Safe Cycling The Tunbridge Wells Opportunity.
Presentation:
Presentation by
Tunbridge Wells Town Forum
Hubs and Spokes.
7 pm, 26th February 2009
• Conrad Froud
Venue Town Hall.
• Kevin Powley
Royal Tunbridge Wells
• Alison Fox-Ruff
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Hubs and Spokes •
We are; – Residents of Tunbridge Wells & parents of school age children
•
We are not; – Linked to any political agenda or party. – Making any commercial gain from our thoughts or proposals. – a formal planning or cycle lane decision making authority. – holding a budget to implement our plans.
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Presentation Format • Hubs & Spokes Mission / Presentation Objectives. • A few definitions / presentation terminology.
1. 2. 3. 4.
The Problem (recognise need for change). The Solution (maps & routes). The Benefit of the Solution. Next Steps.
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Presentation Objective • To present the case that cycles are a tool for local journeys around town. • To present the fantastic opportunity for Royal Tunbridge Wells and immediate surrounding areas due to the layout of our town.
• To achieve a meaningful increase in number of people cycling for utilitarian journeys and achieve the ECO and health benefits we must first address peoples safety needs (powerful human motivator).
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The Mission To present a cycle as a tool to help with the challenges of: safety, pollution, healthy life style, getting pupils between Schools on time, get residual traffic moving, reduce residents transportation cost in a recession, reducing demand for fossil fuel & help Towns traders boost their sales.
By proposing a cycle network connecting residential zones with the schools, sports centre, playing fields, edge of town, religious centres and other residential zones around Royal Tunbridge Wells, Southborough and immediate surrounding area To help meet peoples safety needs wherever practical alternatives exist the cycle network should avoid motorised vehicles. If we can meet peoples safety needs we shall achieve a lot more volume of usage by cyclist, walker and disabled vehicle user.
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A few presentation definitions. • “Leisure cycling” is an activity primarily carried out for fun where the cycle is a primary objective of the journey. • “Utilitarian cycling” is using a cycle as a mode of transport instead of another mode of transport and cycling is not the primary objective of the journey. • “Traffic Free” - a cycle lane away from roads and pavements which motorised traffic use or cross. • “Segregated traffic” - a cycle lane made with a pot of paint and generally on the edge of the road or a pavement which motorised traffic cross. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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1. The Problem Before people accept the need to change they need to accept the problem. • • • • • • • • • •
Some Photos. Safety statistics & Crash Dot Plot Lack of cycle usage / size of cycle opportunity. Ongoing queuing traffic & resulting pollution. Obesity trend and related health issues. Schools (TWGGS, TWGSB, St Greggs) rightly cannot recommend cycling. Pupils late to class when travelling between schools. Lost business & jobs to local shops, retailers & residents. Cycling why leisure portfolio? Why not traffic portfolio? How to get proposed routes on official Council maps for consideration.
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Types of Cycle Lane (presentation focuses upon cycles as a utilitarian tool for local journeys) Leisure Cycle Lane, Traffic Free (Camel trail, Cornwall)
(Sustrans historically focused upon such lanes).
Utilitarian Cycle Lane, Segregated (St Johns Rd, Royal Tunbridge Wells)
(Sustrans currently being encouraged to create utilitarian cycle lanes in Urban areas).
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Utilitarian Cycle Lane Examples Traffic Free Cycle Lane Beder, Arhus, Denmark
On Road Segregated Cycle lane Tunbridge Wells, UK
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Utilitarian Cycle Lanes Traffic Free Cycle Lane Beder, Denmark
Segregated cycle lane Royal Tunbridge Wells, UK
Tunnel for a small country lane (A26 does not have tunnel !).
Denmark has Towns where 75% (3 out of 4) cycle to School? Tunbridge Wells 0.5% (1 in 200) cycle to School. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Utilitarian Cycle Lanes Traffic Free designed for high volume (nr School) Arhus, Denmark
Meet peoples safety needs and the volume cyclists and benefits: health, ECO etc. will follow.
On Road Pot of paint Tunbridge Wells, UK
Junctions really dangerous.
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Safety Is Number One Priority •Safety is No accident. •Safety needs careful planning. •117 accidents past 5 years. •More accidents reported but not recorded. (definition of an accident quite tight). More accidents occur but not reported. •Many more dangerous occurrences than accidents. •Luckily only 0.5% of TW pupils cycle to School.
•Source Jacobs crash data. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Russian Roulette Beware combination of: Junctions, high volume of traffic & segregated on road Cycle provision.
Avoid painting lines on pavements where many junctions (A26).
Chance of accident Increases because cyclist and motorist Become less aware of one another.
42% of reported cycle crashes on St John’s Road are classic Right Hand Turn Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Cost to Community of an Accident. • Beware of painting white lines on roads with many junctions. • Department for Transport official figures for cost of an accident. – Fatal crash costs around £1.6 million, – Serious crash costs around £190,000 – Slight crash costs around £19,000.
• One fatal crash equals 20 miles of traffic free cycle lane Capex.
• Painting white line on edge of road or pavement with many junctions most expensive option. • Minimising Council budget does not minimise cost to community. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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How Tunbridge Wells Pupils Travel to School. 13,343 of 13,739 School pupils
All Schools (TW 08 Census results) 45.0% 40.0%
39.0%
Private car 28.3%!
35.0% 30.0%
Cycling 0.5% missed opportunity
25.2%
25.0%
20.0% 15.0% 10.0%
5.0%
2.4%
1.9%
1.6%
1.1%
car share
Train
Taxi
other
0.0% walking
car
Bus
cycling
Safety Needs is a very powerful human motivation force. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Size of Opportunity Percentage of Children Cycling to School 45.0%
40.0%
40.0% 35.0%
30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0%
10.0%
10.0% 5.0% 0.0%
0.5%
0.7%
2.0%
TW Census 08
TWGSB
UK
Woking
Denmark
TWGSB survey of 384 pupils during Q1 2009 found: 29.2% preferred method to come to School would be a cycle. 79.9% said they were fit enough to cycle from home. Majority said cycling to School was too dangerous. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Size of Opportunity Walking and Cycling Share of Urban travel by Country (all age groups) 50% 45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
Massive opportunity
1% 6%
2% 10%
4%
4%
4%
24%
24%
10%
12%
24%
22%
9%
10%
28%
29%
20%
28%
21%
18%
12%
Bicycle Walking
Netherlands
Denmark
Sweden
Austria
Germany
Switzerland
Italy
France
England and Wales
Canada
USA
Source http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthdesign/ppt-pdf/pucher_revised.pdf
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Walking and Cycling Share of Urban Travel by Age Group within Country Cycling can be for all age groups not just School pupils. 60% Germany 7% 50% The Netherland 11% 40% 24% 25%
30%
9% 10%
20%
19%
Cycling
22%
Walking
23% 12% 13% 14%
19%
24%
75 +
65 < 74
40 < 64
25 < 39
18 < 24
75 +
65 < 74
45 < 64
65 +
40 < 64
17%
25 < 39
0.5%0.3% 0.2% 7% 5% 4% 6%
18 < 44
0%
1.0%
30%
39%
USA
16 < 24
10%
48%
Source http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthdesign/ppt-pdf/pucher_revised.pdf
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Some key Points from Harvard Research • Less exercise contributing to higher obesity rates, hypertension, diabetes, and shorter healthy life expectancies. • Promote safe and convenient walking and cycling for daily urban travel. • Plus more (19 slide presentation pack).
Source http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/healthdesign/ppt-pdf/pucher_revised.pdf
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Key Points • 0.5% of Tunbridge Wells School Children cycle to School (1 in 200). • Observing cars to cycles to buses to trains to walkers around town, guesstimate about 0.1% of R.Tun Wells adult utilitarian trips use cycle.
• Suggest if we could meet peoples safety needs the opportunity is beyond most peoples expectations. Estimate 20% of local utilitarian trips.
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Select a Cycle Lane appropriate to the Road A pot of paint does not make a safe cycle lane near A26 Schools. Vehicles per day
A26 Traffic Volume near Schools
30,000 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000
2.48 times busier than similar roads!
26,468 10,680
5,000 0
A26
Average Kent same category Roads
•Officially busiest Single Carriage A road in Kent. •One of busiest roads in UK. •Busier than some French Motorways (KCC). •Traffic counter (ATC 61) on the A26 just south of the junction with A21. •The average from 1999 to 2007 was 26,468, whereas the average for all single carriageways (based on monitoring sites) was 10,680.
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Skinners School Survey Found • 35% of the cars were on the ‘school run’. • Average traffic speed outside school each morning 4 mph. • Levels of air pollution that exceed government guidelines. • Plus more (36 slide presentation pack).
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Traffic Flow and Traffic Jam Theory Example Only •A junction designed to cope with say 1000 vehicles per minute.
Cars per minute
1400
Example Only
1200 Excess traffic
•If 850 cars approach in a minute then 850 vehicles pass.
1000
•If 1200 vehicles approach in a minute then only 100 vehicles pass.
800
•Reason, a traffic jam forms and everything crawls. •Royal Tunbridge Wells grinds to a halt at 3.30pm as Schools churn out and takes until 7 pm to catch up. •We only need to shift some cars off the road to get the residual traffic moving.
600
400
Road design capacity
Regret of Excess traffic
Queuing vehicles need shifting to alterative transport mode Queue vehicles which could move
200 Moving Vehicles
0 850 Cars
1200 Cars
Ask a taxi driver at what time of day Tunbridge Wells grinds to a halt (answer 3.30pm to 7 pm) We do not need a management consultant to tell us we have a traffic and pollution problem. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Potential Conflict of Interest •
Research from Denmark indicates: – Traffic Free cycle lanes reduce volume of urban traffic by 9 to 10% (statistically significant). – On Road segregated cycle path does not decrease volume of urban motorised traffic.
•
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) rightly needs to manage and control its financial accounts. – TWBC 2007/08 collect & handed over to National Pool £44.2m, KCC £42.3m, Police £5.4m, Fire £2.7m.
•
TWBC 2007/08 receives various grants back but has a Net Budget requirement of £21.1 m
•
TWBC 2007/08 earns around £5.3m from people using private cars. – Car Park Revenue, Car Park Enforcement, ignores income received from lease of Car Parks
•
As a rough rule private car usage represents 25% of TWBC net budget requirement.
•
Whilst Sustrans and KCC would pay for the building of a traffic free cycle lane, the project needs the cooperation of TWBC through the joint planning committee, planning application, Councillor & officer support, agreement to maintain the path.
•
If traffic free cycle lanes reduce car traffic around towns, and the Borough Council depends on private cars for finance, this is a possible conflict of interest.
•
To be clear we are not saying there has been or will be a conflict of interest. Just we observe the ingredients for a possible future conflict of interest to carrying proposed solution forward.
•
We observe the Councils interest is not necessarily the same as the local residents interest. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Getting a vision into Council Machinery •
Councils appear to operate through a very structured process.
•
A proposed route needs to be placed upon a Council map.
•
The route needs an official Council reference number.
•
Then Council Engineers and Planners can start to evaluate it.
•
So far we have achieved support of schools, front page local paper, local radio, upheld as a frame work idea by Greg Clark MP Shadow Minister for Climate Change which other towns could copy.
•
So far we have not achieved getting the routes onto official council’s maps.
•
Currently with the exception of 0.3 miles the rest of the route appears to be progressing very slowly. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Royal Tunbridge Wells as a Competing Entity • Consumers have choice where they spend their money. • Royal Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, East Grinstead, Maidstone, Bromley, Bluewater, Online, etc ?
• How many shoppers get put off travelling to Royal Tunbridge Wells due to the traffic queues? • If we shift some local traffic onto cycles, then residual traffic moves. • What is the opportunity cost to the Towns shops, restaurants, retailers profit and loss accounts plus local jobs as a result of the Town’s queues?
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The Solution Maps and Proposed Routes
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The Southborough Spoke - Connecting Southborough with The St John’s Spoke
A26
1.7 miles 0.3 miles Southborough Traffic Lights
St Gregory’s Sch To Speldhurst
Former Ridgeway Sch Yew Tree Rd TWGSB
Intersection with major highway
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The St John’s Spoke connecting St John’s Park, TWGGS, St John’s Sports Centre, TWSSB, & St Gregory School (precise traffic free location to be agreed with schools)
St Greggs Sch
TWGSB
Sports centre Option A 0.25 miles TWGGS Option B 0.65 miles
Skinners Sch
Bennett Sch. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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The Spoke connecting Bennett School, Culverden, Rusthall, Langton, Speldhurst with St John’s Spoke (Could be three stand alone spokes)
TWGSB Bennett to Rusthall (Denny Bottom)
1 mile
All this page 3.8 miles
Bennett Sch.
Intersection with major highway
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The Spoke connecting Langton, Rushall, Culverden, Holmewood House with edge of town (still under review) Help connect up with Sustrans at Groombridge.
4.6 miles
Intersection with major highway
Spa Hotel
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Sainsbury's
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Bayham Road with Foresters Football Club, Town Centre & Mount Ephraim Kent & Sussex Hospital
Intersection with major highway
Need to consider connecting up to a track around part of common.
4.8 miles
Foresters FC Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Distances • 0.25 miles = Eastern side of playing field • 3.25 miles = North of Southborough to edge of Rusthall • 1.60 miles = Track around edge of Common • 15.85 miles = Everything on page.
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Funding Challenge •
Apparently a tarmac cycle lane costs region £80k per mile. (15.85 mile = £1.25m).
•
Sustrans announce Chief Executive Malcolm Shepherd announced 8th Jan 09: – “£17m for safe routes to school” – invites applications • Sustrans School Travel Team on 0117 915 0100 .
– “..every child in the country has the right to a safe walking and cycling route to school. “
• KCC Highways, Air Quality, Healthy Community, ECO, cycling England & other budgets exist. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Benefits of the proposed Solution
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Benefits of Solution. •
Step change in volume of cyclists around town.
•
Reduce dependence on private car around town.
•
Improve safety for cyclists around town.
•
Healthy life style / tackle obesity trend.
•
Reduce pollution for local residents.
•
Schools curriculum sharing, pupils class on time.
•
Help get residual traffic moving (reduces pollution, stress & commute time).
•
Encourage out of town shopper to visit Tunbridge Wells (good for business & jobs).
•
Reduce demand for fossil fuel.
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Next Steps
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Next Steps 1): Connect TWGSB, St Greggs & TWGGS as quickly as possible. 2): Obtain Council commitment to a feasibility study and driving forward whole scheme. 3): Submit whole scheme to Sustrans for funding and start planning permission process. Point 3 has to be done in time to get to Sustrans funding. We need support from Councillors, decision makers, key influencers and general public to make in happen. Route20090206.pdf Hubs n Spokes, C.Froud DD 01892 618921
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Summary •
The Mission – encourage the use of the cycle for some local journeys.
•
The Benefits – safety, health, environment, cost, traffic flow, local business.
•
Obstacles – recognising the need to change, moving cycling from a leisure activity to a utilitarian mode of transport, traffic free cycle lanes to meet peoples safety needs.
•
Actions – encouraging our Councillors and Council to progress the opportunity.
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Hubs and Spokes
Thank you for listening
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