Temporary barriers have been installed in many urban areas to help ensure people can move around safely during the pandemic, but how likely is it that streetscape changes become permanent once social distancing rules are relaxed?

“It will become an awful lot easier for things to become permanent where there is a longer term argument in favour of doing it, and that (reallocating space) is actually a good thing in a wider sense,” replied the University of Westminster’s senior transport lecturer Tom Cohen.

He added that much will depend on how people have adjusted to changed circumstances created by the temporary measures. Earlier in the session Tom remarked that more should be done to restrain car use.

Leicester City Council’s transport strategy team leader Sally Slade described recent efforts to reallocate roadspace for the benefit of key workers looking to walk or cycle, and said local shopkeepers had been amenable to changes made to the streetscape.

She also explained that the city had just opened a new bicycle park and added that safe cycle parking was essential for key workers. “The last thing we want is for an NHS worker who finishes a 12 hour shift to find their bicycle stolen,” she said.

Presenters were also asked whether the Government should introduce a national emergency 20mph speed limit in built up areas during the pandemic.

Oxfordshire County Council’s active and healthy travel officer Patrick Lingwood pointed out that Oxford already has a blanket 20mph limit on residential roads, but added: “I would say yes. If the Government was to say all residential roads in urban ares were to become 20, that would be a very positive step and I don’t think there would be much backlash to that idea.”

Bristol City Council’s cabinet member for transport Kye Dudd added: “On our residential roads we have done the same as Oxford, so our message to people is your councils have already got the powers to introduce it if they want to. The problem is people haven’t been sticking to speed limits and there has been some very bad driving recently on roads given the fact they are more empty.”

The ‘Making the most of contested public space for active modes’ webinar was hosted by the University of Glasgow researcher and Living Streets associate Becki Cox, and was organised by Landor Links.

The webinar was held, Becki explained, following the Department for Transport’s allocation of £250M to local authorities in England to 'cement cycling and walking habits' using infrastructure interventions. “The idea is for this to be done at speed,” she said.

To watch a recording of the webinar click here