AGENDA ITEM
Report on the recently published Cycling Assessment Review by the English Regions Cycling Development Team / 4
Report to Transport Panel 14 December 2004
Author: Morag Saunders 01707 356567
  1. Purpose of Report

The National Cycling Strategy Board has recently published a progress review of the Councils’ performance in promoting and increasing cycling. The purpose of this report is to inform the Panel of the progress that has been made in Hertfordshire.

  1. Cycling Assessment Review

As reported to the Panel in February this year, the County Council received a report by the National Cycling Strategy (NSC) Board, which set out the strengths and weaknesses of our policies and practices. The recommendations of the report and the implications for the County were reported to the Panel.

Following the publication of the LTP Annual Progress Reports, The National Cycling Strategy Board has recently reviewed their Cycling Assessments. The assessments are undertaken by the English Regions Cycling Development Team (ERCDT) on the NCS’s behalf.

The progress of each authority has been reported against each of the ten criteria used for the 2003 assessment. The new report is based on progress made since the baseline assessment rather than a repeat of the original detailed study. A copy of the report is attached in Appendix 1

Hertfordshire has received a bell score of 27 from the review, an increase of two bells. Improvements have been recognised by the ERCDT on almost all the criteria even though this has not always resulted in an increase in the bell rating. Particular improvements have been made in the areas of Cycle Training and the setting of Targets and Monitoring.

This will be the last cycling assessment review as the ERCDT will come to the end of its 3-year term in spring 2005.

3. General Cycling Update

Officers are currently taking part in a Regional Benchmarking project. The CTC and the ERCDT run the project with funding from the Department of Transport. The project involves officers from the Region attending a series of visits to each other’s authorities to discuss and learn areas of best practice in cycling. Hertfordshire was the first authority to host a visit in September. The project is due to conclude in Spring with a consolidation workshop were the best practice and benchmarks which have emerged from the visits will be reviewed.

Cycling to County Hall is also being promoted through the Bicycle Users Group (BUG). It is pleasing to note that there is interest from other County Council sites about setting up local BUGS. Whilst this will be supported wherever possible, it is likely to lead to requests for facilities such as showers, lockers and cycle parking. There is already difficulty in obtaining funds from the facilities management budget at County Hall, and will probably be an issue at other locations.

  1. Issues for the Panel to Consider

This paper is for information only. However, the Panel may wish to consider whether further actions are required to improve cycling.

  1. Financial Implication

The work outlined in this paper is being funded from current budget allocations. However, any additional actions may have financial implications and would therefore need to be considered in detail before any decisions could be made.

  1. Decision Making Process

No further member decision-making processes are required.

Appendix

English Regions Cycling Development Team

2004 Progress Review - Local Authority Performance on Cycling

Local Authority: / Hertfordshire County Council
Government Office: / Eastern Region
Summary of the local authority’s progress on cycling since the 2003 ERCDT assessment
Compared with many other eastern region authorities, Hertfordshire has started early this year with introducing best practice awareness training augmented by regional benchmarking. It will take some time, however, before the routine inclusion of cost-effective, on-road facilities - operating in urban areas with traffic and/or speed restraint and other traffic management measures - are more widely implemented. This will require political and officer commitment, the next milestone. Stakeholders are united in their concern over this, in addition to a desire for more effective consultation and involvement. Improvement in cycle training scope, procedures and numbers of children trained, together with more effective monitoring arrangements, has resulted in an improved overall score. Key recommendations focus on ensuring that best practice on-road measures are delivered consistently through the use of Cycle Audit and Cycle Review. Action of this nature will ensure that more cycle trips will register through the improved monitoring.
2003 bell score: 25 2004 bell score: 27

Review of Progress on Key Criteria

A: Local Transport Plan / Cycling Strategy
LTP review is to take place with an opportunity to review the role of and commitment to cycling. The existing Cycling Strategy is intended to be “developed and broadened”.
2003 Bell Rating: 3 2004 Bell Rating: 3
2004 Recommendations
  • Update cycling strategy in line with best practice.
  • Strengthen and widen the role of cycling in forthcoming LTP review.

B: Annual Progress Report (APR)
HCC has produced an ’excellent authority' version of the APR, since it was not required to produce a full one this year. Other than in the capital programme and the cycle target review, there is little mention of the role and performance of cycling. There is no information about completed cycle schemes. As with last year, a transferral of funds from the 2003/4 cycling budget is reported (which HCC justifies by alluding to planning gain and other funding receipts). This gives cause for concern. The 2004/5 cycling budget continues at comparatively low levels. HCC is about to implement positive changes following a review of the cycling trips monitoring arrangements – this is very welcome. For this reason, the council has not been able to report any cycle use information in the current APR. Stakeholders claim no participation with the APR this year.
2003 Bell Rating: 3 2004 Bell Rating: 2
2004 Recommendations
  • Review and maintain an appropriate level of funding support via the cycling schemes budget.
  • More emphasis on how cycling fulfils LTP objectives and could be more central in other activities.
  • Widen reporting categories to include on-road or road-space reallocation initiative.
  • Address understatement / omission of the role of cycling in other reported activities.
  • Consider a wider range of quality, local targets.
  • Cycling is appropriate to all four ‘shared priority’ areas but only alluded to in two of them.
  • Stakeholder involvement should be included.

C: Council Commitment
There has been a marked commitment to improving staff training and awareness of cycling best practice – participation in regional benchmarking and use of ERCDT training seminar is noted. There has been attendance at the Cycling Forum and at selected stakeholder meetings by members and senior officers, and positive pro-cycling statements are reported by stakeholders. There is both ERCDT and stakeholder concern over the sustained cycling schemes budget reductions. Member, management and design staff concerns about ‘not compromising vehicular access and capacity’ continue. This is further evidenced by comments and examples cited by stakeholders. There is no evidence that HCC is leading by example through the effective implementation of its existing, in-house, green travel plan.
2003 Bell Rating: 3 2004 Bell Rating: 3
2004 Recommendations
  • Maintain appropriate funding for the cycling schemes budget.
  • Continue and widen initiatives to learn and share best practice.
  • Review how cycling budgets may be directed to more cost-effective measures (e.g. on-road).
  • Staff travel plan should be revisited, looking at effectiveness – providing a role for staff BUG might be useful.

D: Infrastructure
The APR reports that £212K worth of cycling schemes was delivered in 2003/4. There is no further information submitted about the range or effectiveness of this investment. Stakeholder feedback is generally of disappointment. Claims are made that cyclists’ needs are not adequately considered and that opportunities are being missed. There is also disappointment that HCC does not consider ‘traffic restraint’ or apply the ‘hierarchy of solutions’ approach – this disappointment appears to be borne out in practice. It is acknowledged that it will take some time for the best practice awareness training to result in more innovative, best practice, on-road facilities filtering through. Traffic restraint and speed reduction, advance stop lines, well-specified cycle lanes, contra-flows, exemptions from restrictions, town centre ban reviews, etc. must be the main thrust of the investment programme. Involving stakeholders more usefully in the process will bring further benefits. There is local disappointment about the quality and provision of signing.
2003 Bell Rating: 2 2004 Bell Rating: 2
2004 Recommendations
  • Cycle Review of main urban centres should be undertaken as a matter of urgency, looking at how cost-effective, on-road measures could enhance the existing networks more quickly.
  • Cycle Audit should be introduced and stakeholder involvement should be improved and widened.
  • Review of guidance and standards and continued awareness training will ensure that best practice is considered from the outset and starts to become evident in new schemes.
  • Review of town centre cycle bans in line with the Watford best practice (24 hour access).

E: Cyclist Training
HCC has taken advantage of the opportunity to increase the number of well-trained instructors in addition to reviewing its cycle training programme in line with the new national standards. It is claimed that 61.5% of Hertfordshire schoolchildren are now being trained in years 5 and 6. Training in year 5 is considered to be evidence of innovation and a move away from the perception that this is too early to train. Advanced training for secondary schools and for adults is now on offer (though no evidence of take-up is provided). Combining this range of training with Safe Routes to Schools initiatives is also very good practice. This overall approach is to be applauded. Evidence of take-up, programme effectiveness and ongoing adherence with the standard will result in further recognition of good practice.
2003 Bell Rating: 2 2004 Bell Rating: 4
2004 Recommendations
  • Endeavour to make this best practice approach deliver good standard training to all schoolchildren.
  • Ensure that training provision delivers the new national standard for all ages of cyclist.

F: Marketing and Promotion
County routes and opportunities are supported by maps and guides, with a new, attractive guide, The Ebury Way, being produced this year through a local partnership including enthusiastic local cyclists. Partnership work with ‘Chilterns Conservation’ has been commended by stakeholders. Bike Week was supported with much assistance from enthusiastic local cycling groups. The attractive HCC ‘Cycleweb’ is one of the better cycling websites in the eastern region, with a wide range of topics covered. Downloadable maps and on-line ordering facilities for maps and guides would make it even better. TravelWise, a sustainable travel marketing campaign, is undergoing a review to include more cycling and Safe Routes to Schools elements. Some stakeholders are disappointed with the level and quality of local route signing. More promotional work with public transport providers and local health agencies is a logical next step to be included in a more formal marketing strategy.
2003 Bell Rating: 3 2004 Bell Rating: 3
2004 Recommendations
  • Enhance the existing useful Cycleweb facility.
  • Widen the outlets and availability of the good existing maps and guides.
  • Consider a ‘cycling (and walking) for health’ initiative in conjunction with local health organisations.
  • Improve the quality and extensiveness of local cycle route destination signing.
  • Develop a more formal marketing strategy with a dedicated budget.
  • Extend links to public transport providers and health agencies.

G: Stakeholder Engagement
HCC runs a county Cycling Forum and is considering extending this to a district basis. Some stakeholders report an improvement in engagement, though some remain disappointed and frustrated with the outcomes. There is evidence of an overall improvement, however, with NCN routes in particular being subject to ‘user audits’ by local cyclists. This is not general practice for the wider range of schemes, where the lack of a Cycle Audit sometimes results in schemes that are less safe or convenient for cyclists (e.g. Camp Road, St Albans). The involvement of disabled groups with cyclists on the issue of path barriers has much potential, mutual usefulness and is to be commended. This should help rid path networks of the many unnecessary barriers in place throughout walking and cycling networks.
2003 Bell Rating: 3 2004 Bell Rating: 3
2004 Recommendations
  • Extend consultation opportunities to include all cycling and general traffic management schemes.
  • Endeavour to take the response from stakeholders more seriously and constructively.
  • Extend the success of the county Cycling Forum into the districts.

H: Wider Engagement
HCC has provided evidence of incremental improvements to wider engagement activities, both already undertaken and proposed. This is very encouraging, and evidence of effectiveness and implementation will be recognised in future assessments. An example is a curriculum pack aimed at secondary school level. This augments current good travel plan and other work with schools. Evidence of useful initiatives with health organisations, transport providers and others is, however, limited.
2003 Bell Rating: 3 2004 Bell Rating: 3
2004 Recommendations
  • Extend pro-cycling activity partnership working to include health agencies and public transport providers.

I: Planning for Cycling
LAs must ensure that developers take cycling seriously when new development is proposed. There is no evidence provided that this has improved significantly, though it is noted that HCC's development control function is being reorganised. Cycling best practice aware staff (in adequate numbers), backed up by polices that reduce car dependence and procedures and structures that ensure that developers include and implement useful measures to create cycle-friendly environments, will be expected. Contributions from developers that augment strategic route improvement beyond the development site (not just within) is further evidence of the better performing planning authority. In this respect, the achievements in partnership with Watford BC are highly commendable - here the district gets contributions from all development on a reliable, formulaic basis, which then can be used to fund district-wide cycle network projects. This approach should be adopted by all districts. Cycle reviews for the larger urban areas will ensure that current best practice (including cost-effective, on-road measures, re-allocation of road space, traffic restraint and speed reduction initiatives) can be applied quickly to appropriate routes and locations. The use of Cycle Audit is once again stressed as fundamental to good planning for cycling.
2003 Bell Rating: 2 2004 Bell Rating: 2
2004 Recommendations
  • Ensure adequate DC staff numbers and appropriate workloads.
  • Use of Cycle Review and Cycle Audit should be part of any DC review.
  • Ensure appropriate best practice measures both within and beyond the site in question.
  • Refer to appropriate guidance – e.g. Places Streets & Movement.
  • Consider Home Zone layout approaches that don’t need additional cycling infrastructure.
  • extend Watford DC planning gain good practice to the remaining districts.

J: Targets and Monitoring
The cycling trips target has been revised to achieving a 20% increase from 2004/5 to 2015/16. This is not a challenging target given that levels of cycling are currently very low (2%) in Hertfordshire. A trebling of current use would be more appropriate. ERCDT pointed this out at the Cycling Forum meeting to which it was first presented. HCC has made considerable improvements to the cycle trips monitoring arrangements. A combination of extensive automatic counters supplemented with manual and cordon count information will give a more consistent, accurate reflection of local cycling. Additional local, cycle-related targets are included in the APR, though even more would be useful.
2003 Bell Rating: 1 2004 Bell Rating: 2
2004 Recommendations
  • Revised target is not challenging; change to a trebling of existing use.
  • Consider additional, local, outcome-based targets.

Transport Panel 14 December 2004 Item 4 Page 1

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