LCRIG director and government adviser Paula Claytonsmith has called for more focus on active travel maintenance, arguing that local asset management plans need to adapt.
Speaking at the Road Safety Markings Association (RSMA) annual conference last month, she warned that the issue was a 'sleeping giant' and stressed the importance of proper maintenance to embedding behaviour change, following increased capital spending on active travel routes.
An excellent session this morning at the RSMA Conference. Our thanks to @pclaytonsmith of the @LCRIGnetwork, @AlReisnerCECA from the @CECANational and our own Stu McInroy for their insightful presentations. #RSMA #Conference #roadmarking #highways #alternativefuels #activetravel pic.twitter.com/nwJ1y1w2gL
— RSMA (@Roadsafetymark) February 2, 2023
‘The real challenge with government funding huge amounts into new policy areas is what I call cliff edge challenges. One of the real challenges when it comes to behaviour change and encouraging the ongoing use of active travel schemes is that is not going to happen if schemes are allowed to fade away. Literally.
‘One thing we know about behaviour change is there needs to be a consistency to this. Perception of place becomes critical. If there is a lack of funding to maintain things to a high level, human behaviour is such that people will start to think something is a challenge, and concerns will creep in - like “is it safe for me and my kids?” - the moment things look a bit degraded, something we have seen in research for many years.’
The LCRIG strategy director also stressed the critical importance of perception, because ‘it has a long-term effect, the word that gets out also influences other people’.
Ms Claytonsmith acknowledged that two critical areas to ongoing maintenance are funding and asset management.
When asked about private funding sources, given the current constraints on local government spending, she said: 'We do need to look at other forms of funding when the purse is under so much stress. In other countries, you do find almost PFI versions of active travel.
‘Unfortunately, in this country, not all the PFI schemes ran as well as they could have done and that has made people more reticent about how private companies can get involved in schemes for the long-term – which is a shame because that is often where you get not just behaviour change but stability for a local authority in knowing where the funding is coming from.'
She also noted that for ‘long-term modal shift, Government and others will have to think about more punitive (measures) but no government wants to think about that yet - it is definitely not a vote winner’.
On asset management, she noted: ‘I think maintenance and asset management plans have been geared up from a road user perspective and most people would say there does need to be a change in perception to thinking about things from a cyclist and walking perspective.
‘It will be an interesting change. Given that in the last 10 years, everything has tended to be about road conditions for vehicles, it is an environment that is almost turned on its head. I think some councils are doing this but what they are not then thinking about is sustaining it long-term.’
Speaking to Highways, she noted that the risk-based approach under the highways management code of practice should give more maintenance focus to cycleways as they are high risk areas for vulnerable road users.
