TAKING ACTION AGAINST ACTIVE TRAVEL BUDGET CUTS

Around 350 walkers and cyclists took action on Wednesday 11th January 2012, gathering in front of the headquarters of the Scottish Government to protest proposed plans to slash government spending on active travel, …read more

Report on Draft Budget Support for Sustainable Transport

On 2 November 2011 Transform Scotland along with Cycling Scotland, Living Streets and Sustrans Scotland, appeared before the Scottish Parliament’s Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee to inform its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2012-13 and Spending Review 2011.

In its written evidence, submitted in advance of the 2 Nov meeting, Transform Scotland concluded that the Draft Budget:

• Does not prioritise the best interventions for promoting economic activity within Scotland.
• Puts into doubt the Government’s legal obligations under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.
• Does continue investment in certain key public transport projects.
• However, continues to prioritise spending on road-building ahead of investment in sustainable transport.
• Removes (or threatens to remove) funding from key sustainable transport budgets, in particular: (i) Active Travel; (ii) Rail Freight; (iii) Bus investment.
• Fails to take the opportunities available to it to raise funds rather than implement cuts.
• Makes no progress in implementing a meaningful carbon assessment mechanism of the Budget process.

Click here for more information on Transform Scotland’s evidence to the ICI Committee

Scottish Charter for Physical Activity

The consultation on the Draft Scottish Charter for Physical Activity has now closed.

Once published the Charter will support existing policy around physical activity and to progress policy into action. The Draft Charter identifies six areas of focus, including transport and planning. Within this area of focus active travel is acknowledged as the most practical and sustainable way to increase physical activity on a daily basis. Specific calls for action include:

• 20 mph as the default speed limit for residential streets,
• 10% of transport budgets committed to walking and/or cycling,
• Civil liability legislation should be changed so that presumed liability is on the least vulnerable in the case of a crash,
• Community engagement should be core to any transport and planning developments,
• Completion of the National Cycle Network such that it is suitable across all life stages and thereafter maintained to high standards

Click here for more information on the Scottish Charter for Physical Activity.

WHO Europe HEAT Tools for Walking and Cycling

The WHO Europe Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) can now be used for walking. This easy to use tool is designed to help you conduct an economic assessment of the health benefits of walking or cycling by estimating the value of reduced mortality that results from specified amounts of walking or cycling.

The tool can be used in a number of different situations, for example:

• When planning a new piece of walking or cycling infrastructure.
• To value the reduced mortality from past and/or current levels of walking and cycling.
• To provide input into more comprehensive economic appraisal exercises, or prospective health impact assessments.

Click here for more information about the WHO HEAT tool.

roads maintenance review

A review is underway to consider improvements to the management and maintenance of all Scotland’s roads. The review is covering the whole of the road asset including the pavement and adjoining footpaths, structures, verges, signing and lighting and the analysis of options will take into account potential impacts on all road users.

Work is progressing across four key areas to ensure the outcomes contained in the review help shape how Scotland’s road network is maintained in the future: These key areas are:

Productivity and technology innovation
Resourcing
Standards and prioritisation
Wider economic issues, impacts, costs and benefits

The review is led by Transport Scotland, in partnership with the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland, Society of Local Authority Chief Executives, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Scottish Road Works Commissioner.

This steering group is supported by 4 working groups drawn from steering group members organisations as well as invited stakeholders, including those who represent the interests of pedestrians and cyclists.
The review is expected to report in autumn 2011 with a Road Maintenance Summit proposed to discuss its findings.

Click here for more information about the Roads Maintenance Review

Low Carbon Scotland Report

On March 14, 2011 the Scottish Government published the report Low Carbon Scotland: Meeting the Emissions Reduction Targets 2010-2022. This fulfils the duty placed on Scottish Ministers by Section 35 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, to lay before the Scottish Parliament a Report on Proposals and Policies setting out specific measures for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to meet Scotland’s ambitious statutory targets.

Milestones for transport in 2020 include:

• personalised travel planning advice provided to all households;
• effective travel plans in all workplaces with more than 30 employees; and
• at least 10% of all journeys made by bicycle.

£1.3 million will be available between 2012 – 2022 for cycling and walking infrastructure.

Click here for more information about Low Carbon Scotland.

cycling walking safer streets

CWSS has been retained in Scotland’s 2011-12 Budget with ring fenced status. It allows for local authority officers to continue to match the funds, available from Sustrans, and develop better facilities for walking and cycling. The CWSS budget has, however, been cut from £9.1M to £7.5M.

Click here for more information about CWSS.

Value for Money: economic assessment of investment in walking and cycling

A recent literature review by Dr Adrian Davis finds that active travel schemes deliver big long term macro solutions. The benefits of active travel intervention can return benefits to costs of up to and over 24:1, 2/3 of which come from health benefits.

Click here for the full report – or go to the downloads section for Dr Davis’ presentation to the 2011 Conference

headlines from conference 2011

• Cross party support for active travel.
• Learning more about research and best practice were the main reasons people attended the conference.
• The day overwhelmingly met expectations (81%).
• There was a high level of interest in another conference in 2012 (83%).

You can download the presentations from a number of speakers from our 2011 conference here.

Conference 2011 presentations are available for download

You can download the presentations from a number of speakers from our 2011 conference here.