 "Even in a community highly reliant on cars, many drivers were still keen to use alternative transport - but the current infrastructure simply did not make this viable" Read this blog by Stuart Guzinski of Forth Environment Link and Richard Boddington of Drymen Community Development Trust, in advance of their presentation at next week's National Active Travel Conference.
"Over the winter of 2021/22 the Loch Lomond And The Trossachs National Park asked Forth Environment Link to explore whether Drymen, and nearby villages east of Loch Lomond, could become a ‘20 Minute Neighbourhood’. The concept of a 20 Minute Neighbourhood – where the majority of daily needs are met within a short walk from home – has been around for some time, having been pioneered in cities such as Melbourne and Paris. But ‘cities’ is the key word here – it’s one thing reducing reliance on cars in urban areas with high population densities and well established public transport, but our challenge was to see how the model could be successfully adapted to rural Scotland. Walk 20 minutes from Drymen and you’re generally going to find yourself in a field. Luckily, the ’20 Minute’ part of the idea is not that important. The broader idea is of a neighbourhood where you can ‘live well locally’. It’s a neighbourhood that supports active travel, boosts the local economy and addresses inequality by ensuring people are better connected to services which benefit health and wellbeing. These are all ideas that are just as important in rural settings, and are also well aligned with the ambitions of the Scottish Government. So, we went to work, looking at the way the community accessed various amenities, distributing surveys, hearing from the health walk group, primary school students and local youth groups, among others, and organising led cycle rides, to find out what was important to residents and what they needed to be able to live well locally. What we found may seem counterintuitive perhaps, but was not a surprise. Even in a community hugely reliant on cars, many drivers were still keen to use alternative methods of transport, but felt that the current infrastructure simply did not make this a viable option. Good quality, pedestrian and cycle routes, safe from speeding cars, running through and between the local villages were in high demand. Better and more dynamic public transport was also high on the wish list. The Drymen community has been working hard to encourage active travel. A cycle path towards Loch Lomond, e-bike loans, solar powered e-bike chargers, improvements to pavements, a cycle path leaflet and a regular Cycle Meanders club are all making it easier to access local amenities, but safer routes for cyclists and walkers remains a key requirement if people are to live well locally even in rural settings." Stuart and Richard will be presenting in breakout session 1B. View the whole conference agenda here.
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Making it feel safe for people of all ages and abilities to walk, cycle and wheel locally is a vital component of a "just transition" to a sustainable transport system, says Bruce Whyte of the Glasgow Centre for Population Health
“Walk on by”, “Walking on sunshine”, “I walk the line”, “Just walkin’ in the rain”…..walking gets a mention in many a song, at least in part because walking is a relaxing activity and can inspire creativity. The Covid-19 pandemic has not provided much in the way of inspiration in itself, but the accompanying restrictions, particularly during the first lockdown period, did lead to far more people walking around their neighbourhood. There wasn’t much else we could do! Walking was not the only activity to become popular, apparently more people have taken up golf - a safe outdoor activity when other sporting activities were curtailed – and more people cycled, at least in the early part of the pandemic, when many people were furloughed and had time on their hands, the weather was good and the roads were empty. The learning from this strange period is that when the conditions are right more people will walk or cycle around their local neighbourhoods and beyond. A key condition at this time was the reduction in traffic, which made it feel safer to be out on our streets. So going forward we need to not only think about how we improve active travel infrastructure – which we must do – but also how we make it feel safe for people of all ages and abilities to walk, cycle and wheel locally. This is a vital component of a ‘just transition’ to a sustainable transport system that addresses transport poverty and inequalities in access and affordability. The Scottish Government has ambitious targets for reducing carbon emissions, including a proposed 20% cut in car use. This will not be achieved through increased investment in public transport and active travel alone, though that is needed and has been promised. As well as ‘the carrot’ we will also need ‘the stick’, which equates to increasing the costs of car use relative to other forms of travel, including a reform of motor taxation, stopping the building of new roads and ending out-of-town developments. There are many environmental, social and health co-benefits that will accrue from a shift to a just and sustainable transport system and that is the subject that I will be expanding on in a paper to be presented at this year’s Active Travel conference. Bruce will be presenting in breakout session 2A. View the whole conference agenda here.
The future of Active Travel in Scotland and transport, health and inequalities take centre stage at national conference
Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights, Patrick Harvie MSP will speak at the first in-person Active Travel conference in three years. Taking the stage in the morning plenary, chaired by broadcaster Rhona McLeod, the Minster is expected to use his speech to focus on the record uplift in funding for Active Travel announced in the December budget, and his vision for the future of Active Travel in Scotland. Later in the morning, Dr Margaret Douglas, co-director of the Master of Public Health programme at the University of Edinburgh, and honorary consultant at Public Health Scotland, will discuss transport trends during the pandemic and how they are likely to affect health and inequalities. She'll argue for a whole-system transport approach to enhance health, equity and sustainability. The National Active Travel Conference is now well-established as the go-to event for everyone whose professional life touches on the need to encourage and develop active travel in Scotland. This event brings together a broad audience, encompassing transport planners and engineers, health professionals, town planners and property professionals, local authorities, private sector, and third sector participants. Tickets are priced at £150 + VAT. We know you are keen to get together again in-person after such a long wait, but there is also the option to book an an-demand content ticket to receive session recordings after the event. Find out more about all the speakers and available sessions here and book your place now by clicking here.  What if the challenge of ageing well in a rural community could also be the key to unlocking prosperity?
That’s the question posed by Jess Read, independent active travel consultant, who will be leading an interactive workshop on Ageing Well in Rural Communities at this year’s National Active Travel Conference. Participants at the workshop will be invited to contribute their expertise and insights to explore the questions
This interactive session is just one of the varied and diverse sessions available at this year’s conference. Elsewhere, delegates will be able to hear presentations on a range of active-travel related themes. For example, organisations seeking to build a business case for active travel infrastructure should look no further than Mobilityways’ presentation on “Using data to drive modal shift”. Or, if you understand the concept of a 20-minute neighbourhood but wonder how it can work in the rural context, check out the joint presentation by Forth Environment Link and Drymen Community Development Trust on that very topic. These and many more on-point topics are under discussion at this year’s conference. Find out more about all the available sessions and book your place now by checking out the Agenda page.  The National Active Travel Conference is now well-established as the go-to event for everyone whose professional life touches on the need to encourage and develop active travel in Scotland.
This event brings together a broad audience, encompassing transport planners and engineers, health professionals, town planners and property professionals, local authorities, private sector, and third sector participants. This is a reminder that the deadline for submission of proposals to present at the conference is fast approaching! You have until 5pm on Monday 7 February to submit your proposals for the conference, scheduled to take place on 14 June 2022. At this stage, we are very much hoping that the event will be able to take place as an in-person event. In Scotland's Year of Stories 2022, our theme will be Active travel in Scotland: the next chapter We are inviting proposals for presentations on the following sub-themes:
To propose your project to be featured at the conference, please complete this online form by 5pm Monday 7 February 2022. You should clearly summarise the content of your proposed session, and outline the learning outcomes that delegates will receive. All submissions will be assessed by a panel and successful submissions will be notified by Friday 25 February at the latest. We look forward to receiving your great ideas! The National Active Travel Conference is the annual event for everyone whose professional life touches on the need to promote and develop active travel in Scotland. We've thought of five good reasons why you should attend this year's event:
It's virtual - but it's vibrant! Yes, we're all a bit Zoomed-out, but our conference platform is a bit different. In between sessions you can take a seat at a virtual table and take part in real-time video networking with colleagues and friends from the sector. We don't tell you where to sit or make you take part in scary speed networking sessions - it's up to you where you sit, and you never know who you might meet or what conversations you might strike up. Diverse and relevant programme: During the day we've got inspiring keynotes, informative presentations and engaging debate sessions - and you can choose which sessions to attend. The breakout sessions themed around topics directly related to the conference theme: Priority for recovery: the importance of active and sustainable travel. Keynote addresses: This year we'll have keynote addresses from Dr Paul Kelly of University of Edinburgh University, and newly-appointed Minister for Transport, Graeme Dey, whose brief includes active travel and the decarbonisation of public transport. The conference will once again be hosted by broadcaster Dougie Vipond. Engaging exhibitors: We know that when we are able to hold our conferences live and face-to-face, our attendees enjoy chatting with exhibitors during the breaks. This virtual conference offers exactly the same opportunity, with nine key organisationsin the sector ready and willing to chat about their innovations and developments. Pop into their virtual booth, pull up a virtual chair and find out what they have to offer. And last but not least: In recognition of the difficulties many organisations have faced in the last year, the organising committee has reduced the ticket price to just £25 + VAT.  In this guest blog, Cycling UK's research and evaluation manager previews some fascinating data emerging from the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme.
"With a third of Scottish households having access to an adult bike and Covid-19 reducing public transport options for many people, the Scottish Government funded 30,000 bike services and repairs up to the value of £50 starting in August 2020. By April 2021 over 23,000 bike repairs had been completed at over 315 bike shops, active travel organisations and independent mechanics under the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme, with the final repairs to be completed by June. Cycling UK is administering the project and have collected over 4,000 follow up surveys from repair recipients so far. From interim data, there are already glimpses of a bigger, fascinating picture. So far it appears that repair recipients in rural areas were just as likely as their urban counterparts to say they had started or intended to start cycling for journeys that they had previously taken by car, demonstrating the impact of the scheme in encouraging a modal shift to cycling in all types of community across the country. “[Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme] allowed me to get my bike properly repaired when I wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise,” says Sarah, from the Isle of Skye, who has been using her bike for essential journeys. The data so far also shows huge wellbeing benefits for repair recipients alongside greater transport flexibility. The full dataset will provide a nationwide insight into the motivations and influences on cycling behaviour. Final reporting on the Scotland Cycle Repair Scheme will be complete by July 2021. For more information, please contact Corra Boushel, research and evaluation manager on corra.boushel@cyclinguk.org or follow Cycling UK in Scotland on Twitter and Facebook." Cycling UK are among the organisations presenting at the National Active Travel Conference 2021. There's still time to book your ticket for the conference on 2 June if you haven't done so already. Book your place now for just £25 + VAT at the button below. The full agenda for the 2021 National Active Travel conference has been unveiled, with inspiring keynotes and stimulating debates supported by presentations from projects around the country. All address the conference theme for 2021: “Priority for recovery – the importance of active and sustainable travel.” As in previous years’ live events, the virtual conference will be hosted by broadcaster Dougie Vipond.
Distinguished academic, Dr Paul Kelly, will deliver the keynote address in the morning of the conference. A lecturer in physical activity for health at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Kelly researches and writes widely on the subjects of evaluating initiatives aimed at increasing physical activity, and the measurement of health behaviours. He'll be addressing the conference on issues such as behaviour change, campaigning communications and challenging different views. Attendees at the virtual conference will have the choice of three breakout sessions in the morning and another three in the afternoon. Morning breakouts:
You can see the full breakdown of sessions and synopses of all presentations here. The conference will conclude with a panel debate session with leaders from the four spearheading organisations tackling issues around the challenges faced by the Active Travel sector in the last year, and the priorities for the year ahead. The line-up of virtual exhibitors has also been revealed. Nine organisations will be staging virtual exhibition booths rich in content, and conference-goers are urged to visit the booths, engage in real-time networking to learn about great innovations from the sector’s supply chain. "It was a big task to get people out of their cars before lockdown - it is an even bigger ask now"11/5/2021  This year’s National Active Travel Conference will feature a leaders’ panel with senior figures from the four spearheading organisations talking about the challenges the sector has faced over the past year, and looking forward to the priorities for building back better.
In this guest blog, Stuart Douglas, Smarter Choices Smarter Places Manager at Paths for All, gives some of his thoughts. “Lockdown has brought with it many challenges to the sector. Local and national government have focussed their attention and efforts on dealing with Covid, rather than building their response to Climate Change and prioritising sustainable travel. This priority has been replicated in the third sector with agencies focussing their activities on supporting the most vulnerable and ensuring key workers can travel to work safely. So collectively the momentum that had been generated in previous years has been paused and we need to reignite the passion and commitment that may have been lost. The seismic reduction in use of public transport has accelerated a worrying decline in patronage that will take a concerted effort to reverse. It was a big task to get people out of their cars and onto public transport before lockdown, it is an even bigger ask now. Embedding the changed behaviours that have seen more people walking and cycling than ever before has to be a priority. Building on the momentum of people experiencing their local community as a pedestrian or a cyclist so it becomes everyday behaviour, not just something that is done during a pandemic. Lockdown has created a new audience of people who have experienced the benefits of quieter streets, improved physical health and living without the need for a car. There is real hope that embedding home-working as a norm will reduce car use. If people do not need a car to commute, there is a real potential that they will question the need to have one at all. There is a whole new audience of people that are on the cusp of changing their regular travel behaviours. The sector needs to make sure it is communicating with this new group of people, helping them to keep up their new behaviours. Paths for All has continued working with local communities throughout the pandemic. We will build on this work across all our workstreams. There is a resurgence in Health Walks across Scotland as people want to carry on their new found love of walking. Enhanced awareness of local greenspace will result in more community groups taking responsibility to improve their local path networks. Our Step Count Challenge is a great motivator to keep people walking rather than slipping into sedentary activity. Our communication activity will inspire and motivate individuals and agencies to keep walking. Our Smarter Choices Smarter Places programme has expanded, with an additional £500,000 available in open grants and we are looking to reach newer and more diverse projects the length and breadth of Scotland. We will be promoting good practice and celebrating successes through the year, demonstrating that walking and wheeling is something that everyone can do every day, everywhere.” Paths for All is one of the Active Travel Delivery Partners spearheading the Active Travel conference on 2 June. Book your place now for just £25 + VAT here.  In this guest blog, Natalie Cozzolino of Cycling Scotland unpacks some of the statistics around the massive increase in cycling in Scotland over the past year:
Scotland has seen a surge in the number of people cycling in the past 12 months. At Cycling Scotland, we measure levels of cycling rates across the country, using a network of up to 60 automatic cycle counters in our National Monitoring Framework to help build a nationwide picture. Statistics we released on 6 April 2021 show a 47% increase in cycling journeys recorded between 23 March 2020 and 22 March 2021 - one year since Covid-19 restrictions were introduced in Scotland. In 2020, increases of 68% in April, 77% in May, 63% in June, 44% in July and 33% in August were recorded, compared to the same months in 2019. September 2020 saw a rise of 32%, followed by October (22%), November (7%) and December (4%). During bad weather in January this year, cycling rates decreased 14% before rising 20% in February 2021. Latest figures from the Bicycle Association show sales of bikes, bike parts, accessories and services increased by 45% across the UK in 2020, with the trend set to continue. Rabaha Arshad is studying for a Doctorate in Children’s Literature at the University of Glasgow. She was inspired to learn how to cycle during lockdown, after watching a neighbour park their bike outside her window every day. Encouraged by stories of other adult beginners, Rabaha began one-to-one lessons at community cycling charity Bike for Good. As Rabaha’s skills developed, so did her confidence. “I suddenly started becoming aware of cyclists all around me, it was like I’d joined a secret community. While walking back from a lesson through Botanic Gardens I approached three women with bikes sitting on a bench and introduced myself. I would never have had the courage to do that before I started cycling!” Rabaha has been enjoying discovering new cycle paths and connecting different parts of Glasgow on her bike, and is planning longer cycle trips to Loch Lomond and Edinburgh in the future. Our Cycling Scotland Chief Executive, Keith Irving, says: “Cycling has a key role to play in people getting exercise and fresh air, managing the ongoing pressure on our transport system and, crucially, tackling the global climate emergency we face. “We’re delighted at the massive increase in cycling and it’s vital we see it continue and expand. “To get even more people cycling, we need to invest more in infrastructure so people feel safe to cycle. We need more dedicated cycle lanes, separated from vehicles and pedestrians. We need to reduce traffic, especially on residential and shopping streets. And we need to increase access to bikes and storage to tackle the barriers too many people face so anyone, anywhere can enjoy all the benefits of cycling. “Helping far more people to cycle is key in delivering a green recovery from Covid and supporting a just transition towards a net-zero Scotland. Every journey cycled will make a difference.” Visit cycling.scot to learn more. Cycling Scotland is one of the Active Travel Delivery Partners spearheading the Active Travel conference on 2 June. |
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