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Draft cycling and walking investment strategy published on Easter Sunday

27th March 2016

In a bizarre move, the Department for Transport has published its draft cycling and walking investment strategy today, Easter Sunday. One might speculate that the publication date was chosen for media management reasons, to generate minimum adverse publicity when most people are out of the office, on a Bank Holiday.

The draft strategy is open for consultation until 23rd May 2016.

Reaction from British Cycling and CTC

The reaction from cycle campaigners has been focused on the lack of significant funding to implement the strategy. No further money has been announced, only the funding already allocated by the Chancellor George Osborne - £316m over five years, or £1.39 per head per year in England, excluding TfL funding in London. By contrast, £15bn has been allocated to motorways and trunk roads. 

British Cycling policy advisor Chris Boardman said, 'The truth is that without sustained funding, this strategy won't be worth the paper it's written on. We know that when faced with other priorities like road maintenance, saving bus routes, and new housing developments, cycling and walking will be put at the bottom of most councils' to-do lists.' Boardman also pointed out on Twitter that £316m is barely half the cost of upgrading Bank tube station. 'Frankly, it's embarrassing.'

CTC's Roger Geffen said, 'Despite its laudable aim to normalise cycling and walking by 2040, this strategy's draft targets suggest that, outside London, English cycle use would eventually reach Dutch levels by the start of the C23rd, while its funding allocations mean even slower progress. If ministers are serious about their stated aims, they need to reallocate some of their £15bn motorway and trunk road budget towards cycling and walking. That could help tackle congestion, pollution, physical inactivity and climate change, whereas roads spending will do the exact opposite.'

The draft cycling and walking investment strategy

Foreword

The draft document has a foreword by Patrick McLoughlin (Secretary of State for Transport) and Robert Goodwill (minister with responsibility for walking and cycling). It mentions per head figures for cycling spend between 2010 and 2015, but not current/future figures for the period covered by the investment strategy - presumably because they would look so bad. It sets out the reasons why it would be a good idea to invest in cycling ('...for society as a whole it means lower congestion, better air quality, and vibrant, attractive places and communities'), but unfortunately doesn't get anywhere near delivering the funding which would achieve the strategy's ambitions and objectives. 

In typical DfT style, where cycling is concerned, the foreword stresses what 'partners' can do (local government, businesses, charities, and the public), but drastically limits the scope of its own responsibility. It suggests that the Government take a lead on '...setting the framework and sharing knowledge and good practice.' Surely it would be difficult to get any more vague, or take on less. A lot of campaigners believe we need new national standards for quality cycle infrastructure, but apparently the government doesn't agree.

The foreword finishes with a flourish: '...by working together we can transform our country's attitude to walking and cycling, positioning England as a global-leader and inspiration around the world.' That's so far from the reality as to be laughable. It must be better to concentrate on improving the conditions for walking and cycling in England, accepting that we start from a very low base, rather than having unrealistic ambitions to give lessons to other countries.

Introduction

The introduction explains that the document sets out the government's ambition, targets, and objectives, the financial resources available to meet them, and the strategy. It says this first strategy will be reviewed in 2017, and a second strategy will then be developed. It refers to the public consultation on this draft investment strategy (but unfortunately, the consultation is only on certain closely defined questions, and is not a consultation on the key question that should be asked about an investment strategy - how much money are you investing?)

Ambition

The main ambition for England is: 'We want to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys, or as part of a longer journey.' This section says, 'We cannot afford not to grasp the opportunities available,' but with the minimal funding on offer, it does appear that the government is not grasping the opportunities available. 

Ambitions by 2040 are for better safety (including 20mph limits where appropriate), better mobility (which includes safe paths along busy roads), and better streets (places designed for people, with walking and cycling put first).

A changing institutional landscape

This section is one page, which seems to be trying to explain why the Cycling Delivery Plan from October 2014 was jettisoned so quickly, and why the government is taking responsibility for so little. Apparently, the answer is that '...the Government has transformed the delivery landscape across England through a process of devolution which has seen powers pass from Whitehall to local areas across the country.'

Specific objectives and target

The objectives measure progress towards the 2040 ambition.

By 2020, the objectives are:

*to increase cycling activity

*to reverse the decline in walking

*to reduce cycling KSIs

*to increase the percentage of 5 to 10 year olds who usually walk to school

By 20205:

*double cycling

This section acknowledges that there is 'significant potential for change in our travel behaviour. Two out of every three personal trips are within five miles - an achievable distance to walk or cycle for most people.'

Financial resources

The sums committed to cycling from 2016-17 to 2020-21 amount to £316m. This is made up of £50m for Bikeability, £101m from Cycle Ambition Cities, £85m from Highways England, and £80m from the Access Fund. The Highways England money is for 'cycle-proofing' the existing strategic road network; the Access Fund is intended to build on the legacy of the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, and Local Enterprise Partnerships received some this money.

In addition to the above amounts, money from the DfT highways maintenance block could be spent on creating safe space for walking and cycling, and some money from the Integrated Transport Block goes to cycling.

Governance arrangements

There's to be an independent Expert Committee to review the CWIS and its implementation, supported by a Delivery Team responsible for 'enabling delivery of the Strategy.' The Committee will be in place by October 2016, and meet once every two months to review implementation of the Strategy.

Recent developments

This is another reference to the discarded Cycling Delivery Plan, and the section explains that the government has reconfirmed the expanded on the ambition in the CDP for walking and cycling to become the natural choice for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey.

Consultation

There are five questions, asking for views - but none of them relates to the amount of investment in cycling. The questions are:

1) About the approach and actions set out in the consultation section (a confused mish-mash of what's been done to date, and suggestions of things which might be done in the future).

2) Potential roles of government departments, local government, and other bodies including businesses and charities, in delivering the strategy.

3) Suggestions for projects and programmes.

4) How to get more women, older people, and minority ethnic groups cycling.

5) What assistance local authorities and LEPs may need in developing (optional) Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plans.

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