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A new Wales-wide project to encourage people to walk, cycle and use public transport for more of their local, everyday journeys is to be launched in the principality.
Funded by the Welsh Assembly Government, the project, which is called Personalised Travel Planning (PTP), seeks to challenge habitual use of the car through the provision of information, incentives, and motivation directly to individuals to help them voluntarily make more informed travel choices.
Initially the project will establish people’s current travel habits. Plans will then be drawn up to provide advice and information on the local alternative and more sustainable modes of transport available to households, together with the motivation to realise change.
The project work will aim to reach people in their homes, schools and workplaces and will focus on areas where the most impact can be felt, for example in Cardiff and Mon a Menai, two of the emerging Sustainable Travel Centres in Wales, but schemes will not be limited to these areas.
The Welsh unit of sustainable transport charity Sustrans will help coordinate the planning and delivery of each PTP project including pre-contact publicity and marketing.
The aim of the Welsh Assembly is to cut car trips by around 10% in targeted areas with PTP.
Assuming that this PTP scheme is genuine and sustainable, and not just political spin that looks good now but will fizzle out in a couple of months, this is good news.
Cardiff Council will need to be much more proactive, however, and also act on its own initiative instead of leaning on Sustrans so much.
In particular I want to see councillors on their bikes (together with other council em[ployees) so that they have first-hand experience and can understand the problems and make decisions accordingly.
Other measures need to include the following:
1/ A large increase in number and frequency of Police patrols (on bicycles), on cycle routes and especially those in residential areas – to deter potential thieves, muggers and other yobs who have been known to harrass cyclists in the recent past.
2/ Much more promotion of recommended cycle routes with better markings and signposting and proper attention to road features and surface condition with cyclists in mind.
3/ Separation of cycle routes from motor traffic where possible but not to the extent that cyclists security is threatened by having to ride through secluded areas where they could be victims of crime.
4/ Serious efforts to discourage motor traffic from the city centre in particular through a range of measures that I have no space for here.
Next time I am in that area, I am going to give this a try.
is a comment made by Steve in the blog post called
Hmm two pedestrians killed by cyclists in recent memory. By cars, 400+ pedestri
is a comment made by Neil Warner in the blog post called
This is a matter of priority, the government should look first at the law regard
is a comment made by Andrew in the blog post called
Fine. Because you know what? There seem to be more and more people riding on pav
is a comment made by Hayes in the blog post called
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Excellent Idea, there are an awful lot of people out there sitting alone in cars in traffic jams who could be saving stacks of money on transport costs and gym fees if they only took to a bike and started a healthier and cheaper lifestyle. One that they could feel good about at the end of each journey.
Much better than being irritated in a car stuck in a queue.