversations

Grab a cuppa, get comfortable and join us for some informal constructive conversations about some of the challenges in delivering active travel infrastructure.

At each 1 hour session, our expert panel will spend half an hour discussing key questions and more around the chosen topic. Following this, you can take part in an optional small group discussion where you can share your own experiences on the topic, present a related issue in a live project, and receive advice and feedback from peers.

Other sessions

The ‘By Design’ series of constructive conversations explores how urban design in active travel projects can help to address some of the big issues facing society today.

Constructive Conversations By Design COllection

The Climate Emergency and Infrastructure series of constructive conversations explores sustainability in construction of active travel projects.

Constructive Conversations the CLimate Emergency and Infrastructure Collection

Look out for more series on different topics in future, and if there is a topic you would like to suggest for a series, or a standalone session, please do get in touch with us placesforeveryone@sustrans.org.uk

Categories
ConstructiveConversations Engage • Inspire • Learn PfE

Eradicating Violence Against Women and Girls

Group of people discussing a design board

By Design Constructive Conversations- 15 November 2023.

How can urban environments and public spaces be designed in such a way as to make them feel, and be, safe spaces for women and girls? Our panel discussed how urban design elements can make women and girls feel safe, and be safe when walking, wheeling, cycling, or otherwise actively travelling or socialising in public spaces.

Following watching the recording you may find it useful to take a few minutes to reflect on the discussion.

  • What is still circling around in your head on this topic?
  • What do you feel is ‘squared away’ – you feel you have a much clearer understanding of?
  • What key takeaways or highlights do you have from the discussion?

Feedback Survey

We would really appreciate if you could take a moment to provide feedback on this session.

Complete our short feedback survey

Below are contact details for some of our panelists if you wish to contact them directly, and some links to further information relating to this topic that you may find useful.

Further Information

See below for some links to further information and projects mentioned by the panelists. Some of our panelists have also provided contact details if you would like to get in touch with them about their work in this area: 

Useful Links

(Note: The next two links take you to the City of Vienna website which is in Austrian German, a Chrome browser was better able to translate the pages than Microsoft Edge).

About Constructive conversations

Grab a cuppa, get comfortable and join us for some informal constructive conversations about some of the challenges in delivering active travel infrastructure.

At each 1 hour session, our expert panel will spend half an hour discussing key questions and more around the chosen topic. Following this, you can take part in an optional small group discussion where you can share your own experiences on the topic, present a related issue in a live project, and receive advice and feedback from peers.

Other sessions

The ‘By Design’ series of constructive conversations explores how urban design in active travel projects can help to address some of the big issues facing society today.

Constructive Conversations By Design COllection

The Climate Emergency and Infrastructure series of constructive conversations explores sustainability in construction of active travel projects.

Constructive Conversations the CLimate Emergency and Infrastructure Collection

Look out for more series on different topics in future, and if there is a topic you would like to suggest for a series, or a standalone session, please do get in touch with us placesforeveryone@sustrans.org.uk

Categories
ConstructiveConversations Engage • Inspire • Learn PfE

Constructive Conversations – By Design Collection

Group of people discussing a design board

Overview

Grab a cuppa, get comfortable and join us for some informal constructive conversations about some of the challenges in delivering active travel infrastructure.

This series of constructive conversations will explore how some of the big issues facing society today can be addressed ‘By Design’.

At each 1 hour session, our expert panel spent half an hour discussing key questions and more around these topics. Following this, participants were invited to take part in optional small group discussions where they could share their own experiences on the topic, present a related issue in a live project, and receive advice and feedback from peers.

Past session recordings and information

Eradicating violence against women and girls by design
Integrating climate adaptation by design
Preventing Child and Pedestrian Casualties By Design
Accounting for Diverse Accessibility Needs By Design
Strengthening Social Connections By Design

Other series

The ‘Climate Emergency and Infrastructure’ series of constructive conversations explored sustainability in construction of active travel projects.

Constructive conversations: the climate emergency & infrastructure collection

Categories
Engage • Inspire • Learn PfE

How best to engage businesses when delivering active travel infrastructure

Two children cycling on a cycleway in Glasgow with businesses in the background
Two children cycling along bidrectional segregated cycle route in urban area

Overview

What are the key challenges to engaging businesses when delivering active travel infrastructure? Are they more supportive of some schemes and interventions than others? How can local authorities engage with local businesses to cut through negative perceptions?

In this webinar, colleagues from within the Research and Monitoring Unit at Sustrans shared their findings and recommendations from their recently published report, ‘How best to engage businesses when delivering active travel infrastructure.’

Based on a survey and interviews with 83 businesses in Scotland and interviews with individuals who have experience engaging with businesses, and funded through Sustrans’ Scottish Research Programme, this report focuses on how best to work and engage with local businesses when planning and delivering new walking, wheeling and cycling measures.

This session will shared key takeaways about levels of support for active travel schemes, and how perceptions vary depending on the type of measure – from the most to least popular interventions. It will also share local businesses’ preferences in terms of channels and methods of communication

Report

Report – How best to engage businesses when delivering active travel infrastructureDownload

Webinar Recording

Presentation Slides

You can download a copy of the presentation below.

Presentation slides – Engaging with BusinessesDownload
Categories
News News & Opinion Research and Monitoring

Active travel increases after path upgrades to Wishawhill Wood

The Wishawhill Wood path links the suburb of Craigneuk in North Lanarkshire with Wishaw town centre via a high-quality active travel route.

Previously, the only option for walking, wheeling and cycling away from the busy road, and without the use of an inaccessible footbridge over the railway, was a muddy and overgrown path.

Construction on the new route was completed in 2020.

It has since provided a safe and easy way for people of all abilities to travel between Craigneuk and Wishaw, as well as improving access to the local woodland and Wishawhill Wood Pump Track.

The project was led by Green Action Trust (GAT) and part-funded by the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland’s Places for Everyone programme. Match funding was provided by North Lanarkshire Council who have also taken on maintenance responsibility for the route.

Sustrans’ Research and Monitoring Unit (RMU) evaluated the impact of the project in 2022 by counting and surveying people using the path, as well as interviewing local people and stakeholders.

The Wishawhill Wood path links the suburb of Craigneuk in North Lanarkshire with Wishaw town centre via a high-quality active travel route. Credit: Green Action Trust.

What were the findings?

RMU analysis found that the path has contributed to substantially more trips being taken through Wishawhill Wood – particularly by young and older people.

Before the path upgrade, an estimated 16,000 trips were made during 2019 by people passing through or visiting the pump track. After the upgrade, an estimated 41,000 trips were taken during 2022 – about two and a half times as many.

The path is mainly used for recreation and has helped local residents increase their regular physical activity.

In 2022, 40% of survey respondents said they made a journey along the route daily, compared with 15% in 2019.

The path upgrade has also helped people access a much wider range of local services than before.

Many people using the route strongly agreed that it is easily accessible, enhances the area and meets the needs of the community.

85% of respondents said they were walking or cycling because the path was the most convenient route to get to their destination, up from 18% in 2019.

Numbers of people strongly agreeing that the path is well maintained, feels safe and is well lit have also increased, but are still relatively low.

RMU analysis found that the path has contributed to substantially more trips being taken through Wishawhill Wood.

A community asset

Reflecting on the impact upgrading the path has had on the local community, interviewees were positive.

One person told us:

“It’s a great green transport link, in terms of from the centre of Wishaw, right the way down through…it certainly has opened the area up.”

Local resident, Wishaw

Dan Scott, the Managing Director at Socialtrack, a local social enterprise that encourages people to cycle, scoot, and skateboard, explained how the upgraded path had encouraged pump track users to cycle rather than drive.

“Six lads travelled from another part of Wishaw, which was two miles away from the pump track. The first time they came, six lads came in four cars and then six lads came in three cars, and then eventually six lads came themselves on their own bikes.”

Dan Scott, Managing Director, Socialtrack

Communicating the results

By presenting the findings of the study as a StoryMap, which uses a combination of interactive maps, graphs, voice recordings from local people and “before and after” photos, users can simply and interactively learn more about the project.

The webpage details the story of the path, how it was developed, how it connects people and place, and its impact within the local community.

Alan Boyd, Evaluation Officer in Sustrans’ Research and Monitoring Unit, said:

“We are pleased to share our findings which detail the increase in walking, wheeling and cycling as a result of the path upgrade in Wishawhill Wood.”

“The new path has created a safer and more accessible route for people of all abilities travelling between Craigneuk and Wishaw.”

“We have uploaded our analysis onto a StoryMap for those who would like to find out more about the project. The StoryMap is flexible, so users can zoom in and out of the maps, easily skip to whatever research they find most interesting, and listen to local people discuss the changes that they have seen since the path opened.”

Alan Boyd, Evaluation Officer, Sustrans
The upgraded path had encouraged people to cycle rather than drive to the local pump track. Credit: Holly Musgrove/Sustrans, 2022.

Mike Batley, Development Officer at Green Action Trust, added:

“The Wishawhill Wood project has been a great opportunity for the Green Action Trust and partners to make a real difference to people’s quality of life through access to greenspace and active travel.”

“Anecdotally the path has clearly had a positive effect, however this new piece of evaluation has put firm data behind its impact, which is very encouraging for future projects.”

“The StoryMap brings the work to life in an easily understood and engaging way, so I’m delighted to see the results in this format.”

Mike Batley, Development Officer, Green Action Trust

Want to find out more?

Experience the StoryMap or contact monitoring@sustrans.org.uk

More information about StoryMaps

Categories
Engage • Inspire • Learn News News & Opinion

Project Portal new version run-through

Visualisation of an improved crossing between St George's In the Fields and Raglan Road on St George's Road Glasgow. The image features segregated cycle-way with and a new pedestrian crossing
Julian Cram, Senior Web Developer and Data Base Administrator of Sustrans Scotland, provides a run-through of the changes made to the Project Portal.

Key updates

  • Completely new styling to improve readability and usability
  • Accessibility of the interface now meets WGAG guidelines wherever possible
  • Greater device support with a more responsive interface
  • Revisions to some pages to make most used areas or features more prominent
  • Updated navigation menu to make moving around the site easier
  • Major performance improvement.

Contact us

If partners have any questions relating to the Project Portal and the changes that have been made, please contact projectportal@sustrans.org.uk

Categories
Engage • Inspire • Learn

Effective behaviour change

Teaching children to cycle
Chrisp Street Market Community Cycles two children having a cycling lesson

Partners from local authorities and organisations around Scotland were invited to hear from a variety of guest speakers who shared their experience and expertise in influencing attitudes, habits and behaviour.

These sessions are part of the Places for Everyone event programme – Engage · Inspire · Learn

Why it’s important to influence public behaviour

First, we hear from Susanne Mueller, Communities Coordinator, Sustrans Scotland. Susanne highlights two key reasons why it’s important to influence public behaviour, in relation to Active Travel:

  1. Tackling the climate crisis
  2. Improving public health

Leven’s Behaviour Change Action Plan

Next, Susanne is joined by Daniel Prince, Infrastructure Coordinator, Sustrans Scotland and Enid Trevett, Community Engagement Officer, Coalfield Regeneration Trust. They share how the Coalfield Regeneration Trust has successfully co-developed Leven’s Behaviour Change Action Plan. This includes embedding the following values into the Behaviour Change Action Plan:

  1. Local first;
  2. Involve young people;
  3. Using what is already available; and
  4. The spirit of community needs to be fostered through the way actions are delivered.

Cycling Scotland’s Behaviour Change Initiatives

Last, we hear from Katharine Brough, Head of Behaviour Change at Cycling Scotland. Katharine speaks about the Cycling Friendly programme and how the award and grant funding programme works with organisations in a variety of workplace, education and community settings across Scotland. The programme aims to address barriers to cycling and increase access to bikes and cycling rates. The session also touches on the available tools for creating and sustaining behaviour change.

Categories
Engage • Inspire • Learn PfE

Completion of Phase 1 of Connecting Woodside

Cycleway at the Junction of Garscube Road and Possil Road
Connecting Woodside, previously known as Woodside Mini-Holland, was funded by Sustrans Scotland through Places for Everyone, and Glasgow City Council. The Places for Everyone programme is funded by Transport Scotland.
Categories
Engage • Inspire • Learn SfP

Monitoring active travel infrastructure during Covid-19

Screengrab of the Space to Move tool
Sustrans’ Martin Laban, Evaluation Manager for the Research and Monitoring Unit outlines the principles of monitoring and evaluation techniques in relation to Spaces for People.

Dynamic engagement

Monitoring and evaluating the impact of Spaces for People projects is more important than ever before due to the limited opportunity for engagement on temporary emergency measures that are being introduced.

Sustrans offer a broad range of monitoring techniques in support of this to help assess how Spaces for People projects are delivering for communities in response to Covid-19.

In this knowledge sharing session, Sustrans Evaluation Manager, Research and Monitoring Unit, Martin Laban discusses the value of understanding the impact of temporary measures have had throughout the UK in helping to shape future permanent infrastructure.

The Space to Move tool has been used to monitor and evaluate public reception of temporary infrastructure changes throughout the UK.

Guidance on standard best practice for monitoring and evaluation can be found here.

Three strategic principles

When it comes to monitoring and evaluation, there are three main strategies that can be empoyed.

  • Process Evaluation – Attempt to understand why you may or may not have achieved your outcomes. Did it relate to the how it was delivered, factors beyond control of the project, or process and approach used?
  • Look – Employ visual monitoring techniques in order to see how where your project is and isn’t working (i.e. automatic counters, manual counts, video analysis of traffic speed, volume or ATC).
  • Listen – Engage meaningfully with communities and key stakeholders to understand public perception of temporary measures (i.e. GIS and survey tools). This has been successfully employed within Spaces for People through Commonplace and Space to Move tools.

Questions Answered

  • Why is monitoring and evaluation important?
  • What strategies are most effective for understanding Spaces for People impacts?
  • How can Sustrans help support local authorities monitor and evaluate their project delivery?
  • What has monitoring and evaluation of Spaces for People interventions actually shown us?

Note: the examples shown are in no way prescriptive and are for information only. Where specific products are shown in this document, this does not constitute Sustrans’ endorsement of that product.

Categories
Engage • Inspire • Learn News SfP

The Highland Council – lessons learned

Temporary cycle lanes on Milburn Road improve active travel links to Raigmore Hospital from Inverness city centre.

Gaining insights

In today’s session, Colin Howell and Craig Baxter from The Highland Council share their experiences of implementing Spaces for People temporary infrastructure changes across the region.

Doug Mitchell and Jess Action from Sustrans’ Research and Monitoring Unit (RMU) team also give further explanation of the data driven support Sustrans has provided The Highland Council.

This knowledge sharing session aims to give partners key insights and valuable waymarkers about how to make their most of their own suite of temporary Spaces for People proposals.

Looking back

One of the major focus points of the Highland Council’s intervention plan was linking key healthcare facilities throughout Inverness.

Temporary cycle lanes on Milburn Road improve active travel links to Raigmore Hospital from Inverness city centre. Ewen Donaldson/Sustrans

By creating temporary cycle lanes and widening footways along the routes which connect healthcare facilities, the Council has been able to expand the opportunities for physical distancing and support safe access for for key workers.

Another suite of temporary interventions in the Highland capital has focussed on creating spaces for physical distancing along main shopping streets and tourist areas.

As lockdown eases and people begin to return to these areas in greater numbers, these changes could prove vital in allowing residents and visitors to get around whilst protecting public health.

Bridge Street is just one of the many streets in Inverness city centre that has benefited from Spaces for People interventions. Ewen Donaldson/Sustrans

Temporary road closures and speed restrictions introduced in places such as Dingwall, Fort William and Portree have also helped keep rural communities safe from the spread of Covid-19.

Questions answered

  • What learning experiences has the Highland Council gained and which have been the most useful?
  • What are the main achievements of the Council’s Spaces for People project?
  • How has partnering on Spaces for People differed for the authority as compared with Places for Everyone?
  • How can Sustrans assist local authorities with project research and monitoring?

More information on The Highland Council’s Spaces for People project can be found here.

Note: the examples shown are in no way prescriptive and are for information only. Where specific products are shown in this document, this does not constitute Sustrans’ endorsement of that product.