Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020?2030 Contents 3 Executive summary 4 Introduction 5 Background Isle of Wight: cycling and walking 6 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plans Local cycling and walking infrastructure plans – process 8 Stage 1 – geographical scope 9 Stage 2 – gathering information National walking cycling statistics Isle of Wight Council travel behaviour change programmes 15 Stage 3 – network planning for cycling Identifying trip origin and destinations The cycle route selection process Newport cycling route proposals Route summary Route summary 23 Stage 4 – network planning for Walking Identifying key walking routes and core walking zones Route selection and auditing Newport walking routes Route summary Ryde walking routes Route summary 31 Stage 5 – action plan 32 Stage 6 – action plan Executive summary In 2017 the Government published its first Cycling and Walking Strategy (CWIS), setting out an ambition to make cycling and walking the natural choice for shorter journeys, or as key stages within longer journeys. The CWIS references ambitious targets for increasing cycling and walking, including: • to aim to double cycling, where cycling activity is measured as the estimated total number of cycle stages made each year, from 0.8 billion stages in 2013 to 1.6 billion stages in 2025; • to aim to increase walking activity, where walking activity is measured as the total number of walking stages per person per year, to 300 stages per person per year in 2025. and 24 walking routes and zones, which if implemented, will lead to a transformation in volumes of cycling and walking in Newport and Ryde, in line with the ambition of the CWIS. This LCWIP process sets out how we work towards delivering ambitious plans to increase walking and cycling opportunities across the Isle of Wight. The plan will help support the delivery of planning policy, regeneration plans, health and wellbeing policy, and Island’s emerging climate and environment strategy supporting the Island going carbon neutral by 2035. In recognising that improvements to infrastructure are critical to increasing volumes of cycling and walking, the CWIS introduces local cycling and walking infrastructure plans (LCWIPs) – a new strategic approach to identifying cycling and walking improvements required at the local level, to enable a long-term approach to developing local cycling and walking networks. To assist local authorities in the preparation of LCWIPS, the Department for Transport (DfT) has prepared technical guidance together with a number of software tools which support route audit and selection. A number of local authorities have also benefitted from external technical support facilitated through the DfT. This document presents the first LCWIP for the Isle of Wight covering the towns of Newport and Ryde. Following the stages set out in the LCWIP Guidance, the Isle of Wight LCWIP considers a range of background evidence and stakeholder engagement, setting out 16 cycle route corridors 3 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Introduction Local cycling and walking Infrastructure plans are identified in the Government’s strategy as a new tool to identify strategic cycling and walking improvements at the local level. They enable a long-term approach to developing local cycling and walking networks, ideally over a 10-year period. In 2017 the Government published its first cycling and walking investment strategy, which sets out their ambition to make walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey. This report has been developed to support the emerging new planning policy and the local transport plan. This local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP) is a live strategy developed in partnership with key stakeholders. The plan has been produced to help plan new or improved walking and cycling routes, and to prioritise future resources. The LCWIP was developed using ‘local cycling and walking infrastructure plan technical guidance for local authorities’, issued by the Department for Transport (DfT), and also considering existing local walking and cycling plans. Technical support was provided by DfT’s appointed consultant, WSP, and guidance and advice was provided by Sustrans, who are part of the strategic support team. The Isle of Wight LCWIP (‘The plan’) brings together existing evidence on potential improvements to the walking and cycling networks within selected geographical areas, and provides a consistent methodology to prioritise interventions aimed at: • improving the cycling network to reduce the propensity to travel by private vehicle and increase active travel, by walking and cycling; • identifying and prioritising walking infrastructure opportunities to increase the number of walking trips to local destinations; • ensuring new development complements and connects to the existing and planned walking and cycling network; and • Isle of Wight to bid for funding to make improvements to the network. Background Isle of Wight: cycling and walking The Isle of Wight is the nation’s Bicycle Island and home of Walk the Wight, the largest sponsored walk of its kind in Europe. It’s a place where active modes are welcomed and their benefits realised; the geography, demography and spatial design of the Isle of Wight are all enablers of active travel. The Isle of Wight Council is committed to cycling and walking and has an ambition to normalise cycling and walking for short distance journeys. Will seek to achieve this by: • identifying, prioritising and appraising cycling and walking networks which link origins and destinations; • developing and presenting compelling business cases for active mode infrastructure investment from all possible funding sources; • maximising the volume of cycling and walking stages through the delivery of travel behaviour Local cycling and walking infrastructure plans change campaigns across a variety of target markets; • working closely with our key stakeholders (Ramblers, CycleWight, town and parish councils and local regeneration and business groups) to seek to resource new or improved walking and cycling routes. Whilst ongoing investment in travel behaviour change interventions on the Island is evidencing an increasing volume of trips using active modes, there remains a clear demand for additional investment in cycling and walking infrastructure. A number of Island settlements are already linked by traffic free cycling and walking corridors, and where this is the case, trip volumes are encouraging. The challenge going forward is to ensure that many more settlements, and other logical origins and destinations, are connected by high quality cycling and walking infrastructure which inspires use. The tools and processes set out in the LWCIP guidance will provide confidence that future schemes are robust. The Isle of Wight is England’s only island local highway authority, which presents a unique set of circumstances for cycling and walking. 90.2 per cent of economically active Island residents are employed in jobs which are based on the Island; only five per cent of jobs on the Island are taken up by non-residents, indicating a residence based self-containment level of 95 per cent. Around 8.9 million passenger journeys are made across The Solent each year, and just over half of these trips are generated by visitors to the Island. What this means is that unlike other local authority areas, many of the products and services required by Island residents can be obtained on the Island via short distance trips. In addition, distances between many settlements on the Isle of Wight are lower than the 15km average commuting distance identified through the 2011 census. Local cycling and walking infrastructure plans (LCWIPs), as set out in the Government’s cycling and walking investment strategy, are a new, strategic approach to identifying cycling and walking improvements required at the local level. They enable a long-term approach to developing local cycling and walking networks, ideally over a 10-year period, and form a vital part of the Government’s strategy to increase the number of trips made on foot or by cycle. The key outputs of LCWIPs are: • a network plan for walking and cycling which identifies preferred routes and core zones for further development; • a prioritised programme of infrastructure improvements for future investment; • a report which sets out the underlying analysis carried out and provides a narrative which supports the identified improvements and network. 5 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 By taking a strategic approach to improving conditions for cycling and walking, LCWIPs will assist local authorities to: • identify cycling and walking infrastructure improvements for future investment in the short, medium and long term; • ensure that consideration is given to cycling and walking within both local planning and transport policies and strategies; • make the case for future funding for walking and cycling infrastructure. While the preparation of LCWIPs is nonmandatory, local authorities which have completed and adopted LCWIPs will be well placed to make the case for future investment. The development of a LCWIP has be directed by the Department of Transport who produced clear guidance for local authorities to follow. The stages of development and resources required to complete each stage varied. Stakeholders were assisted throughout the process and additional resource from local contractors was procured to assist the auditing and mapping elements of the plan. Alongside local support the production of the LCWIP has been supported through active travel consultants, WSP. WSP provided 30 days of support across all stages of the LCWIP process and were funded directly by the DfT. Local cycling and walking infrastructure plans – process Stage 1 2 3 4 5 Name Determining scope Description Establish the geographical extent of the LCWIP, and arrangements for governing and preparing the plan. Gathering information ldentify existing patterns of walking and cycling and potential new journeys. Review existing conditions and identify barriers to cycling and walking. Review related transport and land use policies and programmes. Network planning for Identify origin and destination cycling points and cycle flows. Convert flows into a network of routes and determine the type of improvements required. Network planning for Identify key trip generators, core walking walking zones and routes. Audit existing provision and determine the type of improvements required. Prioritising Prioritise improvements to develop improvements a phased programme for future investment. Integrate outputs into local planning Recognising the scale of the process, the LCWIP guidance suggest that and transport policies, strategies, authorities divide their LCWIP into and delivery plans. sub-areas, enabling the development of the LCWIP to be phased. In this case, authorities should prioritise areas which have the greatest potential for growing cycling and walking trips. 6 Integration and application 7 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Stage 1 – geographical scope The LCWIP guidance recommends that where authorities are dividing their LCWIP into a number of sub-areas, priority should be given to areas which have the greatest potential for growing cycling and walking trips. • they have the highest propensity for increased cycling and walking; • they are centres for future growth and regeneration; • of opportunities to support partnerships with external partners of securing external As such, Newport and Ryde have been selected as resources, eg, Ryde’s link to the South priority settlements because: • by population, they are the Island largest settlements Hampshire application to the Transforming Cities Fund. on the Isle of Wight; • they have the highest transport movements, as measured in journeys to work and school; Newport: Geographical extent of LCWIP © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Ryde: Geographical extent of LCWIP © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Stage 2 – gathering information After agreeing the scope of the LCWIP the stakeholder groups reviewed as much local, regional and national data possible to help inform the selection of walking and cycling routes. Whilst is it noted that travel behaviour change interventions are not covered by the LWCIP guidance, it is accepted that they have an important role to play alongside the delivery of infrastructure schemes. The Isle of Wight is one of a small number of local authorities which has benefitted from concurrent rounds of sustainable transport funding from DfT since 2012. The key milestones and learning from these programmes has been reviewed and used to support the LWCIP process of identifying key capital infrastructure improvements. Propensity to Cycle Tool (PCT). This webbased tool is an online resource developed by the DfT which has been designed to assist with the strategic planning of cycling networks. It comprises an interactive map which displays the current and potential distribution of commuter cycling trips under different growth scenarios. This data was shared with stakeholders. The maps on the following page show the proportion of commuters in each zone with a fast route commute distance less than 10km (calculated excluding people with no fixed workplace). The average proportion was 58 per cent across zones in the Isle of Wight, compared with a national average of 56 per cent. The righthand map shows the average hilliness of the fastest routes used by commuters living in each zone. The average was three per cent across zones in the Isle of Wight, compared with a national average of 1.9 per cent. The Island is fortunate to benefit from proactive, well regarded advocacy groups for cycling and walking, including CycleWight and the Isle of Wight Ramblers. CycleWight is in the process of developing an Isle of Wight cycling strategy, including a detailed set of network enhancements and future routes. Isle of Wight Ramblers provided a comprehensive and considered response to the recent reassessment of the council’s rights of way improvement plan. Both organisations played a key role in providing information and data to the project team. As a further layer of evidence to assist in the development of the LCWIP cycling network, origin and destination points were analysed using The 9 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Proportion of commuters with a fast route commute distance less than 10km The maps below compare the most recent cycling commuter flows (2011 census) for Newport and Ryde alongside those required to achieve the CWIS cycling target by 2025 (doubling cycling). Newport: Percentage cycling to work (2011 census) The average hilliness of commute trips less than 10km Black lines represent the boundaries of middle super output areas (MSOAs). The maps below sets out the cycling to work 2011 data alongside the national target. 10 Newport: Percentage cycling to work (CWIS 2025 target) 0 1 % © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Ryde: Percentage cycling to work (2011 census) © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org 6% 7-9% 2 3 % 4 - © openstreetmap.org opendatacommons.org contributors & Ryde: Percentage cycling to work (CWIS 2025 target) © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org 1 1 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 For this study the top fifteen straight line desire lines between census local super output areas (LSOAs) were determined, applying the ‘go Dutch scenario’ which considers the increase in cycle users if England had the same infrastructure and cycling culture as the Netherlands. Whilst the tool outputs are not predictions of the future, they provide snapshots indicating how the spatial distribution of cycling may shift as cycling grows based on current travel patterns Comparison of desire lines for cycle trips in Newport (top 15 clustered desire lines and top 15 propensity to cycle tool straight line flows) Clustered desire lines based on origin destination analysis (top 15 lines) Line width indicates potential for cycling Propensity to cycle tool straight line flow – go Dutch scenario (top 15 lines) Line width indicates potential for cycling Newport civil parish Clustered desire lines based on origin destination analysis (top 15 lines) Line width indicates potential for cycling Line width indicates potential for cycling Ryde civil parish © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Further maps illustrating the above analysis can be found in appendix A. The Government wants walking and cycling to be a normal part of everyday life, and the natural Propensity to cycle tool straight line flow – go Dutch scenario (top 15 lines) choices for shorter journeys such as going to school, college or work, travelling to the station, and for simple enjoyment. In 2017 the Government published its first cycling and walking investment strategy (CWIS). The strategy sets out the Government’s ambition to make walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of a longer journey. Realising this ambition will take sustained investment in cycling and walking infrastructure, and partnership working with local bodies, the third sector and the wider public and private sector to build a local commitment. The strategy supports the transformation of local areas: change which will tackle congestion, change which will extend opportunity to improve physical and mental health, and change which will support local economies. The strategy’s objectives are to: • increase cycling activity, where cycling activity is measured; • increase walking activity, where walking activity is measured; • increase the percentage of children aged 5 to 10 that usually walk to school; • support appropriate training of young people, eg, Bikeability to primary schools; • increase the percentage of children aged five to 10 that usually walk to school from 49 per cent in 2014 to 55 per cent in 2030; • promote the Island as walking and cycling destination supporting an increase in sustainable transport, green tourism and regional and national events. National walking cycling statistics household survey by residents of England, from data collected via a push-to-web survey. The data provides insight into levels of activity across the Isle of Wight. The data cannot be attributed to residents of Ryde or Newport, although the key datasets of relevance to the LCWIP are: • Proportion of adults who do any walking or cycling, for any purpose, by frequency and local authority, England, 2017-2018 • Proportion of adults that cycle, by frequency, purpose and local authority, England, 20172018 • Proportion of adults that walk, by frequency, purpose and local authority, England, 20172018 • Proportion of adults who do any walking or cycling, for any purpose, by frequency and local authority, England, 2017-2018 The charts on page 13 show the proportion of adults which cycle or walk for any purpose across a range of frequencies. Data for the Isle of Wight is compared alongside that of the South East and England. ‘Walking’ refers to any continuous walk of over 10 minutes, irrespective of purpose; ‘cycling’ refers to any cycling, irrespective of length or purpose. The chart shows that levels of walking and cycling are higher on the Isle of Wight than the south east and England as a whole. 86.4 per cent of Isle of Wight residents cycle or walk once per month, and over 53 per cent cycle or walk three times per week. Walking and cycling statistics available from the DfT presents data using two main sources, the National Travel Survey (NTS) and the Active Lives Survey (ALS). The NTS is a household survey of personal travel by residents of England travelling within Great Britain, from data collected via interviews and a one-week travel diary. The ALS is a 1 3 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Proportion of adults that cycle for travel, by frequency (2017-2018) The chart below shows the proportion of Isle of Wight adult residents which cycle for travel across four frequency criteria. Cycling for travel refers to cycling from place to place, e.g. from home to work. The chart shows that cycling five times per week, or three times per week, at 2.1 per cent and 3.5 per cent respectively, is higher Proportion of adults that cycle for travel, by frequency (2017-2018) than the data for England as a whole, but slightly lower than the data for the south east. The proportion of adults cycling less frequently, once a month or once a week, is lower than the equivalent data for both the south east and England as a whole. Proportion of adults that walk for utility purposes, by frequency (2017-2018). The chart below shows the proportion of Isle of Wight adult residents which walk across four frequency criteria. Walking for travel refers to walking from place to place, eg, from home to a place of employment. The proportion Isle of Wight Council travel behaviour change programmes of Isle of Wight residents walking five times a week (18.2 per cent) or three times a week (23.6 per cent) is higher than the both the south east and England as a whole. The proportion walking at least once a month (86 per cent) is significantly higher than the equivalent frequency for the south east (81.5 per cent) and England as a whole (78.2 per cent). Access fund The LCWIP guidance recognises that behaviour change interventions should be considered alongside the infrastructure schemes. Since 2011, the Isle of Wight Council has been successful in securing funding from the Department for Proportion of adults that walk for travel, by frequency (2017-2018) Transport to deliver target market specific travel behaviour change programmes. These programmes have included a specific focus on residents accessing employment and education, and visitor travel. Employers participating in the programme demonstrate the following mode share: Mode share (%) Organisation Location Car Car Share Walk Cycle Bus Other Volume of employees Southern Vectis Newport 53 8 11 13 11 4 263 Isle of Wight NHS Trust Newport 68 – 7 8 5 2 2950 Broadlands House Newport 52 23 18 0 4 3 140 Isle of Wight Council Newport 68 8 9 6 8 1 1800 School participating in the programme demonstrate the following mode share: Mode share (%) Location Cycle Walk Scoot or skate Bembridge C of E Primary School Ryde 13.4 39.7 12.9 0.9 33.1 194 Oakfield CofE Primary Ryde 3.9 42.7 17.1 5.0 30.4 275 School name 1 5 Bus Car Pupils Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Binstead Primary School Ryde 17.0 34.4 14.8 0.3 33.4 208 Greenmount Primary Ryde 2.7 44.8 8.9 2.2 41.5 418 Dover Park Primary School Ryde 2.8 62.2 12.1 0.6 22.3 197 Wootton Primary Ryde 5.2 52.2 11.6 0.7 29.8 189 St Mary's Catholic Primary Ryde 2.4 35.8 6.5 0.0 55.3 188 Ryde 5.8 52.4 8.3 0.2 33.3 403 Newport CE Primary Newport 3.5 60.6 9.6 0.6 25.7 306 Summerfields Primary Newport 2.9 41.5 11.4 1.0 43.1 189 Barton Primary School Newport 0.0 75.9 3.4 0.0 20.7 255 Hunnyhill Primary Newport 2.7 53.2 12.2 1.9 30.0 332 Nine Acres Primary Newport 6.6 59.5 10.7 0.0 23.1 337 Haylands Primary School Stage 3 – network planning for cycling This chapter provides an overview of how a network plan for cycling has been determined. An initial stage is to consider where the propensity for cycling exists within Newport and Ryde, and where the targeted investment in infrastructure can generate more journeys by bicycle. This task was advanced through a series of sequential stages of evidence gathering, analysis and options development. The Isle of Wight LCWIP has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders to ensure the views of a variety of road users have been captured. The consultation process and the development of the LCWIP has been informed by stake holder feedback and key data sources. A number of engagement/consultation meetings were coordinated with key stakeholders across a number of months in 2019 to help gather information, review data, identify key routes and shape the priorities contained within the report. Information contained within school and business active travel plans were reviewed during the route selection process, including current modes of transport. Stakeholder events were held in Newport and Ryde: • Wednesday 27 March: Cycling, Ryde • Thursday 28 March: Cycling, Newport The objectives of the workshops were to: • introduce the LCWIP process to a broad range of local stakeholders; • review cycle movement data; • agree key origins and destinations per town – considering population clusters, regeneration sites, businesses, commuting routes, education routes, and tourist links; • share initial proposals for cycling networks in Newport and Ryde which should be progressed for auditing; • utilise local knowledge and experience to refine the cycling and walking proposals. Organisations represented at workshops included: • Ryde Regeneration Working Group, comprising: - Ryde Town Council - Ryde Business Association - Isle of Wight Council - Ryde Society • Shaping Newport Steering Group, comprising: - Newport and Carisbrooke Community Council - Isle of Wight Council • Isle Access: a user led charity committed to encouraging and promoting greater accessibility and inclusion for people on the Isle of Wight • Isle of Wight Ramblers • CycleWight: local cycling advocacy group • Tourism businesses Separate consultation was undertaken with the local authorities PFI contractor in relation to aligning the core principles of the LCWIP and network links to the esplanade travel interchange and the emerging transforming cities project. Consultation aligned key routes from both a cycling and walking perspective. Ryde and Newport regeneration groups were heavily involved in the development of the routes and actively engaged in stakeholder workshops. The LCWIP network routes were focused on aligning with both Ryde and Newport regeneration priorities. Consultation workshops focused on a number of key routes for each town. Cycle routes that focused on joining with town centre central walking zones and esplanade with key regeneration, economic, tourist and education zones. Consultation groups reviewed and considered existing plans including: rights of way improvement plans; cycle forum strategies; and emerging regeneration plans. Routes used by pupils to travel to and from school/college were considered in the scoping of the plan. Some routes have been identified to help pupils move towards a more sustainable mode of transport to school. Schools in Ryde and Newport were consulted and where safe route to school travel plans identified Routes identified were prioritised against a number of key criteria – scheme feasibility and design, road safety, accessibility and community benefit, value for money and potential to attract external funding (linking to existing regeneration plans). The consultation process identified the need to: • identify trip origins and destinations (current and future) and barriers to cycle movement; • determine the cycle desire lines for movement between trip origins and destinations; • establish routes that serve the primary desire lines to support the development of cycle route infrastructure options for routes highlighted for auditing. It should be noted that updated feasibility studies and consultations with stakeholders and the local community will be required as and when schemes come forward for consideration. The following sub-sections present the outcome from this the process. Identifying trip origin and destinations Desk studies of the key cycle origins and destinations (ODs) in Newport and Ryde were carried out to understand where people are currently travelling to and in the future. The ODs were plotted within a buffer of 5km radius from the town centre area, which considers a feasible cycle distance of 5km. The following data was sourced and plotted using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software: • Town centre areas. 1 7 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 • Employment areas, or large individual employers. footprint to give an estimated usable floorspace, assuming there is one job for every 30m2. • Educational establishments. For all other destination types, a desire line for travel was identified from each origin to the closest of each type. The assumption behind this is that people are likely to only travel to their closest for example library or leisure centre. • Hospitals. • Supermarkets. • Leisure facilities. • Transport interchange facilities. • Future employment and residential developments. Firstly, it was necessary to consider where people make journeys from; otherwise known as trip origins. This was achieved by identifying significant residential areas in Ryde and Newport; taken as being lower super output areas (Census 2011). These were mapped in GIS software to show where the population is greatest within each area, thereby representing a greater potential for trips. Future planned residential developments with over 100 units were also taken from the current local plan and plotted in GIS – recognising the value in LCWIP planning to connect with anticipated future trip demands. Following this it was necessary to determine where people will make local journeys to destinations within the town, otherwise known as trip-attractors, were identified. These were then categorised based on how many trips that may attract and mapped in GIS software. Local amenities such as education, leisure centres and healthcare were treated as destination points with equal demand, whereas primary destinations such as the retail centre and railway stations were given a higher weighting. The town centres are a key destination, with numerous shops and services, this was rated accordingly from the perspective of potential cycling and walking demand, in comparison to individual local amenities outside of the main town centre area. Additionally, key employment areas were plotted. Each site was weighted based on its estimated number of jobs. This was calculated by halving the area of the building The cycle route selection process Following identification of the key desire lines in Newport and Ryde, these desire line corridors were then mapped to the network and verified by key stakeholders, creating a list of actual cycle routes for inclusion in the LCWIP. To select the preferred routes for each corridor, the council followed the route selection process in line with the DfT’s guidance for LCWIP, this is shown below. Consistent with the guidance, for each of the identified desire line corridors the most direct routes were identified and then a route auditing process was undertaken. Audits were undertaken by trained audit teams visiting each route corridor on location and applying the Department for Transport’s route selection tool (RST). The primary function of the tool is to assess the suitability of a route in its existing condition against the core design outcomes of being coherent, direct, safe, comfortable and attractive, then compare it with the potential future state, if improvements were made. It also enables the easy comparison of alternative routes. The RST uses a range of criteria to assess how well a route meets the core design outcomes for cycling, based around the following criteria: • directness; • gradient; • safety; • connectivity; and • comfort. A total of fifteen routes were audited using the RST tool. The RST process allowed for an assessment to be made of both existing conditions and the potential for route development. The following factors were two should not mean a scheme is not considered, rather that its delivery will be more complex. Route selection process (Source: LCWIP Technical Guidance for Local Authorities, DfT, 2017) suitable? Use route also taken into consideration when auditing and determining the potential for routes: • The quality of existing cycling provision/infrastructure. • The potential of the route to connecting other origins and destinations within the corridor. • The potential for and feasibility of route improvements, based on any apparent constraints. • Critical junctions, to determine how these could be either avoided or enhanced to make the route more attractive, safe and direct for cyclists. • The potential integration with other highways or active travel schemes or infrastructure programmes to add wider value. The route selection process led to the derivation of a Provisional Network Plan for Cycling. The deliverability of the route has been ranked on a scale of one (complex) to five (easy). Generally, scores of three to five suggest highly deliverable schemes while score of one or two suggest significant technical or legal issues would need to be addressed to enable delivery. A score of one or Newp ort cyclin g route propo sals The cycle routes which are to be taken forward for prioritisation are discussed in this section. Accompanying maps detailing each of the audited routes, covering both existing conditions and identified cycling infrastructure improvements can be found in Appendix B. An overview of the routes is highlighted in the in the table below: Code Route name Route length NC1 Mews Lane to Newport Quay 1.5km NC2 NC3 Pan to Furrlongs Shide to Stag Lane 0.7km 4.0km NC4Church Litten to Newport town centre0.7km NC5 Gunville to Newport town centre 2.7km NC6 Mountbatten Drive to Petticoat Lane 0.7km NC7 Parkhurst to Newport town centre 1.6km NC8 Dodnor Lane (North to South) 1.6km 1 9 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 NC9 NC10 Medina College/1Leisure Medina to Newport town centre Cross Medina route 1.5km 0.8km Route summary NC1 Mews Lane to Newport Quay This route involves the Improvement of an existing sub-standard former railway line route to allow all-weather cycling, improve convenience and comfort and strengthen links with local residential areas. Improvements proposed include surfacing, widening and lighting of the route. It connects with the cycle route to Wootton/Ryde (NCN22), existing and proposed housing, Medina College, Medina Leisure Centre, Orchards Hospital and Mountbatten Hospice. A spur links to Cooper Road providing connections to the quiet residential streets beyond. A short spur connects with NC9 and links Medina College directly to the route. Future extension of the route along the former railway line as far as Wootton Bridge would be desirable, creating a high-quality link between the two settlements and providing an improved route for NCN22. NC2: Pan to Furrlongs improvement to reach the standards required to support growth in everyday cycling. Proposed improvements focus on removal of barriers and widening of narrow sections including several narrow bridges, new, safe road crossings and significant improvements to Little London to prioritise walking and cycling. This will make the route more attractive and accessible to ride and facilitate extended use of the route which will form a key link between other routes, connecting with NC1, NC2, NC4, NC5, NC7, NC8, NC9 and NC10. It also provides onward links to Cowes and Sandown. NC4: Church Litten to Newport town centre A new route providing safe access to the town centre from areas of housing on the south side of Newport, improving connectivity between NC3 and the town centre and increasing the permeability of the town centre by bike. A new cycle track is proposed alongside Church Litten, with improvements to junctions at Medina Avenue and South Street. A contraflow cycle track along Town Lane allows for two-way cycling in this section, and the east end of Pyle Street is proposed to be converted to a Quietway. Supporting measures to reduce traffic and improve permeability on surrounding streets would maximise the impact of this route. NC5 Gunville to Newport town centre NC3: Shide to Stag Lane This provides a link between Gunville (residential areas and retail developments) and the town centre. This route would utilise Quietway treatment on Fieldfare Road, then a new dedicated cycle track from Purdy Road to Hazel Close, improved existing shared-use path to Foxes Road then Quietway treatment to Newport Harbour, including contraflow cycle track/lane on Crocker Street. A spur alongside Wellington Road provides access to the schools in this area. This route links five schools, multiple residential estates and the town centre. It also connects into NC3 at Newport Harbour for onward links on the existing and proposed cycle network. NC6 Mountbatten Drive to Petticoat Lane An existing cycle route forming the main northsouth route across Newport in need of This proposal is for the improvement and completion of an existing link between a large This route links the south and west of the Pan housing estate and the new housing development off Godric Road with Newport town centre and NCN 23. New cycle tracks through Isobel Park and alongside Home Mead and the western end of Furrlongs are proposed. These sections are linked via Garden Way, improved as a Quietway. Junction improvements at St George’s Way provide a safe link on to NC3 next to Matalan. A short spur links the route along Garden Way to the new housing development off Godric Road. housing estate and Petticoat Lane, for onward connections to the town centre via NC5. Widening and improvement of existing dedicated and shared use route sections, addition of priority crossings where the route meets roads and a new cycle track to fill in a missing section between St Augustine’s Road and the Petticoat Lane/ Sylvan Drive junction are proposed. This route links housing with a local primary school and the wider existing and proposed cycle network. NC7: Parkhurst to Newport town centre This route will provide a high-quality route linking existing and planned housing at Parkhurst; St Mary’s Hospital; employment areas at Riverway and Dodnor; Isle of Wight College and Wakes retail park with the town centre, Newport Harbour regeneration area and other cycle routes. The route would require new track alongside Medina Way, possibly within hospital land, a safe, convenient crossing of the link between St Mary’s junction and the B&Q roundabout, a new track alongside Medina Way between the Isle of Wight college and Little London, with a safe, convenient crossing of Riverway, possibly in the form of a new bridge and controlled crossing. This route could also provide a key connection to proposed new housing on the Camp Hill site. NC8: Dodnor Lane (north to south) Part of this route involves the creation of a cycle priority route on a lightly trafficked lane (a rural Quietway) connecting the existing CowesNewport cycle track to the Dodnor and Riverway industrial estates. The second part involves the construction of a new cycle track along the west side of the more heavily trafficked part of Dodnor Lane between Sevenacres and the B&Q roundabout. This route offers a high-quality link between St Mary’s Hospital and the CowesNewport cycle track and provide key connectivity between routes NC3 and NC7 and various parts of the employment area. It also connects housing to the north of Newport to Cowes and ferry services to the mainland. NC9: Medina College/1Leisure Medina to Newport town centre Improvements to this sub-standard cycle route are proposed to include widening, surfacing and improved crossings and creation of a Quietway section along Newport Quay. This would be accompanied by a short extension to provide a safe onward link to Fairlee Road and NC1 using a combination of new two-way cycle track and improvements to the car park access road including a contraflow cycle track. This route provides a key link between the town and Medina College (secondary school) and 1Leisure Medina, improved sustainable access to Seaclose Park and connectivity to the Newport Harbour regeneration area. It also forms part of the link to Island Harbour (proposed to continue to East Cowes in the future). NC10: Cross Medina route This ambitious new route offers a valuable new connection across the River Medina providing key east-west connectivity and linking NC1, NC9 and NC10. The route involves improvements to the Seaclose/Fairleee Road junction to provide a safe cycle crossing, creation of a two-way cycle track alongside the Seaclose access road, construction of a new walking/cycling bridge across the Medina and improvement of the existing cycle link between NC3 and Riverway to create a link to the employment area here and Isle of Wight College. It also links the two National Cycling Network routes NCN 22 and NCN 23. The figure on the oppostie page shows the proposed strategic routes for cycling in Newport. Ryde cycling network: route proposals The cycle routes which are to be taken forward for prioritisation are discussed in this section, with accompanying maps and intervention costs in Appendix C. An overview of the routes is highlighted in the in the table below : 2 1 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Code Route name RC1 Tesco to Ryde Esplanade RC2 Appley Road RC3 Puckpool to Ryde Interchange RC4 RC5 RC6 Smallbrook Lane to Ryde Esplanade Great Preston Road to Ashey Road Binstead to Ryde Interchange Route length 2.2km 0.6km 1.9km 1.9km 1.0km 2.5km connectivity to the proposed Pennyfeathers and Hope Road housing developments. The route requires a new twoway cycle track along Brading Road, and a shared use route alongside Marlborough Road where available width is restricted. Junction remodelling is required at Bullen Cross and the Appley Road miniroundabout. From Appley Road the route would use the existing traffic-free link to the esplanade, upgraded as required. The route then joins RC3 for onward connection to Ryde Transport Interchange (trains/ferries/buses) and town centre. RC2: Appley Road Route summary RC1: Tesco to Ryde Esplanade This route links Ryde Esplanade with large areas of housing at Elmfield and Bullen Village, Westridge Business Park and Tesco. It also provides This short route connects residential estates to the east of Ryde into RC1 for onward trips towards Tesco or the Esplanade and provides a safe route to Newport cycling network © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Oakfield primary school. The route runs adjacent to various areas of proposed future housing development. It requires creation of new sections of shared use route linked by a Quietway along Seldon Avenue. The links between the shared use sections and quietway will need to ensure a seamless connection and avoid cyclists being interrupted by side roads that cross the route. RC3: Puckpool to Ryde Interchange This route follows the seafront and involves the improvement and extension of an existing route to provide a high-quality route from Puckpool to Ryde Transport Interchange (trains/ferries/buses) 2 3 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 and town centre. This route plays an important role in interconnecting several other routes (RC1, Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 RC4 and RC6), provides a route for people passing through Ryde, links with the interchange and forms part of an important tourist cycle route along the north coast. It lays the foundation for further extension to Seaview, St Helens and Bembridge. New cycle track takes the route through Puckpool Park onto the existing shared use route which will be improved with a particular focus on minimising conflict between people walking and cycling. From the end of the current route to the transport interchange a new cycle track is proposed using excess carriageway width. RC4: Smallbrook Lane to Ryde Esplanade A new route using a mixture of dedicated offroad routes and quiet streets. This route links the esplanade with housing at Oakfield, St John’s Station, Nicholson Road industrial estate, proposed housing at Rosemary Vineyard and Pennyfeathers and the Nicholson Road regeneration area. The southern section utilises an existing bridleway, which requires upgrading to allow all-weather cycling. Most of the remainder of the route is on local streets proposed for Quietway treatment. Ideally the route will pass through what is current a BT depot between Park Road and Rink Road; it may be possible to achieve this as part of a redevelopment of this area. Alternatively, a less direct and hillier route could be provided on existing roads. The route passes through Simeon Street Recreation Ground, where the existing path built alongside the flood containment wall requires widening to allow shared use. 25 RC5: Great Preston Road to Ashey Road This route provides an important orbital link for the cycle network and will reduce community severance caused by the railway line. It requires the upgrade of an existing lane and bridleway to create an all-weather route providing an eastwest link to the south of Ryde. It opens up new cycling possibilities between residential areas, employment opportunities and schools either side of the railway line. The route directly links into the planned Nicholson Road regeneration area. Surfacing upgrades are needed along the length of the route along with a bridge over the railway line to replace the current open level-crossing. RC6: Binstead to Ryde Interchange Part of this route is already recognised as NCN22 but requires upgrading. The rest of the route requires the construction of new cycle tracks. The route links the large Binstead residential estates with the town centre and Ryde Transport Interchange (trains/ferries/buses). It provides safe links to several schools near the route. The western end of the route is proposed be created on an existing bridleway and highway verges. Binstead Road (the A3054) requires realignment to allow creation of a cycle track alongside, and a safe crossing of the main road is also proposed. From Spencer Road to the town centre the route follows lightly trafficked roads where a Quietway is recommended. The figure on the next page shows the proposed strategic routes for cycling in Ryde. Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Ryde cycling network © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Stage 4 – network planning for Walking This chapter provides an overview of how a network plan for cycling has been determined. The initial stage is to consider where the propensity for walking exists, and where targeted investment in infrastructure can generate more journeys on foot. This task was advanced through a series of sequential stages of evidence gathering, analysis and options development. This has involved the following steps: • Identifying and clustering trip origin and destination points. • Establishing walking routes and core walking zones (CWZs). • Auditing the main routes and identifying barriers. The key output for Stage 4 is a proposed future walking network map, detailing preferred walking routes and core walking zones for further development. Routes and zones which were not to be of sufficient quality to meet the needs of people who would wish to travel by foot, were mapped and taken forward to develop a programme of walking infrastructure improvements. The walking elements of the LCWIP has been developed in consultation with key stakeholders to ensure views have been captured. The consultation process and the development of the LCWIP has been informed by stakeholder feedback, reviewing existing data (eg, Rights of Way Improvement Plan) and key movement data sources. A number of engagement/consultation meetings were coordinated with key stakeholders across a number of months in 2019 to help shape the priorities contained within the report. 27 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Information contained within school and business active travel plans were reviewed during the route selection process, including current modes of transport. Stakeholder workshops were held in Newport and Ryde in March 2019 as follows: • Wednesday 27 March: Walking, Ryde • Thursday 28 March: Walking, Newport The objectives of the workshops were to: • introduce the LCWIP process to a broad range of local stakeholders; • review movement data; • agree key origins and destinations per town – considering population clusters, regeneration sites, businesses, commuting routes, education routes, and tourist links; • share initial proposals for cycling and walking networks in Newport and Ryde which should be progressed for auditing; • utilise local knowledge and experience to refine the cycling and walking proposals. Organisations represented at workshops included: • Ryde Town Council • Ryde Regeneration Working Group, comprising: • Ryde Business Association • Isle of Wight Council • Ryde Society • Shaping Newport steering group • Newport and Carisbrooke Parish Council • Isle Access: a user led charity committed to encouraging and promoting greater accessibility and inclusion for people on the Isle of Wight • Isle of Wight Ramblers • Tourism businesses • CycleWight Separate consultation was undertaken with the IW Ramblers in relation to aligning the core principles of the LCWIP with ROW network. Ryde and Newport Regeneration groups were heavily involved in the development of the routes and actively engaged in stakeholder workshops. The LCWIP network routes were focused on aligning with both Ryde and Newport regeneration priorities, especially links to Newport Harbour and Ryde Nicholson Road redevelopments. Consultation workshops focused on a number of key routes from the core walking zones (Town Centres) to key destinations. (key regeneration, economic, tourist and education zones) Consultation groups reviewed and considered existing plans including, Rights of Way improvement plans, Cycle Forum Strategies, and emerging Regeneration Plans. Routes used by pupils to travel to and from school/college were considered in the scoping of the plan. Some routes have been identified to help pupils move towards a more sustainable mode of transport to school. Schools in Ryde and Newport were consulted and where safe route to school travel plans identified. (Dft Access Fund) Routes identified were prioritised against a number of key criteria – scheme feasibility and design, road safety, accessibility and community benefit, value for money and potential to attract external funding (linking to existing regeneration plans). More detailed and comprehensive consultation with stakeholders and the local community will be required as and when schemes come forward for development. Appendix D and E provides the full details of each of the walking routes, covering both existing conditions and identified walking infrastructure improvements. The appendix includes proposed interventions which set out a list of schemes required to make the route attractive and usable. The list includes: • Scheme type: the type of intervention proposed, eg, footway creation, footway widening etc. • Description: a short description of the proposed intervention. • Route map. • Indicative cost: Costs provided are based on standard costings from a number of local authority reference sources and make significant assumptions. These should only be seen as a very approximate idea of costs for any scheme, and as such an optimum bias of +/- 28 per cent should be assumed. Individual schemes are costed independently, but when several schemes are delivered together costs may be significantly reduced. • Deliverability: Deliverability has been ranked on a scale of one (complex) to five (easy). Generally, scores of three to five suggest highly deliverable schemes while score of one or two suggest significant technical or legal issues would need to be addressed to enable delivery. A score of one or two should not mean a scheme is not considered, rather that its delivery will be more complex. Identifying key walking routes and core walking zones The CWZs represent the focal points for pedestrian journeys within Newport and Ryde, therefore the important walking routes that serve the CWZs have been identified and mapped. A total of eight routes were identified for Ryde and 13 for Newport from key residential areas surrounding the CWZ. 2 9 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 As recommended by the DfT, only walking routes within 2km of the CWZs have been included because the proportion of journeys made on foot decreases significantly beyond this distance. Following the mapping of the Key Walking Routes, the next step was to prioritise the routes. As recommended by the DfT the routes were prioritised using the following definitions: Category Name Description Primary Busy urban shopping 1 Walking and business area, and Routes main pedestrian routes 2 3 Medium usage routes Secondary through local areas Walking feeding into primary Routes routes, local shopping centres etc. Linking local access footways through urban Link Footways areas and busy rural footways. Footways associated with low usage, short 4 estate road to the main roads and cul-de-sacs. Following the classification of the key route network hierarchy, specific route corridors were then identified for auditing. Typically, these are the primary and secondary walking routes as these are expected to have the highest demand for walking trips and are the busiest local routes, based on the definitions above. Local Access Footways The primary walking routes identified for auditing were discussed and agreed with stakeholders during a workshop. Stakeholders were asked to review the trip attractors mapped in the data gathering process and identify any key origin and destination points that were missing from the plan. Route selection and auditing The LCWIP Technical Guidance recommends the use of the Walking Route Audit Tool (WRAT) tool for auditing potential walking routes. The primary function of the WRAT is to assess the current condition and suitability of a walking route. The WRAT has been used during site visits as a reporting mechanism to ensure that the following criteria are considered: • Attractiveness • Comfort • Directness • Safety • Coherence The criteria and scored using the following scale: • 0 for poor provision; • 1 for provision which is adequate but should be improved if possible; • 2 for good quality provision. WRAT scores are presented below. Note that not all routes have all features in the scoring matrix (for example, controlled crossings) so the maximum possible score for each route varies, so percentages of maximum give a more realistic benchmark. A summary of the walking routes is identified below: Route Route Name Score Maximum Percentage Score (%) NW1 Halberry Lane to Newport Quay 27 34 79 NW2 Wellesley Way (Pan) to Coppins Bridge 21 43 63 NW3 Furrlongs to St George’s Way 29 34 85 NW4 St John’s Rd to Medina Ave 23 34 68 NW5 Carisbrooke Rd to town centre 15 40 38 NW6 Mountbatten Drive to Sainsbury’s / Mill St 27 34 79 Score Maximum Percentage Score (%) Route Route Name NW8 Dodnor Lane/Monks Brook to B&Q roundabout (junction with NW7) 16 36 44 NW9 Fairlee Rd/Medina College to Newport Quay 23 34 68 NW10 Cross Medina Route NW11 Little London 15 34 44 NW12 Riverway 22 36 61 NW13 Wellington Road 30 36 83 RW1 RW1: Tesco to Appley Road 19 40 48 RW2 Appley to top of High Street 13 40 33 RW3 Monkton St to Esplanade 21 34 62 RW4 Smallbrook Lane to St John’s Rd 20 34 59 RW5 Upton Rd to south end of High Street 23 38 61 RW6 Binstead Hill to Ryde town centre 14 40 35 RW7 Binstead estate to Ryde town centre 18 40 45 RW8 Pellhurst Rd to Ryde Golf Club 26 40 65 The DfT LCWIP guidance states that where routes score less than 70 per cent, interventions should be identified to improve the pedestrian environment. The following chart shows which routes fall below 70 per cent and this assessment has helped us identify appropriate interventions on the walking network. 3 1 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 These interventions are described in the text below with further details in the Appendix F. NW2: Wellesley Way (Pan) to Coppins Bridge Route NW2 links residential areas to the east of the town centre with the main pedestrian crossing Newport walking routes point WRAT audit scoring into the core walking zone. Key services and destina tions along the route are Barton Primary School and early The walking routes which are to be taken forward years/ community centre, a playing field, parade for prioritisation are shown in the figure below of local shops and the post office. A mixture of and discussed in this section, the accompanying schemes are proposed, ranging from improved maps and intervention costs in Appendix D. crossings over side roads and footway widening to two key junction redesigns. The larger of these at the Furrlongs/Royal Exchange junction will entail Route summary the creation of a pedestrian plaza in front of the shops, rationalise parking arrangements and NW1: Halberry Lane to Newport Quay street clutter and improve crossing facilities to the This route connects a large area of existing school/community centre. NW3: Furrlongs to St housing in north east Newport with the town George’s Way centre. There are also housing developments In addition to NW2, this route forms the other planned on the edge of north east Newport that main walking artery into Newport town centre would be connected by this route. It connects from housing estates on the east of the town, with the proposed NW10 Cross Medina walking including the new and expanding Pan Meadows route for access to large employment areas on development. Numerous pedestrian alleyways the west side of the Medina River. Other and paths feed into this route from either side and amenities that are linked by it are Medina Leisure the route crosses NW2 at the junction of Centre and Theatre, Medina College (secondary Furrlongs/Royal Exchange mentioned above. It school) and Mountbatten Hospice. The route enters Newport town centre at the site of a largely follows an existing traffic free pathway retail/leisure complex. The main challenges at (an old railway track) and will benefit from present are to do with poor pedestrian priority improved surfacing and lighting, which constitute when crossing side roads along the length of the the main proposals for its upgrade. route. Many side roads are relatively minor, so the Newport walking network implementation of numerous continuous footways and raised tables is proposed. Where the route meets the edge of the core walking zone at St George’s Way, a junction re-design is required to make the crossing of this busy road safe, convenient and comfortable. NW4: St John’s Road to Medina Avenue This short route has been chosen because it represents the most direct line into the core walking zone from the south of the town. Other surrounding residential streets do not afford straight line access into the town centre and so feed into this route, which culminates on the edge of the retail area, at the Island Innovation Sixth Form College and a short walk from the bus station. It runs through an older residential part of the town and so suffers from absent/narrow footways in places and some stretches that are an impediment to people with restricted mobility. Proposals include footway widening and levelling out some steep inclines, as well as improved pedestrian priority through raised tables, tighter junction geometry and continuous footways at side roads. NW5: Carisbrooke Road to Newport town centre This route follows the alignment of the busy B3323 road. It is the most direct route into the town centre from Carisbrooke and pedestrians from surrounding streets funnel into it. Coupled with the spur route of NW13 (see below) this route connects large residential areas, two secondary schools (Carisbrooke and Christ the King), two primary schools (Carisbrooke Church of England and St Thomas of Canterbury) and 3 3 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org a doctors’ surgery. Traffic dominates this route and conditions for pedestrians are poor. Existing junction designs at the principal junctions on the route are geared towards speed of entry/ exit for motorists and make for dangerous and intimidating crossing conditions. Major re-designs of these have been proposed, along with smaller schemes to improve priority across more minor roads and widen footways where possible. NW6: Mountbatten Drive to Sainsburys/ Mill Street This route links a series of modern housing estates in the west of Newport with the town centre. The planned route uses a combination of an existing unsurfaced rural footpath, lightly trafficked and often traffic-calmed roads, as well as some traffic-free pathways that run between housing developments. The main improvements required along the route involve upgrading the rural public footpath; prioritising pedestrians over vehicles at side roads and at entrances to driveways by installing continuous footways and uncontrolled crossings; improving some pathway widths and providing lighting along pathways with low levels of natural surveillance. NW7: Parkhurst to Newport town centre This route runs from the northern outskirts of Newport to the town centre. It has potential to be a major active travel corridor as it links a series of large employers and trip generators: the prison, existing housing, proposed new housing at Camphill, St Mary’s Hospital, numerous employers at the nearby industrial estates, the Isle of Wight College, the Wakes retail park and the Newport Harbour regeneration area. Upgrading this route will provide much needed pedestrian connectivity between these sites and the town centre, helping to reduce traffic congestion in the area. The route runs next to busy roads and crosses a number of side roads and two major junctions. A high-quality shared use route is proposed along its length and is possible given the available verge space. A three metre wide route is proposed, along with safe, convenient crossings of the two major junctions, possibly including a new bridge over Riverway. NW8: Dodnor Lane/Monks Brook to B&Q roundabout This route connects St Cross Business Park, Dodnor Park Industrial Estate and the eastern side of the St Mary’s Hospital site into route NW7 for travel onwards into the town centre. It has relatively high levels of vehicle traffic, especially at rush hour. It joins route NW7 by the B&Q store at what is currently a busy roundabout with very poor pedestrian crossing facilities and high vehicle approach speeds. Proposals for this route include redesigning the B&Q roundabout, installing a zebra crossing and a whole new section of footway adjacent to the hospital where there is currently none despite clear evidence of pedestrian desire lines where the grass verge is currently being used. This figure on the previous page shows the proposed strategic routes for walking in Newport. Ryde walking routes The walking routes which are to be taken forward for prioritisation are shown in the figure below and discussed in this section, the accompanying maps and intervention costs in Appendix E. The following information shows the proposed strategic routes for walking in Ryde. Route summary RW1: Tesco to Appley Road This route links Tesco, Westridge Business Park, existing residential areas at Elmfield and Bullen Village, the proposed Pennyfeathers and Hope Road housing developments and Oakfield School. It connects into RW2 for journeys towards the Esplanade, Ryde Transport Interchange (trains/ ferries/buses) and town centre. While traffic levels restrict the attractiveness of this route, it provides a direct option for utility journeys. Proposals iinclude modification of junctions at Bullen Cross and Appley Road to provide safe crossings and provision of continuous footways across all minor road junctions to provide pedestrian priority for much of the route. Localised widening would ensure adequate footway width is provided for the whole length, some sections of which are well below standard. RW2: Appley to top of High Street While this route is unlikely to be walked in its entirety, it is heavily used for shorter sections linking other routes and a range of local amenities (Oakfield School, local shops, Ryde St John’s rail station) and the southern end town centre. The road has a significant severance effect, with heavy traffic volumes creating a barrier to north-south pedestrian movements. Proposed improvements include: footway widening around Oakfield School to accommodate high peak footfall and provide a safer environment; modifications to major junctions to reduce vehicle speeds and reduce crossing distance; continuous footway across many of the minor road junctions to improve pedestrian priority; creation of new crossings of the main road and introduction of a 20mph limit on part of the route to reduce the severance effect. RW3: Monkton Street to Ryde Esplanade This route is the most direct conduit for pedestrian traffic between the south of the town and the seafront, other than through the central walking zone. It connects into route RW2 and links large areas of housing, Ryde St John’s rail station, the Esplanade and Ryde Transport Interchange (trains/ferries/buses). It carries substantial vehicular through-traffic and a frequent bus service. It is characterised by substandard pavement widths in places and poor pedestrian priority over minor side roads, hence proposals for localised footway widening and a series of continuous footways. At its northern end a small areas of shops/cafes/pubs has potential to become a neighbourhood focal point. Proposals are included for streetscape improvements that would foster a sense of place and diminish the impact of through traffic. RW4: Smallbrook Lane to St John’s Road This route serves existing housing at Oakfield, St John’s rail station and the Nicholson Road Industrial Estate. There are also a number of proposed new developments that would be connected by the route, namely new light industrial units/offices, a doctors surgery, and housing at Rosemary Vineyard and Pennyfeathers. Construction of almost 1km of paved route and street lighting along an existing bridleway is proposed, along with home zone and shared space-style schemes on a short stretch of the residential Meaders Road at the north end of the route. RW5: Upton Road to south end of High Street Upton Road is a radial route linking large areas of housing on both sides of it with the town centre. School children from two local schools, Haylands Primary and Ryde Academy (Secondary), use part of the route in large numbers. Ryde Medical Centre is also on the route. There is footway on only one side along large sections as well as substandard pavements widths and junction geometry that hinders safe crossing. Proposals include extensive footway widening, continuous footways, raised tables, footway ‘build outs’ to create pedestrian passing places/traffic calming features. At the northern end where a parade of shops is located the proposal is to remove some on street parking and create more space for pedestrians to encourage a sense of place and dwell time for shopping. RW6: Binstead Hill to Ryde town centre This route connects large areas of housing in west Ryde and Binstead with the town centre, the Esplanade and Ryde Transport Interchange (trains/ferries/buses). Ryde School (secondary) is also located on the route. Part of the route follows the Coastal Path, an important recreational facility for local residents and visitors. The westerly section of the route follows the busy A3054 road. Opportunities for footway widening 3 5 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 are limited so many proposed interventions focus on pedestrian priority at side roads. Major schemes include junction remodelling and signalling at Binstead Rd/Ringwood Rd miniroundabout and 300 metres of carriageway realignment to enable footway widening. RW7: Binstead estate to Ryde town centre At its western end is the large area of housing on Binstead Estate. From there the route connects with one local primary school (Greenmount) and two secondary schools (Ryde Academy and Ryde School) and continues on to the town centre. Narrow footways and poor junction geometry hinder pedestrian movement, but space exists to widen footways and re-design junctions to prioritise pedestrians. Existing mini-roundabouts encourage traffic to cross junctions at speed so new T-junctions and raised tables are proposed. At the east end of the route two major junction remodelling schemes are proposed at Queens Road/Mayfield Road and at Queens Road/West Street. Removal of guard railing, narrowing of traffic lanes, shortening of pedestrian crossing points and improved pedestrian desire lines are all proposed. RW8: Pellhurst Rd to Ryde Golf Club This route is the only one in Ryde that doesn’t link directly with the core walking zone, but it provides a connector function to three other routes (RW5, RW6 and RW7) that do. As well as its connecting function to those routes, it was selected for treatment because it carries large numbers of school children to Ryde Academy, the main secondary school in the town. It also passes through housing on either side and connects Ryde Medical Centre. In general, existing footways are of adequate width. The main challenge is to make the crossing of side roads safer and more convenient and so the main recommendations involve a series of continuous footways and raised tables being introduced. Proposed changes to the major junction at Queens Road/Mayfield Road is addressed under route RW7. Ryde central walking zone (CWZ) This area encompasses the main town centre retail area, cinema, library, public transport interchange (bus, train, ferries) and town centre car parks. Ryde walking network Recommendations for improvements to streets in the CWZ includes footway widening, removal of through traffic in some streets, use of continuous footway in numerous locations to provide pedestrian priority at minor junctions and new formal crossings. Improvements to the pedestrian zone around the High Street are recommended, as is a comprehensive approach to improving Union Street to make it a more attractive place to spend time and reduce the dominance of parked cars on the historic streetscape. © openstreetmap.org contributors & opendatacommons.org Stage 5 – action plan The plan’s objectives are to: • Create and maintain fully connected walking and cycling networks in Ryde and Newport; • Supporting the application and delivery of the Transforming Cities Bid, Ryde; • Increase cycling activity, where cycling activity is measured; • Increase walking activity, where walking activity is measured; • Increase the percentage of children aged five to ten that usually walk to school; 3 7 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 • Support appropriate training of young people, eg, Bikeability to primary schools; • To increase the percentage of children and young people using active travel modes; • Ensuring future infrastructure designs support the development of healthy and active communities; • To promote the Island as walking and cycling destination supporting an increase in sustainable transport, green tourism and regional and national events. A detailed action plans for cycling and walking routes has been developed (appendix H and G). Stage 6 – alignment to local policy and strategies Policy or strategy Local Transport Plan 3 (2011-2038) The Isle of Wight Local Transport Plan is known as the Island Transport Plan (ITP). Formally by the Isle of Wight Council Isle of Wight local cycling and walking infrastructure plan objectives The Local Transport Plan recognises that: • for short trips, cycling and walking can achieve journey time reduction over equivalent trips by private car; • the Island has an extensive rights of way network including some excellent cycleways linking some of our major towns; • there are considerable health benefits associated with walking adopted and cycling and, on an Island where every day journeys are often on 15 June 2011, it covers the years less than 5km, journeys can be quicker and more conveniently 2011-2038. made by cycle or foot. Relevant objectives in the ITP include: • Objective B – Maintain and improve journey time reliability and predictability for all road users. • Objective C – Protect and enhance the environment and quality of life. • Objective D –Improve road safety and health. • Objective F – Promote travel choice. Rights of Way Improvement Plan (2018-2028) Isle of Wight Council A statutory plan which sets out how improvements made to the public rights of way network. The Isle of Wight Council recognises the importance of maintaining and improving the network of public rights of way, and the publication of its first Rights of Way Improvement Plan in 2018 has been authoritative in decisions taken over the last ten years. A thoroughly researched document, the 2018 plan provides a detailed analysis of issues relating to the network and the needs of different types of users. Emerging policies in the plan include: • Policy A: Maintaining a high-quality rights of way network. • Policy B: Making improvements to the existing network. • Policy C: Creating new access. • Policy D: Promotion. • Supporting the new coastal path when it is introduced across the Island. 3 9 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan Isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020 to 2030 Policy or strategy Island Plan Core Strategy (2014-2027) The Island Plan Core Strategy, the spatial vision for the Island 2027. Isle of Wight Council Corporate Plan (2019-2022) The corporate plan, the priorities it sets and the outcomes it seeks are designed to achieve the council’s vision. Health and Wellbeing Strategy (2018-2021) Isle of Wight Council Sets out the key priorities and focus of work for the organisation’s involved in the health and wellbeing board. Walking and cycling to improve health and wellbeing is a critical benefit when designing new and improved routes. The recently produced report ‘Spatial Planning for Health’ by Public Health England highlights the importance of resource planning and design to create healthier communities. Climate and Environment Strategy (2020-2030) The Climate Change and Environment Strategy sets out undertakings to reduce the Isle of Wight Council’s carbon footprint. road and public rights of way network providing access to the countryside by bike and on foot. Isle of Wight local cycling and walking infrastructure plan objectives DM18: Sustainable travel – the council will support proposals that increase travel choice and provide alternative means of travel to the car. Development proposals will be expected to contribute to meeting the aims and objectives of the Isle of Wight Local Transport Plan. The council’s corporate plan (2019-2022) has recently been updated to put wellbeing being at the heart of the council’s agenda. Relevant outcomes include: • people have healthy lifestyles that avoid the need for service intervention; • an improved planning framework that promotes business growth; • a well-connected transport system. Data from the Sport England 2017/18 Active Lives survey shows that almost two out of three (62.3 per cent) adults on the Isle of Wight are classified as overweight or obese with 16.1 per cent classified as ‘physically inactive’. This is in line with our comparator authorities. Cycling and walking have been linked to many health benefits both physical (reduced risk of coronary heart disease, cancer, stroke and Type 2 Diabetes) and mental (improved concentration, better memory function, reduction in anxiety, stress and depression). National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance suggests that active travel can help boost mental wellbeing, with those who travel on foot or cycle benefitting from improved mental wellbeing in comparison with those who travelled by car. • People make healthy choices for healthy lifestyles. • The Isle of Wight is a better place to live: The Isle of Wight is well known for the quality of its environment with extensive • Encouraging people to be more active and structure places to be more conducive to activity through cycling and walking. Actions to protect and enhance the Island natural environment by managing land sustainably and connecting people with the environment. Reduction of transport emissions (25 per cent) by promoting cycling and walking. Policy or strategy Transport Investment Plan (May 2016) Solent LEP Investment framework for planning and delivery of strategic transport across all modes in the Solent. CycleWight Cycling Strategy (2017) CycleWight Isle of Wight local cycling and walking infrastructure plan objectives Recognises that there are a number of transport issues on the Isle of Wight which affect its economic performance, including cross Solent connectivity and congestion in and on approach to Newport. There is also recognition that support for active modes schemes form a key part of local transport initiatives. The draft cycling strategy includes a section on improving cycling infrastructure and presents the following principles: Principle 1 A network of high quality routes will be completed throughout the Island, providing convenient and safe access for utility and leisure cycling. Principle 2 Wherever possible measures will be provided which give people who cycle priority over motorised traffic in terms of accessibility and journey time. Isle of Wight Council Regeneration Strategy The 2019-2030 Regeneration Strategy for the Isle of Wight sets out how the council is leading the agenda to ensure the economic future of the Island and create the Island that is a great place to grow up, live, work and visit. The strategy sets out the actions and activities we believe will enable the vision for the future to be realised. Specific links to the LCWIP include the Transforming Cities programme in Ryde, Nicholson Road development in Ryde and Newport Harbour regeneration proposals have been made Shaping Newport A collaboration between the Isle of Wight Council, Newport Parish Council and Newport Business Association, set out to ask the people of the county town for their experiences and opinions of the place, its positives and negatives. 4 1 Local cycling and walking infrastructure plan isle of Wight (Newport and Ryde) 2020?2030 If you have dif?culty understanding this document, please contact us on 01983 821000 and we will do our best to help you. 3/20 SC