The government has announced the first steps of plans to make a 'once in a generation' push to change travel behaviour in Britain. This announcement comes as the UK starts preparations for the restart- and since recovery phase from the COVID-19 lockdown. The measures announced have the purpose of ensuring that the public can travel safely to work as well as maintaining the benefits from improved air quality.

The main aspect of the announcement relates to additional statutory guidance for the Traffic Management Act 2004 which applies to all highway authorities in England. The guidance is effective immediately.  The update provides additional advice on techniques for managing roads to deal with COVID-19 response related issues. 

The measures proposed are not new but the significance is that they have been added to Traffic Management Act and it is the duty of highway authorities to ensure that they comply with act and its contents including the additions. All highway authorities 'shall have regard to this guidance to deliver their network management duty under the act'.

The measures include:

• Pop-up cycle facilities with physical separation from volume traffic.
• Using cones and barriers to widen footways.
• Encouraging walking and cycling to school including more 'school streets'. 
• Reducing speed limits to 20mph for residential roads.
• Introducing pedestrian and cycle zones where motor vehicles are restricted access from or entirely banned. 
• Providing additional cycle parking facilities. 
• Changes to junction design to accommodate more cyclists and allow them cyclists to keep distance between each other, such as using the maximum permitted 7.5 metres depth for advanced stop lines where possible. 
• 'Whole-route' approaches, i.e. corridors for buses, cycles and access only.
• Bringing forward permanent schemes already planned that can be constructed relatively quickly. 

For the full list of measures including details on Traffic Regulation Orders please see here.

Announcing the measures Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, said:

The government therefore expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians.

Grant Shapps also announced that £2 billion are going to be used to put walking and cycling at the heart of transport policy. Initially, £250 million of this, will be allocated towards making the above mentioned measures a reality 'within weeks'. The £2 billion are part of the £5 billion that was announced in February as part of the funding to boost bus and cycling networks outside of London.

These are some of the first steps in the plan. The next steps include publishing an updated Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy in the summer which will include:

• the creation of a national cycling and walking commissioner and inspectorate.
• higher standards for permanent infrastructure across England.
• getting GPs to prescribe cycling and exercise.
• creating a long-term budget for cycling and walking similar to what happens for roads.

To achieve greater levels of walking and cycling in the United Kingdom in the long run it will be crucial to plan towns and cities such that walking and cycling are viable travel options. CIHT advice Better Planning, Better Transport, Better Places sets out how this can be achieved through the integration of spatial planning and transport. 

E-scooter trials are also being brought forward to next month to deliver more green travel options for the public. Initially these were scheduled for next year and the government is currently consulting on the use of e-scooters, but are now saying that the roll-out of trials will help the government assess the benefits of e-scooters and they may be available on UK roads as early as June. 

The transport secretary has also been working with a range of technology firms including Google, Microsoft and Citymapper to develop digital solutions to make it possible for the public to see how crowded the transport network is in real-time. 

Finally, Grant Shapps announced that there will be further announcements about 'the huge investments we're making in road and rail networks - taking advantage of their low usership during this COVID crisis'. CIHT recently published Improving Local Highways - the Route to a Better Future which sets out why increased and long-term investment in the local highway network is essential to achieving healthy and liveable places that facilitates active travel. 

For more information on the updated traffic management guidance please see here.

For more information on the £2 billion funding package please see here.