Westminster Cycling Campaign)
4 days ago
Westminster’s draft Walking Strategy:
some movement from entrenched positions
- Posted in: Westminster
Westminster is now consulting the public about its proposed Walking Strategy. No, they are not suggesting that we get off our bikes and take to our feet. It’s simply that walking has rather been eclipsed by cycling: the last walking strategy was adopted in 2004.
The objectives of the strategy are:
- to provide capacity to support current walking demand and accommodate future growth;
- to improve the quality of the walking environment and public realm to make walking more comfortable;
- to make walking more intuitive by increasing legibility and permeability;
- to ensure walking is a safe option for everyone;
- to make the pedestrian environment more accessible for all users;
- to enable behaviour change to realise the potential of walking.
We are pleased to see that the council is now showing some movement from what were its entrenched positions on certain issues. It now recognises that there could be some benefit from a 20mph limit and proposes to ‘consider the potential for a pilot 20mph zone’. (We would like to see a more positive commitment!)
Until now, Westminster’s insistence that all new housing should have car parking has not only kept up traffic volumes but also made it more difficult to provide more homes to relieve the dire shortage in London. The council now acknowledges that ‘Low car or car free development combined with public realm improvements, secured through Section 106 agreements, can support more walking, cycling, public transport use and car clubs.’
The Walking Strategy also acknowledges that almost two-thirds of Westminster households are now car-free and that ‘More restrictive car parking approaches are the norm in other central London boroughs, and can be helpful in reducing car travel and encouraging greater use of other modes. ‘
Read the walking strategy for yourself »
If you feel like commenting, the address is walking
