2006-2011 LTP Annex 2

Background

The purpose of this strategy is to set out what is needed in Warwickshire to improve conditions for walking and encourage more people to walk for local journeys.

Walking is a healthy, low-cost, non-polluting mode of transport that is available to most people, regardless of their age and income. A quarter of all journeys are under 1 mile and a quarter of car trips are less than 2 miles. Walking clearly has a significant role to play within an overall integrated transport system, both as a mode of transport in its own right and in conjunction with other modes. Almost all journeys involve an element of walking.

However, the rise in the use of cars has been accompanied by a national decline in walking. In the ten years to 2003, the number of walking trips fell by 20%. The car is now used for many short trips, leading to widespread problems of congestion and pollution in urban areas as well as contributing towards poor public health, reduced quality of life and social exclusion. As car travel has become more dominant, conditions for walking have worsened which has only reinforced the downward trend.

The new Walking Strategy sets out a range of policies and actions to encourage more walking in Warwickshire. The walking strategy is a daughter document to the LTP and will contribute towards the achievement of the overall objectives of the Local Transport Plan:

• To improve accessibility to the transport system in order to promote a fairer, more inclusive society;
• To seek a transport system which will promote full employment and a strong, sustainable local and sub-regional economy;
• To reduce the impact of transport on the environment through the management and control of adverse impacts;
• To improve the environment and safety of people when they are using the transport system; and
• To encourage the integration of transport, both in terms of policy planning and the physical interchange of modes.

Walking is not only a transport issue. Encouraging more walking can also contribute towards wider policies on health improvement, regeneration and social inclusion.

Overall Aim

Encouraging more walking will involve a combination of physical improvements to the walking environment and promotional initiatives to foster behavioural change, and this is reflected in the overall aim of the Walking Strategy:

'To improve the pedestrian environment and promote the benefits of walking to encourage more people to walk for short utility journeys and for recreation'.

Strategy Objectives

• To provide pedestrians with safe, attractive and direct routes to local services, facilities and workplaces;
• To improve the environment for pedestrians in town centres;
• To reduce pedestrian road casualties and make walkers feel safer and more secure;
• To ensure new developments adequately cater for pedestrians and mobility impaired people;
• To consider the needs of pedestrians and those with some form of mobility impairment in all transport and highway schemes;
• To publicise the benefits of walking; and,
• To publicise and improve opportunities for recreational walking across the county.

The Policy Context

National Policy

Until the early 1990s, walking as a mode of transport was given low priority as transport planning focussed on providing for the needs of car users. However, the promotion of walking as a sustainable mode of transport has risen up the transport agenda over the past decade as the social, environmental and health problems caused by the dominance of the car have become more apparent.

The Transport White Paper in 1998 set out Government proposals to create a better, more integrated transport system both nationally and locally. Walking was identified as being key to achieving modal shift for short journeys. Local authorities were required to produce Local Transport Plans, including a strategy to encourage walking. 

In 2000, the Government published its 10 Year Plan for Transport for the period up to 2010-11, setting out actions to implement the policies contained in the White Paper.  ‘Encouraging walking – Advice for Local Authorities’ was also published by Department for Transport in 2000.

Tomorrows Roads – Safer for Everyone (2000), the Governments Road Safety Strategy set challenging casualty reduction targets to be met by 2010. Particular emphasis was placed on reducing child casualties, of which a large proportion occur when children are walking or cycling. The strategy puts forward a range of actions to reduce casualties amongst all vulnerable road users, including improved infrastructure, training for both drivers and pedestrians, and speed reduction measures.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 13 on Transport (2001) was a major step forward in integrating land use planning and transport, advising local authorities on how to reduce growth in the length and number of motorised journeys, encourage alternative modes of travel and reduce reliance on the private car. The main policies relating to walking are to focus major trip generators in urban centres and close to public transport interchanges; locate day to day facilities in local centres so that they are accessible by walking and cycling; and accommodate housing primarily within existing urban areas at locations highly accessible by public transport, walking and cycling.

Living Spaces: Cleaner, Safer, Greener, published in 2002, set out the Government’s vision for high quality public spaces, safe streets, less traffic danger, clean, safe secure street environment. Walking is an integral part of the new ‘liveability’ agenda, and there is increasing recognition that people are more likely to walk if the surroundings are pleasant, convivial, clean and well maintained.

The Future of Transport White Paper, published in July 2004, outlines how the Government intends to increase cycling and walking through a combination of local action planning, strong marketing, sharing good practice and national demonstration projects. Around the same time, an Action Plan for Cycling and Walking was published, detailing a range of practical actions that the Government will take to support the efforts of local authorities to encourage more walking and cycling and listing a number of best practice case studies.

The Action Plan contributes towards the Government wide initiative to tackle physical inactivity and obesity, and reflects the growing recognition of the importance of encouraging walking from a public health perspective. One of the overarching priorities of the Public Health White Paper (October 2004) is to increase the amount of exercise that people take. Walking and cycling are highlighted as having key roles to play because they are regular forms of physical activity that can be easily fitted into people’s daily routine. Improving opportunities to walk and cycle will be part of a strategy to market healthy lifestyles.

‘Smarter choices – Changing the way we travel’, published by the DfT in July 2004, was an extensive report on the impact of ‘soft measures’ in changing travel behaviour, using evidence from the UK and abroad, case study interviews and the experiences of stakeholders. In recent years, there has been growing interest in 'soft' measures, which include a range of initiatives seeking to give better information and opportunities, aimed at helping people to choose to reduce their car use while enhancing the attractiveness of alternatives. The assessment found that soft measures had significant potential to reduce car journeys, and came to the conclusion that ‘provided they are implemented within a supportive policy context, soft measures can be sufficiently effective in facilitating choices to reduce car use, and offer sufficiently good value for money, that merit serious consideration for an expanded role in local and national transport strategy’.

The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2000) requires local highway authorities to prepare and publish a Rights of Way Improvement Plan for improving rights of way in their areas, taking into account the needs of the public including disabled people. The provisions came into effect on 21 November 2002.

Regional Policy

The West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS11), formerly known as Regional Planning Guidance for the West Midlands, sets out what should happen where and when across the region up to 2021.  It incorporates the Regional Transport Strategy, which sets the framework for regional and local transport priorities and investment.

Policy T3 on Walking and Cycling states that Development Plans and Local Transport Plans should provide greater opportunities for walking and cycling by:

• Developing safe, secure, direct, convenient and attractive networks which connect town centres, local facilities, educational premises, public transport interchanges, residential and employment areas;
• Giving pedestrians and cyclists priority in residential areas and town centres;
• Providing links between smaller settlements and centres and development of greenways and quiet roads;
• Developing the National Cycle Network;
• Making the most effective use of canal towpaths;
• Expanding ‘cycle and ride’ and cycle carriage on public transport; and,
• Ensuring that new developments and infrastructure proposals improve walking and cycling access

Local Policy

Warwickshire County Council published its first Strategic Plan for Warwickshire in 2002, with the aim of improving the quality of life of Warwickshire’s people and to do this by ensuring that a whole range of public agencies work together. The plan sets out a vision for Warwickshire for the year 2010 and identifies targets for 2005 to make progress towards this vision. It focuses on eight major themes identified by county residents as being most important:

• Education and Lifelong Learning;
• Health and Well-being;
• Crime and Community Safety;
• Economy and Employment;
• Transport;
• The Environment;
• Community Involvement; and,
• Information and Access to Services.

Walking is relevant to a number of these themes, and the transport theme endorses the actions and targets set out in the LTP to encourage cycling and walking.

The Warwickshire Structure Plan 1996-2011 (WASP) currently provides the strategic policy framework for land use and development. However, the government has decided to abolish Structure Plans and Local Plans and replace them with Local Development Frameworks.  The WASP policies, which are in conformity with RSS11, will be saved for a period of 3 years (up to September 2007).  The Regional Planning body will need to decide whether sub-regional strategies need to be produced. If so, these will provide further detailed policy to bridge the gap between the RSS and LDFs. In the event that these sub-regional policies do not emerge, there is scope for WASP policies to be carried forward beyond the initial 3 years from commencement of the Act.

Two of the underlying objectives of the current Warwickshire Structure Plan (1996-2011) are to:

• Reduce the distances people need to travel, whilst acknowledging the continuing role of commuting in the County and the need to facilitate this through transport improvements; and,
• Support walking, cycling and public transport as alternatives to the private car.

Policy GD1 states that the overriding purpose of the Structure Plan is to provide for a pattern of development which promotes greater use of public transport, walking and cycling, to avoid restricting future generations of Warwickshire residents to a style of living which depends on use of a car to get to work, school, shop or for leisure.

The plan contains a number of specific transport objectives and policies, of which the following are particularly relevant to walking:

Policy T1 states that ‘where travel is necessary, through the Local Transport Plan and in considering transport related development proposals, the County Council will’:

• Promote affordable transport for people on low incomes;
• Increase accessibility for disabled people and others with mobility problems; and,
• Provide alternatives to using cars, giving the highest priority to improving public transport, the integration of transport and improving facilities for walking and cycling.

Warwickshire’s Road Safety Strategy sets out a range of policies, actions and targets aimed at reducing casualties on the county’s roads. It aims to achieve the Government's casualty reduction targets a year early; that is by 2009.

The County Council has developed a 10 year Countryside Access and Rights of Way Improvement Plan (CAROWIP) for Warwickshire following extensive public consultation, consultation with representative user groups and input from the Local Access Forum and Countryside Access Liaison Group. Further detail on the implementation of this policy can be found within that plan.

Problems and Opportunities

This section describes the factors that have contributed towards the decline in walking, before outlining the benefits that walking can provide both to the individual and on a wider scale.

Barriers to walking

There are a number of real and perceived barriers to walking which have contributed towards a national decline in walking. The strategy must seek to address each of these physical, social and cultural barriers in order to increase levels of walking.

Longer journey lengths

Decades of planning for the car have resulted in longer distances between where people live and the places they need to get to, including workplaces, retail opportunities and other key services. This is one of the most significant barriers to walking, and is now starting to be addressed through the land use planning system and integrated transport planning. Improving accessibility to jobs and key services is now a Government priority.

Despite this, nearly a quarter of all trips are under a mile, and just under half are less than two miles (3), indicating that there is clear potential for many more local journeys to be undertaken on foot. The distances generally considered acceptable for utility walking vary greatly according to the individual and circumstances. The mean average length for walking journeys is approximately 1km. The Institute of Highways and Transportation Guidelines for Providing for Journeys on Foot suggest the following acceptable walking distances:

Road safety

Rising traffic levels have led to a continuing deterioration in conditions for walking and caused a spiral of decline in walking levels. The volume and speed of traffic on many roads is a significant deterrent to walking, particularly for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and those with mobility impairments.  These groups are often those who do not have access to a car, and depend on walking to access facilities and the wider transport network. Pedestrians are amongst the most vulnerable of all road users, and reducing pedestrian road casualties and making walkers feel safer must be an important aspect of the Walking Strategy. Children are particularly vulnerable as pedestrians and are more likely to be injured whilst walking than either travelling by car or by bike. Statistics show that children living in deprived areas are three times more likely to be pedestrian road casualties.

Personal security

Personal security concerns and anti-social behaviour can also deter people from walking for local journeys, particularly groups such as women and the elderly and especially after dark.  Whilst perceived fear of crime is not supported by statistics, perception of danger can have a strong influence on modal choice. A poor street environment and poor lighting, badly designed streets and overgrown vegetation can all contribute towards feelings of insecurity.

Footway and footpath conditions

The definition of a footpath is ‘a highway over which the public have a right of way on foot only,’ whereas footways are ‘a way comprised in a highway which also comprises a carriageway, being a way over which the public have a right of way on foot only’, i.e. what the public would refer to as pavements.

The condition of footways and footpaths is viewed as a factor which can influence some people’s decisions on whether to walk for local journeys. The elderly and mobility-impaired people can be particularly affected by poor maintenance and slippery or uneven surfaces. Other physical factors that can make footways and footpaths unattractive and deter people from walking include:

• Narrow pavements;
• Litter and dog fouling;
• Street clutter;
• Excessive signing;
• Illegal cycling on pavements;
• Illegal pavement parking;
• Overgrowth and encroachment;
• Lack of benches and other facilities for pedestrians; and
• Lack of facilities for mobility impaired people.

Social attitudes

In a society dominated by the car, walking is often viewed as being slow and inconvenient, and suggesting a low social status. In addition, as lifestyles have become more complex and time-pressured, many people feel they could not cope without the convenience of the car. Travel time is a key deterrent to walking, but as congestion levels increase, driving is often no longer the quickest mode for short journeys and offers none of the wider health and financial benefits of walking.

The benefits of walking

As well as providing benefits to the individual, increasing the amount of walking can contribute towards a wide range of national and local objectives. 

Congestion

Congestion is a serious and growing problem on the U.K. road network, costing the economy billions of pounds every year and negatively affecting quality of life for many. Reducing and mitigating the effects of congestion at a local level is a major objective of the government’s transport policy and walking has a role within the overall strategy to address this problem. Congestion in Warwickshire occurs mainly in urban areas during peak hours, and many of the car trips contributing towards the problem are short local ones, often driver only, which could easily be undertaken on foot or by public transport.

Air pollution

Road transport is a major source of the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute towards global warming, but walking is a mode of transport that has no negative effects on the environment. Encouraging walking can contribute towards local and national objectives to improve air quality, particularly in towns, by reducing short car journeys.

Health

Experts recommend at least half an hour of moderate exercise five days a week, yet only 20% of people in the UK get enough exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle and satisfactory fitness level. Rising levels of obesity, heart disease, diabetes and strokes are now a serious national concern. Walking has been described as the nearest thing to perfect exercise and has great potential to help tackle the above health problems, as it can easily be incorporated into people’s daily routines.  With the growing public awareness of the health matters and the importance of exercising, promotional initiatives, which capitalise on the health benefits of walking offer perhaps the most potential for increasing levels of walking. As well as the direct health benefits to the individual, more walking provides wider health benefits in terms of reducing air pollution and road casualties.

Social inclusion and accessibility

Improving access to key services is a major element of the Government’s transport and social inclusion agenda. Whilst levels of car ownership are higher in Warwickshire than the West Midlands or nationally, 19% of households do not have a car and therefore may experience problems accessing employment opportunities and essential services. Although the location of services and the way they are delivered has as much impact on accessibility as transport provision, reducing barriers to walking has a role to play within the transport element of delivering improved accessibility. Walking is a virtually cost-free mode of transport that is available to almost everyone, and is particularly important for certain groups, such as children, older people and those without access to a car. Improving walking conditions is also a necessary part of initiatives to enhance accessibility through public transport improvements. The access needs of people with mobility or sensory impairments, wheelchair users and mobility scooter users must all be addressed in order to enhance social inclusion.

Economy and regeneration

There are strong links between walking and regeneration. Improved conditions for walking contribute towards wider regeneration initiatives, and at the same time, successful regeneration initiatives can lead to increased pedestrian activity. Safe and attractive streets and public places are fundamental to attracting shoppers, visitors and tourists.

Integration with public transport

Walking is a part of most journeys made by public transport, and is often referred to as the glue that binds the public transport system together. When promoting the use of public transport, there is a need to take into account the whole journey by ensuring that there is safe and convenient pedestrian access to public transport interchanges. Improvements to both walking facilities and the public transport network can be effectively combined to provide benefits in terms of reducing car trips and improving the environment.

Recreational walking

Walking is one of the most popular leisure time activities in the UK, with 77% of UK adults, or about 38 million people, walking for pleasure at least once a month. There are over 527 million estimated walking trips made annually to the English Countryside.

Recreational walking contributes towards tourism and the economy, particularly in rural areas, as well as wider health and well-being, social inclusion, promoting the understanding of food, farming and the countryside. Importantly, walking for leisure may also help to build a culture in which people choose to walk for short utility journeys rather than use their car.

The Current Situation

Walking in Warwickshire

Walking for utility journeys is most viable within the urban areas of the county, where distances between people’s homes and key services and facilities are generally short. Warwickshire is a relatively flat county and the towns are generally compact and an ideal size for walking.

Walking trips are diverse and widespread, and so it is difficult to get an accurate picture of walking in Warwickshire. However, in line with national trends, walking appears to account for only a small and declining proportion of trips in the county. Levels of walking vary across the county, reflecting social and demographic characteristics and differences between rural and urban areas. Census data shows that 10% of people in Warwickshire walked to work in 2001, down from 12% in 1991. This figure varies from 11% in the predominantly urban Warwick District to 7% in the more rural North Warwickshire District. In Stratford-upon-Avon, a quarter of residents within one ward in the town walked to work in 2001.

71% of people in Warwickshire currently travel to work by car, a figure that is 9% higher than the national average.  However, a fifth of residents live within 2kms of their workplaces, indicating that there is clear potential for walking to work. Warwickshire has car ownership levels above the national average and this easy access to a car may make it more difficult to persuade people to leave their car at home.

Warwickshire’s School Travel Survey, carried out in November 2004, showed that 44% of primary and 41% of secondary school pupils walk to school. This varies depending on the area, ranging from 31% in Stratford (39% primary, 23% secondary) to 56% in Nuneaton and Bedworth (49% primary, 66% secondary).

Cordon counts in the main towns provide information on the number of people entering town centres on foot as a proportion of total trips. However, the counts are carried out only on a single day every two years, and as pedestrian activity can be greatly affected by factors such as the weather, such counts cannot provide an accurate picture of walking levels in the county. Recent count data generally reflects the downward trend in walking. For example, in Warwick the number of people entering the town centre on foot declined slightly from 6.4% in 2000 to 6.2% in 2002. The highest levels of walking are found in Stratford, perhaps due to the level of tourist activity in the town.

Rising traffic levels have impacted on Warwickshire’s town centres and often resulted in a degraded pedestrian environment. Pedestrian access to town centres can be made difficult by the existence of busy main roads and the legacy of planning for the car, such as ring roads and gyratory systems. However, it is not just busy roads that form barriers to convenient pedestrian movement, as rail lines, rivers and canals can cause severance problems.

Town centres are no longer the sole focus of retail and leisure activity, and a number of large retail or leisure parks, such as Shires Retail Park in Leamington Spa and Bermuda Park in Nuneaton, have been constructed on the outskirts of towns prior to the introduction of current planning guidelines. These developments attract a high number of car trips and were planned with car access in mind. They are often surrounded by busy roads and large roundabouts, which are particularly difficult to negotiate on foot. Similarly, there are also a number of large office and industrial developments located on the edge of Warwickshire’s towns. These are often difficult to access on foot even where they are located within walking distance of residential areas.

Public Consultation

The County Council has commissioned public opinion surveys to discover what local people think about walking and walking conditions in Warwickshire and to help inform preparation of the Walking Strategy. In the Citizens Panel 2001, 52% of respondents thought improving conditions for pedestrians were either ‘essential’ or ‘very important’. Better maintenance was viewed as the most important action to encourage more walking. However, 80% of people stated that there was nothing that would make them walk more.

Consultations on the Local Transport Plan (2006-2011) provide further information on people’s views on the priorities for transport in the county. 59% thought better provision for pedestrians was either ‘extremely important’ or ‘very important’. However, this figure was slightly lower than that for improvements to both cycling and public transport.

Consultation was undertaken in preparation for the Countryside Access and Rights of Way Improvement Plan (CAROWIP), and it showed that over 10% of respondents usually walk from home to work, but that 70% never walk from home to work. CAROWIP figures also shows that over 40% of respondents walk from home to shops, and only 10% never walk from home to the shops.

Over a third of respondents to the CAROWIP survey section on utility walking said that less traffic and pollution was an important factor in increasing their level of walking, and over half would be encouraged by better pavements and less obstructions to pavements would encourage them to walk more. Dog fouling was also mentioned by a quarter of respondents.

The responses to the CAROWIP consultation covering recreational walking indicated that 24% of respondents visit the Warwickshire countryside at least twice a week, and that over 32% of all respondents travel on foot to get to the countryside. However, 60% of respondents get to the countryside by car. Over half of the CAROWIP respondents are put off using paths because there are fast roads to cross.

The Strategy

Encouraging more walking will require a wide range of actions and joint working from a variety of different organisations and stakeholders.  Increasing the amount of walking does not only meet transport objectives, but also wider objectives on health, the environment, social inclusion and regeneration.

The strategy sets out a number of policies aimed at increasing walking through a combination of physical improvements to the pedestrian environment and ‘soft’ measures to promote walking and encourage behavioural change.

The strategy focuses on walking for key utility journeys; those journeys that are undertaken for a purpose, rather than simply for the walk itself. It concentrates on journeys to school; to work; to retail areas; to health and leisure facilities; and to public transport interchanges. It is these trips where the greatest benefits in terms of encouraging more walking can be achieved because these are the type of journeys that people do every day, and they are often of short distance. Use of the car for such short journeys is an important cause of congestion and pollution in urban areas, as well as wider social and environmental problems.

Urban areas are the primary focus of the walking strategy, because it is within towns that distances between people’s homes and key trip generators are generally short, making walking a viable transport choice. However, there may be instances where improvements to pedestrian facilities within rural areas are required, usually on safety grounds, and these will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Although the main goal of the strategy is to bring about more walking as a mode of transport, the benefits of encouraging walking as a recreational activity are recognised and therefore the strategy aims to develop and promote walking both for utility and leisure purposes.

It should also be emphasised that although the main purpose of the walking strategy is to get more people walking, it is also about making access easier for all users of the street environment. This includes people in wheelchairs and mobility scooters, and those with sensory impairments.

Partnership and Consultation

Due to the diversity of factors influencing levels of walking, delivery of the walking strategy objectives will involve a wide range of actions from a variety of stakeholders, both in making physical improvements to the walking environment and promoting walking as a mode of transport and a healthy leisure pursuit. Policies on health, regeneration, leisure and tourism all have a role to play and key partners include the District and Borough Councils, schools, employers, the health sector and public transport operators.

The availability of local services within walking distance is clearly a key factor influencing levels of walking. The new accessibility planning agenda will promote joint working from a wide range of organisations and service providers to locate key services and facilities where they are accessible by walking, cycling or public transport.

Other local organisations, which have an interest in walking, and a role to play in the implementation of the walking strategy include Sustrans (the sustainable transport organisation), British Waterways, Action 21 and campaign groups, such as the local branch of Living Streets. Consultation with the local community and interest groups is also essential when changes to the pedestrian environment are proposed.

Developing links with health organisations has become increasingly important now that the health benefits of walking as a physical activity are being more widely promoted.

Walking to School

Increasing the amount of walking to school has the potential to provide considerable benefits in terms of reducing congestion. Nationally, just over 1 in 10 cars on urban roads between 8am and 9am in term time is on the school run. Walking to and from school on a regular basis also provides children with a regular source of physical activity and helps contribute to a healthy lifestyle, as well as introducing good travel habits at an early age. Increasing walking for the journey to school requires a combination of physical and promotional measures, to address parent’s concerns about safety and emphasise the benefits of walking to school.

We will:

• Improve the pedestrian environment in the vicinity of schools through the Safer Routes to School programme. Measures will include traffic calming, provision of crossing facilities, improvements to public footpaths and creation of new footways etc;
• Work with schools to develop School Travel Plans, setting out measures to reduce car use and promote walking and cycling;
• Work with schools to develop wider initiatives to encourage walking e.g. Walking Buses; and,
• Provide road safety education and training for school children.

Walking to Work

Whilst many people now commute long distances to work, a fifth of people in Warwickshire live within 2kms of their workplaces. However, many people choose to use their car for journeys to work, even for short distances. Promotional measures have perhaps the greatest role to play in encouraging walking to work. However, physical improvements may also be of benefit in some cases where there is a particular issue that may be deterring people from walking, such as the absence of a footway, or a road that is difficult to cross. Improving access to employment opportunities is a key element of the new accessibility planning agenda and of strategies aimed at reducing social inclusion. Accessibility planning is therefore likely to play a role in highlighting priorities for action.

We will:

• Improve pedestrian access to key employment areas through identifying and, where possible, addressing barriers to pedestrian access along routes where it is viewed that there is significant potential to increase levels of walking;
• Require new or expanding businesses to adopt a Travel Plan as part of the planning process, and encourage major local employers to adopt Travel Plans on a voluntary basis; 
• Use planning policies to promote mixed use developments to reduce the need to travel and to locate employment where it is accessible on foot;
• Promote walking to work as part of TravelWise initiatives;
• Support national campaigns to encourage walking to work and raise the status of walking as a mode of transport; and
• Lead by example through further development of the WCC staff travel plan.

Walking to Retail and Leisure Destinations

Town centres are focal points for pedestrian activity and an attractive street environment is important both in encouraging more walking and enhancing the ‘liveability’ of urban areas. Improving the quality of public spaces and enhancing the public realm are key elements of urban renewal and economic regeneration initiatives. In addition to improving the pedestrian environment within town centres, there is also a need to consider walking access to town centres and other key retail and leisure destinations, ensuring people can reach the wide range of service and facilities on offer. Ring roads and radial routes into town centres usually have high traffic volumes, which may sever some residential areas from town centres in terms of pedestrian access.

A number of Warwickshire towns are significant visitor destinations to the benefit of the local and national economy. It is important to consider the needs of visitors to reach historical, cultural and hospitality areas easily on foot from car parks and transport interchanges. Pedestrianised or pedestrian priority areas allow visitors to obtain greater enjoyment from their visit and provide businesses with opportunities to increase income.

However, town centres are no longer the only destination for retail and leisure trips, and there are a number of significant trip generators on the outskirts of urban areas, which are often difficult to access on foot. Local centres within the urban areas are also important for basic everyday services, particularly for those without access to a car.

We will:

• Work in partnership with District / Borough Councils and other bodies to enhance the public realm in the centres of Warwickshire’s main urban areas to create an attractive and pedestrian friendly street environment;
• Increase the priority given to pedestrians in town centres. Where practical, investigate opportunities for further pedestrianisation schemes and road space reallocation to pedestrians in town centres;
• Improve pedestrian routes connecting trip generators and nodes of activity within town centres, such as rail stations and car parks;
• Improve pedestrian access into town centres from surrounding areas, giving particular attention to reducing barriers to walking and providing appropriate improvements along key routes;
• Identify and seek to address barriers to walking access to major retail and leisure developments outside of the town centre, where it is viewed that the opportunity exists to increase levels of walking by releasing significant suppressed demand; and
• Enhance the pedestrian environment in market towns and district centres through street scene initiatives and improvements to the attractiveness and safety of pedestrian routes and facilities.

Integration with Public Transport

Walking forms a part of almost all journeys made by public transport and, when promoting greater use of public transport, there is a need to consider the whole journey, including the walking stage. It is generally accepted that people will walk up to 15 minutes to reach a train station and 7 minutes to reach a bus stop. Safety and personal security are particularly important considerations for walking journeys to public transport interchanges, together with directness.

We will:

• Improve pedestrian access to rail stations, bus stations, major bus stops and bus information points through identifying and, where possible, seeking to address barriers to walking along key routes;
• Encourage Network Rail and the Train Operating Companies to provide safe and attractive pedestrian access at rail stations, in accordance with the standards laid out in the Passenger Rail Strategy;
• Ensure that pedestrian links between train / bus stations and other key destinations within town centres are safe, well signed and adequately lit;
• Work with bus operators to design and locate bus stops in a way that facilitates easy access by all users;
• Ensure that new developments are planned to provide good pedestrian access to the public transport network, where appropriate;
• Provide suitable crossing facilities where required for access to key bus stops;
• Develop recreational self-guided walks that start and finish at public transport interchanges; and
• Develop public transport links to key recreational walking locations, e.g. country parks, Cotswold fringe.

Pedestrian Crossings

Provision of suitable pedestrian crossing facilities is a key element in improving the pedestrian environment and access to local services, as busy roads can act as significant barriers to walking. This is particularly the case for vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, those with mobility impairments and children. Canals, rivers and railway lines can also cause severance issues. These physical barriers often result in longer journeys between residential areas and key trip generators, making them less conducive for undertaking on foot.

We will:

• Continue a programme of increasing the number of pedestrian crossing facilities in accordance with our pedestrian crossing policy (see below).  As far as is possible, crossings will be provided on pedestrian desire lines.
• Provide pedestrian phases at traffic signal controlled junctions where appropriate, in accordance with DfT guidelines;
• Ensure that new crossing facilities are fully accessible to those with mobility or sensory impairments;
• Continue to introduce dropped kerbs to assist people when crossing the carriageway, particularly those with mobility impairments or pushchairs. Dropped kerbs and tactile paving will be installed as part of all new highway and footway maintenance schemes;
• Consider the provision of new pedestrian bridges where the opportunity exists to significantly increase levels of walking by addressing severance issues caused by canals, rivers and railway lines; and,
• Seek to improve at-grade crossings of trunk roads and other busy or fast roads which sever the urban area from the surrounding countryside, or which act as barriers to recreation and rural utility walking.

Footway and Urban Footpath Standards

The condition of footways and footpaths can influence people’s decisions on whether to choose to walk for local journeys, particularly elderly and mobility-impaired people. Consultations have revealed that footway maintenance is an important concern amongst local people. It is estimated that there are 4000km of footways (not including public footpaths) in Warwickshire, and these are maintained in accordance with the policies and standards laid out in the Highway Maintenance strategy. Public footpaths are maintained by the County Council’s Countryside Recreation section and are not covered by the Highway Maintenance Strategy.

It is not only maintenance that affects the quality of footways and of the pedestrian experience. Pavement obstructions, such as illegal pavement parking, street clutter and excessive signage can make walking difficult, particularly for mobility impaired people and people with pushchairs.

We will:

• Ensure that the needs of pedestrians are given high priority within highway maintenance programmes;
• Prioritise the key pedestrian routes to town centres, retail and leisure areas, schools, major employment areas and public transport interchanges within inspection and routine maintenance programmes;
• Ensure that emergency footway and urban footpath defects are repaired quickly and efficiently;
• Seek to co-ordinate street works to minimise impact on pedestrians;
• Seek to reduce obstructions on key pedestrian routes, such as street clutter, excessive signage and overgrown vegetation;
• Ensure that any works to improve footways and urban footpaths take into account the needs of people with mobility or sensory impairments; and
• Design new footways in accordance with the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges, or in the case of new developments, in accordance with the County Council’s guidelines Transport and Roads for Developments.

Safety and Security

Whilst improving safety is implicit in many of the walking strategy policies, this policy is specifically concerned with reducing pedestrian road casualties and improving personal security. Road safety improvements for pedestrians will primarily be delivered through implementation of Warwickshire’s Road Safety Strategy. Reducing the number of children injured on the roads is a key focus of that strategy.

Improving personal security for pedestrians and reducing fear of crime will require a combination of wider actions involving a number of partner organisations.

We will:

• Seek to reduce pedestrian road casualties by implementing the Road Safety Strategy, using education, engineering and enforcement;
• Ensure that road safety audits carried out on new highway schemes as part of the Road Safety Strategy pay particular attention to the safety of pedestrians and people whose mobility is impaired;
• Carry out pedestrian audits on new highway schemes using a checklist of considerations for pedestrian provision;
• Work in partnership with Warwickshire Police, District / Borough Councils and the local community to reduce crime and fear of crime where this is a deterrent to walking;
• Upgrade street lighting in priority locations to help improve safety and to reduce crime and fear of crime;
• Improve road safety for recreational walkers through implementation of the CAROWIP, and in particular through utilisation of verges and behind-the-hedge schemes.

Planning and New Developments

Land use planning has a central role to play in reducing the need to travel and encouraging more walking. Current land use planning policies aim to reverse the trend for longer journeys and ensure that walking is considered as a prime means of access to new developments. The County Council, as Highway Authority, is consulted by District and Borough Councils on the transport implications of planning applications and can recommend measures to minimise any adverse affects on traffic flows.

We will:

• Encourage the location of new development where it is conveniently accessible by walking and other sustainable modes of transport, consistent with the policies of the Structure Plan.
• Promote mixed use, high-density developments to reduce the need to travel;
• Require that new developments are designed to encourage walking within the site and provide for the needs of mobility impaired people, through adhering to the County Council’s ‘Transport and Roads for Developments’ guidance document;
• Ensure that new developments do not sever existing walking routes or result in a net loss of network for pedestrians;
• Seek to maximise contributions from developers towards improvements to pedestrian facilities and promoting walking, both on and off site;
• Require the adoption of Travel Plans for new developments over a certain size, in accordance with the County Council’s Practice Note for Developers (May 2003); and
• Where appropriate, seek developer contributions to fund new recreational walking routes and improve existing routes for recreational walkers both within the development site and linking to the wider network.

Recreational Walking

The County’s Rights of Way network covers over 1,700 miles of public footpaths and bridleways, which together with canal tow paths, Greenways and quiet rural lanes, provide an important recreational asset.  The rights of way network is in generally good condition, although significant investment is required to maintain current levels of accessibility.  Whilst much of the network is rural, it links communities, can provide an alternative to walking on roads and verges making utility journeys possible and more pleasant and provides access from urban and urban fringe areas into adjoining countryside.  Paths through open spaces in urban areas are often used for utility journeys as well as for leisure. 

Superimposed on this basic network is an expanding range of promoted walks and trails, from long distance paths to short circular walks and easy access trails, suitable for all. 

We will:

• Continue to organise, promote and host events and activities that encourage recreational walking and local tourism, such as the country parks events programme and the Warwickshire Walking Festival. 
• Promote walking at country parks and other attractive countryside locations within Warwickshire and support the routes identified in the Countryside Access and Rights of Way Improvement Plan (CAROWIP);
• Provide accurate and high quality information on recreational walking in the county;
• Work to develop opportunities for walking in parks, open spaces and along green corridors such as canal towpaths and disused rail lines, both within rural and urban locations;
• Maintain and improve the path network, protecting the existing networks and ensuring they evolve to fit  the requirements of the 21^st century.
• Encourage participation in recreational walking amongst hard-to-reach sections of the community; and
• Support the development of a network of health walks across the county and develop and promote the use of easy access and sensory trails.

Education and Promotion

Improving the walking environment is important but persuading people to walk more will also require effective education and promotion to raise awareness of the benefits of walking and of the need to reduce car use. Health improvement is a key motivation for walking and as such should feature prominently in promotional campaigns, alongside other benefits such as cost savings and more reliable journey times. Each of the benefits of walking will be of varying importance to different groups and individuals, and it is therefore important to target promotional initiatives accordingly.

We will:

• Promote walking as part of School and Company Travel Plans;
• Support national campaigns to encourage walking, such as National Walk to Work Day, National Car Free Day and TravelWise week;
• Seek to develop joint initiatives with the health sector to promote the health benefits of walking in order to meet the twin goals of health improvement and reducing car journeys;
• Initiate local campaigns and events to promote walking for both utility journeys and for leisure;
• Provide good quality and up to date information on local walking opportunities and other relevant matters; and
• Research best practice on ‘soft measures’ to inform future promotional initiatives.

Action Plan

The Action Plan in Table 22.2 summarises how the policies set out in the Walking Strategy will be delivered. Improving conditions for pedestrians and encouraging walking are elements of a number of the strategies that make up the Local Transport Plan and therefore many of the Walking Strategy policies will be delivered through implementation of the following strategies:

• Safer Routes to School/School Travel Plans Strategy;
• Road Safety Strategy;
• Highway Maintenance Strategy;
• Encouraging Behavioural Change Strategy;
• Land Use and Transportation Strategy; and
• Accessibility Strategy.

However, the Action Plan also includes a number of additional actions which will contribute towards the policies of the Walking Strategy.

The Countryside Access and Rights of Way Improvement Plan (CAROWIP) 2006-2016 is a sister document to the Local Transport Plan and includes a range of actions which will contribute towards the aims and objectives of the Walking Strategy. Those actions of particular relevance to the policies within the Walking Strategy have been included within the Action Plan.

Whilst the Walking Strategy sets out a long-term plan for encouraging walking in Warwickshire, Table 22.2 describes how each of the policies will be delivered over the next five-year LTP period. It is our intention to review the Walking Strategy Action Plan as part of the production of the next LTP.

Table 2 Action Plan

Walking Strategy Action Plan 2006–2011
Policy	How will this policy be delivered?	Relevant CAROWIP action
WS2 Walking to school	Safer Routes to School /School Travel Plan Strategy Road Safety Strategy	N5c, N5d, P9d
WS3 Walking to work	Changing Travel Behaviour Strategy Land Use and Transportation Strategy Accessibility Strategy: a) Carry out audits to identify barriers to walking along key routes to major local employment areas and implement priority improvements.	N5b, P2c, P2d
WS4 Walking to retail and leisure opportunities	Accessibility Strategy Land Use and Transportation Strategy: a) Further enhance the pedestrian environment in the main town centres through:  - Schemes supporting the Rugby Business Improvement District;  - Schemes developed from the Nuneaton and Bedworth Town Centres master plans;  - Schemes to support Stratford Waterfront master plans, Bridge St and High St proposals  - Warwick Town Centre scheme and Market Square review  - Leamington Parade safety improvements  - Kenilworth Town Centre redevelopment b) Carry out audits to identify and seek to address any barriers to walking along key routes to town centres and major retail / leisure areas c) Develop initiatives to improve the pedestrian environment in market towns d) Undertake an audit to establish how many District Centres there are in the county, their current condition for pedestrians and their needs.	N5a, N5b, P4c, P9c
WS5 Integration with public transport	Passenger Rail Strategy Public Transport Strategy Public Transport Interchange Strategy Bus Strategy Accessibility Strategy: a) Carry out audits of pedestrian access to all rail stations and develop prioritised programme of improvements.
WS6 Pedestrian crossings	a) Continue a programme of implementing new pedestrian crossings where they are needed, in accordance with the Pedestrian Crossing Policy. b) Implement programme of priority improvements to road crossings on key pedestrian routes, through reviewing walking routes to town centres, work places, public transport interchanges and key recreational routes. c) Provide information for the public on the safe use of different crossing facilities. d) Continue programme of installing dropped kerbs and tactile paving.	N3a N3b
WS7 Footway and urban footpath standards	Highway Maintenance Strategy: a) Review maintenance standards for footways and urban footpaths as part of production of Transport Asset Management Plan. b) Establish the key routes for walking which will be given the highest priority in maintenance regimes. c) Seek to remove excessive street clutter along the key walking routes to town centres, employment areas and public transport interchanges.	A1b, N5a, P2c, P2d, P3e, P4c, P9b, P9c
WS8 Safety and security	Road Safety Strategy: a) Implement lighting improvement schemes in areas where  high night time crime rate and / or fear of crime has been identified.	N2a, N2b, N3, R2d, S1d
WS9 Planning and new developments	Land Use and Transportation Strategy Changing Travel Behaviour Strategy: a) Develop formal pedestrian audit checklist for use on new developments and highway schemes. b) Investigate ways in which accessibility planning agenda can be used to identify walking improvements. c) Update design guidance for pedestrian provision within new developments.	Policy CA4, R5a, R5b, R5d
WS10 Recreational walking		S4a, S6c, T2e, S6b, S3a, S3c, H1e, H5a, N6a, N2, N4b, N6, N8, P6, R2, R5a, R6, R7, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, T1, T2
WS11 Education and promotion	Road Safety Strategy Changing Travel Behaviour Strategy: a) Investigate ways in which the County Council can work in partnership with health sector to promote walking. b) Further develop walking web pages on the Warwickshire web. c) Research best practice on ‘soft measures’ to inform future initiatives.	H1d, H1g, H3a, H3b, E3 (all), E4b, H1 (all), H3 (all), S4a, S7a

Monitoring the Walking Strategy

The County Council has considered the issue of setting an overall target for increasing the amount of walking within Warwickshire. However, levels of walking are acknowledged as very difficult to measure and there is no satisfactory method of monitoring walking.

It has therefore been decided that an overall target for increasing levels of walking is not appropriate and that we will measure progress with implementing the walking strategy against a range of performance indicators. These are listed in the table below.

Table 3 Indicators

Performance Indicator	Data source
Number of children walking to school	Annual travel surveys
Number of people walking to work	Annual travel surveys at companies with Travel Plans
Number of people walking into town centres	Biennial cordon counts in main towns
Footway condition (BV187) – percentage of footway network where structural maintenance should be considered.	Best Value monitoring
Number of footpaths and Rights of Way easy to use by the public (BV178)	Best Value monitoring