In spring 2023, TfSE commissioned City Science to undertake the development of a regional active travel strategy and accompanying action plan for the TfSE area.
Overview
We collaborated with Transport for the South East (TfSE) in developing a Regional Active Travel Strategy & Action Plan (RATSAP) to support economic, social, and environmental strategic goals.
“Develop a high quality, safe, convenient, and accessible strategic regional active travel network that is well-connected and integrated with other modes to increase the proportion of journeys made by active modes within the TfSE area.”
The RATSAP consists of several project phases: the outputs of the first phase will involve identification of a prioritised strategic active travel network for the TfSE area and an initial action plan to support delivery of the network. The second phase focuses on successful implementation of the strategy and action plan. The strategic active travel network for the TfSE area will build on work already undertaken by the 16 Local Transport Authorities (LTAs), such as the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs). The purpose of developing a strategic active travel network for the TfSE area is to support strategic routes including those cross-boundary in nature.
By developing a high quality, safe, and accessible regional active travel network which increases the number of people who choose to walk, wheel, and cycle, TfSE can hope to:
- Reduce pollution and emissions from the transport network, protecting and enhancing the natural, built, and historic environments.
- Improve wellbeing and create liveable communities by improving connectivity between places and transport modes.
- Reduce inequalities thanks to an accessible and equitable travel network, supporting social inclusion, and reducing barriers to employment, learning, and leisure.
- Support sustainable economic growth through more efficient active travel infrastructure which encourages modal shifts away from private motor vehicles and attracts inward investment.
Scope
The RATSAP covers the whole of the TfSE area which is comprised of six Berkshire authorities (Bracknell Forest, Reading, Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead, Slough, Wokingham, and West Berkshire), Kent, Medway, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Surrey, East Sussex, West Sussex, Portsmouth, Southampton, and Brighton & Hove, as well as cross-boundary movement to/from adjoining areas. This includes Greater London and LTAs in England’s Economic Heartland (EEH), Transport East, and Western Gateway.
TfSE LTAs Map (Source: TfSE Transport Strategy for the South East)
City Science Response
Our approach to the delivery of a robust RATSAP consisted of 5 stages including:
Stage 1 – Governance: Assembling a Steering Group to collaborate on the development of key principles. This includes refining strategy outcomes and the overarching RATSAP objectives.
Stage 2 – Baseline & Potential Active Travel Demand: Collating key policies and datasets to inform the development of the Evidence Base Report for the region. This will include existing and proposed future active travel networks and current and future demand, combined with an Active Travel Maturity Model.
Stage 3 – Strategic Network Identification: Developing a strategic active travel network for the region, through the identification and collation of critical corridors and hubs. The key focus will be identifying potential cross-boundary active travel routes, with the findings presented in a Strategic Network Identification Report.
Stage 4 – Strategic Network Prioritisation: Producing a route prioritisation method, with an emphasis on balancing priorities between different geographies (e.g. coastal, inland, hilly, flat), will be assembled. The appraisal method will be applied to the routes previously identified to enable development of a prioritised list of routes, with findings presented in a Scheme Prioritisation Report.
Stage 5 – Strategy Delivery & Action Plan: Forming a clear, concise, and accessible strategy document to consolidate the findings from Stages 1 to 4 and set out next steps to enable delivery of the prioritised routes.
Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement was fundamental throughout the development of the RATSAP, including seven meetings of the newly established Regional Active Travel Steering Group (RATSG), representing the 16 constituent LTAs within the TfSE region, as well as several key national delivery partners and stakeholders including Active Travel England, National Rail, National Highways, Homes England, Sustrans, and Transport Action Network. Their input was integral to shaping the development of the strategy and building stronger relationships for joint working.
Outcomes
The RATSAP now forms a key pillar of the TfSE Transport Strategy, providing a clear direction forward for active travel across the region.