People want to walk: Brighton and Hove’s passeggiata on the prom

This was the scene on Hove seafront yesterday afternoon – a pedestrian slo-mo superhighway. How come? Is there anything we can learn from the throng on the prom?

First, a sunny day helps, even if it’s cold (it was).

Second, a great townscape, bordering the beach, is nice to have.

Third, a stroll can become a social norm - a Brighton and Hove version of the passeggiata.

Fourth, it’s a safe space for pedestrians, free from the prospect of getting mown down by a vehicle (cyclists take note!)

New Year Resolution for Drivers

Because pavements are for pedestrians.

Carfree Reflections on Rotterdam

Just back from giving a presentation on behavioural economics at the conference of the European Social Marketing Association in Rotterdam. The conference (of which, more here) was all about behaviour change, and when it comes to getting people to build more physical activity into their daily lives, there are few better observatories than the Netherlands.


Rotterdam is a city of 600,000 people, and home to the world's second-biggest port (it used to be the biggest, until Shanghai pipped it to the post). Rotterdam has a metro, trams, a good bus network, and several main line rail stations, including the extraordinary Centraal station (pictured above and below). A 3 day €14 ticket gets you unlimited access to the metro, buses and trams.



Of course, there are cars in Rotterdam, but they are not allowed to be dominant. Rotterdam is a city which has been configured for people on bikes and people on foot. It's a city with lots of green and lots of water, where people are purposeful. But it’s also a noticeably calm city - presumably a result of effective public transport, those endorphins from active travel, and not being forced to breathe an invisible miasma of traffic fumes.



As well as the Dutch default of segregated cycleways, Rotterdam also has extensive pedestrianisation, including Europe's first pedestrianised shopping street, Ljinbaan.



Active travel in Rotterdam means that trams and buses have priority, and cars are required to give way to bikes and pedestrians. That's down to urban planning, street design and people-friendly liability laws that favour the non-mechanical over the mechanical. What a delight, as a pedestrian, to press the button at a traffic crossing and get an immediate green man signal. Over time, it’s not just the cityscape, but the culture that changes. And one other thing we observed: anecdotal evidence, maybe, but we saw very few overweight people and only a few that could be described as obese. UK health officials, take note!

Taming the traffic in North Street, Brighton

Plans are afoot to alter the road layout in North Street to make it more pedestrian friendly by widening the north and south pavements at the junction with New Road. You can see the proposals on the Brighton Business website - here’s a sneak preview of how this traffic-clogged and fume-laden street could look.

“Why is Britain such a dangerous place for walkers?”

Worth reading: Nick Cohen’s article in yesterday’s Observer. The hook for the article is last week’s Greater London Assembly report about rising deaths among pedestrians in London – and what can be done to stop it.

The article is about the raw deal suffered by urban walkers (aka people on foot). Even compared with walkers in the countryside. And especially compared with all the other self-identifying interest groups, whether people in cars (aka “motorists”) or even people on bikes (aka “cyclists”).
A pity that Nick hasn’t heard of Living Streets, the national charity that stands up for pedestrians, but the gist of the article is pretty unarguable.

GLA says “20 is Plenty” for more of London

The Greater London Assembly Transport Committee has released Feet First – Improving Pedestrian Safety in London.  



This is in response to the risks and challenges for pedestrian safety in the capital: after years of decline, the numbers of pedestrians killed and injured in London is rising - 69 pedestrian deaths and 1,054 seriously injured in London in 2012.



The report (with its Abbey Road lookalike cover shown above) states that a key policy option is to reduce speed limits from 30mph to 20mph to create a fairer balance between people and motor vehicles, with proposed actions including investigations to consider increasing the percentage of London’s road network that is covered by 20mph limits (from the current level of 19%) to 50% by 2016. More on this at 20’s Plenty.

Should we stop talking about “pedestrians”?

And start talking about “people on foot” or “people who walk”? In the light of the debate about grim cycling statistics, there’s a great blog post on the subject Can Saying "People on Bikes" Instead of "Cyclists" Make Biking Safer? Obviously, there’s a need for proper infrastructure for people who choose to get around under their own steam on two wheels (sometimes called cyclists - there, I nearly did it). But this post goes beyond issues of the physical (design) to the psychology (the way we think about other road users), and holds that it would be better to replace the term “cyclists” with “people on bikes.” Because whether we are on a bike, in a car, on a bus or a train or on foot – we are all people. Whatever our mode of transport, we are people on our living streets.

So we need to formulate a new taxonomy of street users – and reframe the way we use the roads. Because most journeys are multi-modal: even a car journey starts with a walk. So does it help to call us pedestrians? Surely we are people who walk. Or people on foot.

Another chance to walk on water in London

After the previous post about the new foot and cycle bridge at Shoreham, here’s another footbridge post, only this time it’s a new bridge for London. Whatever you think of George Osborne’s Autumn Statement,  it reportedly includes some good news for pedestrians - a £30m Treasury contribution towards the planned Thomas Heatherwick Garden Bridge over the River Thames. There have been comments about the high cost of the bridge, reportedly around £150 million - but I wonder how much a road bridge in the same location would cost. And how much fuss would be made about that?



Those who doubt the value of pedestrian bridges should take a look at the Millennium (aka Wobbly) Bridge which links St Pauls/the City with Tate Modern/the South Bank – a brilliant new way for walkers to cross the river. These bridges, dedicated to pedestrians are not so much living streets as freshwater piers, providing great place for dawdling, taking in the views, and forging new connections – the very best kind of active travel.
(Photo: Arup)

Question: When is a pedestrian not a pedestrian?

Answer: When the pedestrian is in the USA. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, or MUTCD, which is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a compilation of national standards for all traffic control devices, including road markings, highway signs, and traffic signals.

According to the MUTCD, a pedestrian is a “traffic flow interruption."

A new bridge in Shoreham for pedestrians and cyclists

Just along the coast, but often overlooked by residents of Brighton and Hove, sits the town of Shoreham - where a new bridge now links Shoreham town with Shoreham Beach, a replacement for the ugly old footbridge which spanned the River Adur.

The new bridge is an attractive structure, particularly at night, when innovative lighting shines from the handrails. The bridge is a boon for people on foot and for people on bikes – no cars on this bridge! Bridges can play an important role in economic regeneration, and this one will no doubt be a boon for the locals, and a stimulus for businesses on both sides.

The bridge is part of a Sustrans cycle route but it isn’t a bridleway – locals apparently got upset when some horses crossed over and left their calling cards on the pristine new surface. Presumably, good news for local rose growers.

As the photos show, It’s a pretty bridge. But it’s not quite in the same category as this pedestrian bridge designed by NEXT architects and destined for China (the Changsha-Meixi lake crossing) pictured in the current edition of EG Magazine. Would a design like this have been a bridge too far for Shoreham?

Photos: Mabeybridge Ltd, EGmagazine, NEXT architects, Adur & Worthing Council

Pedestrians aren’t (always) pedestrian

Here’s a great graphic from the Carfee France site run by Marcel Roberts. The website is a repository of thoughts, links and information about carfree life in France and elsewhere. If your French isn’t great, Google translate will only mangle it a bit when turning it into English. The reason why the graphic is so brilliant is that it captures the variety of things we get up to on two legs (well, many of them), and in so doing, gets away from the notion of we bipeds as merely “pedestrian.”

It reminded me of a graphic on street hoardings I saw when I was carfree in Toulouse in 2012. The hoardings explain a new pedestrian-friendly development in the centre of the city. At first I wondered if it was something in the water in France. And then I realised that the authorities in Toulouse, as in so many other European cities, are serious about prioritising streets for people who aren’t in cars.

I wonder if they have to put up with the likes of Unchain the Brighton Motorist?

And to illustrate the point that pedestrians are shoppers too, here’s a picture from the carfree streets of central Toulouse.

PS: Planning a holiday? See the Marcel Roberts book on Islands Without Cars (Isles San Voitures).

Living Streets letter to the Argus about trade unions, economic prosperity and cars in Brighton – unpublished

Dear Sir

Brighton and Hove Living Streets Group hope that the members of Unite and the GMB will reflect on and recognise the benefits of lower speed limits to the wider community and those who visit the city, before union officials spend their hard-won subscriptions on campaigning against 20mph speed limits – which are now the norm in cities across the rest of Europe. The UK is now playing catch up; councils which include the City of London and Birmingham are now implementing the 20mph limit because the evidence shows that it makes our streets safer for those not in cars, and means a more pleasant environment for everyone. Traffic has dominated our towns and city centres for over half a century; it’s high time that there was some encouragement for those wishing to walk or cycle in safety. After all, the streets belong to everyone – not just those who happen to be on four wheels.

If the Unite and GMB unions are serious about protecting the livelihoods of their members they should consider that turning Brighton and Hove into an unsafe, traffic-choked and pollution-blighted “car friendly” city is a great way to deter visitors, meaning that fewer people will be taking taxis and buses. Which doesn’t seem a good way to support their jobs.

By contrast, an approach that relies more on evidence than assertion has been set out in the new Living Streets report on the Pedestrian Pound. It shows that pedestrians spend up to six times more on our high streets than those who arrive by car. Investing in the public realm – including pedestrianising areas and slowing down the traffic – has been shown to boost footfall and local economies by up to 40%.

Yours etc

Living Streets call out for pedestrian crossings

Living Streets is developing a pedestrian crossings campaign, and is looking to illustrate the campaign with case studies relating to people who find it difficult to cross the road in time on crossings with signals – e.g. puffin or pelican crossings. There’s a short blog post to explain more here.

The aim of the campaign is safer, more convenient crossings for all:

• Lollipop people’s jobs should be safeguarded to help children walk to school
• The time given at crossing points should allow everyone to cross the street safely
• Everyone should be able to cross the road quickly, without unnecessary waiting time
• Local authorities should have a good maintenance programme in place to make sure all crossings are in tip top condition
• Local people should be involved in decisions about new crossings

Carfree in Glasgow: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

In Glasgow last week to deliver a workshop, so, with a bit of spare time to take in the city on foot, here are some observations, anecdotal rather than scientific: one man’s street audit of walkability in Glasgow.

The Good

· Many main shopping streets pedestrianized, with high quality surfaces, particularly in the trophy streets of ‘The Style Mile.’
· Glasgow has become a legible city, with good signage – walking denoted by time rather than distance.
· Some splendid pedestrian bridges and walkways along the Clyde.

· Some bike lanes, a few with physical segregation (although not many cyclists). What’s good for cyclists is normally ok-ish for pedestrians.
· Some 20mph “home zones” in residential areas bordering the city centre, such as north of Sauchiehall Street.
· From an Active Travel perspective, Glasgow has a pretty extensive urban transport system, apparently with plenty of buses, heavy rail and the world’s third oldest underground system. The latter goes by the splendid moniker of The Clockwork Orange.


The Bad

· Away from the pedestrian streets, traffic is fast and unforgiving -Glasgow city centre needs a 20mph default speed limit if it is to be truly safe and truly walkable.
· Pedestrians suffer long waits for the green man at signalled crossings (motor traffic gets priority, big time).
· No sign of an urban bike hire scheme a la London’s Boris Bikes.

The Ugly

· The state of the pavements (‘footways’ in local parlance) away from the trophy streets is about the worst I’ve seen in a British city - broken slabs, misaligned drop kerbs, giving the impression of being uncared for. More like the back streets of Athens than a place wanting to encourage pedestrians.
· The M8 motorway, striding along the edge of the city centre on giant concrete columns.


· Possibly the worst pedestrian approach to any major new museum anywhere in the UK – it’s a shame, and an irony, that Zaha Hadid’s excellent riverside museum – devoted to transport, and stuffed full of trams, trains and bikes (plus a wall of cars) stands in a car park, alongside another major road, with difficult pedestrian access. Not much has changed since this Guardian article in 2011.

Overall verdict
For pedestrians, Glasgow may be miles better, but it still has a long way to go. Here’s hoping that the 2014 Commonwealth Games, when Glasgow will be on view to the world, will offer the chance to get working on some of the issues described above.

“We are all pedestrians.”

A timely reminder from the World Health Organisation, from its recent publication on pedestrians and road safety.

World Health Organisation (2013) Pedestrian Safety: a road safety manual for decision makers and practitioners. p4

Quote of The Week

“The pedestrian is the design imperative.”
Dom Nozzi

Pavements Are For Pedestrians

Unless you are C Burgess Roofing Specialist. In which case, “pavement” is just another word for “somewhere to park your truck and avoid paying for a parking permit.” Buggies and wheelchairs? You’re down the curb and in the road.

Pedestrians, Pintxos, And Other Puzzles

Santander, San Sebastian, Bilbao: so many pintxo bars, so many cake shops, so many ice cream parlours…so few obese people. How come? Here are a few observations - unscientific, anecdotal and observational, and based on a couple of weeks spent in Northern Spain - which doesn’t mean not valid. Mostly, the answer appears to be food culture and active travel. First, the food, though wonderful, comes in small portions – eg, pintxos (tapas). Very little is processed. Moreover, it’s ok to share. The fast food oligopolies/chain outlets (please don’t call them “restaurants”) are scarcely seen (San Sebastian has one McDonalds). Practically all of the dining happens in small independent businesses, whether bars or restaurants. There's hardly any eating or drinking “on the go.” You just don’t see people toting bottles of soda or eating crisps whilst walking. Eating goes like this: Arrive. Talk. Eat. Talk. Leave.

So much for the food culture, what about active travel? As per the previous post/Argus article, great swathes of Santander, Bilbao and San Sebastian are carfree and there’s efficient and inexpensive public transport. Not just in the main cities, but in many small towns and villages, cars have been put in their place – after pedestrians. San Sebastian is a poster child for rebalanced streets – cars come way down the hierarchy, below walking, cycling, roller-blading, skateboarding, jogging and running. Pavements are uncluttered and unobstructed - the advertising “A boards,” which make getting around on British pavements so difficult, are just not to be seen. Guard rails, which pen pedestrians onto pavements at crossing points, don’t exist. So what’s the paradox? Brits abroad will tell you that they love these places. Elected and appointed officials from UK local government go on fact finding- missions to see for themselves. But back in the UK many of the good intentions melt away, and motorists seem to acquire a magical power of veto when it comes to improving our towns and cities by better management of the car. The question is, why? Pedestrians have votes too….

Pedestrians Aren’t Revolting

But the question is, why not? Zoe Williams has been asking why in The Guardian, specifically in relation to the number of pedestrians killed on London’s roads. This is tragic, but it isn’t the only reason why pedestrians ought to kick up more. Such as, why is it pedestrians who have to wait for cars when crossing the road? How did that happen? More to come on this subject.

Don’t Blame Pedestrians…

…is a campaign being run by 20’s Plenty which points how some drivers blame pedestrians who get killed or seriously injured for ‘taking chances’ when they cross. 20’s Plenty asks, “how easy is it to cross safely? Who’s to blame when walkers die?” pointing out that society would be very limited if we were only permitted to cross roads at signalised junctions. In the UK there is no ‘jay-walking’ law: we accept that pedestrians need to cross roads without signals, zebra crossings or traffic islands.
At locations without pedestrian crossings, pedestrians need to identify a gap in the traffic to be able to cross. To cross two lanes of traffic most pedestrians will accept a 4 to 6 second gap but people with limited mobility need gaps of 10 to 12 seconds – and the availability of gaps depends on factors like traffic volumes, density, time of day and, crucially, vehicle speeds. Currently pedestrians have to assume that traffic on 30mph roads is going faster than the law allows, since 49% of British drivers speed in 30mph areas and the police don’t tend to penalise drivers below 36mph.
· At 36 mph a 5 second gap is a distance of 80 metres and a 10 second gap is 160 metres
· At 18 mph a 5 second gap is a distance of 40 metres and a 10 second gap is 80 metres
How often is it possible to see the traffic for a tenth of a mile (160m) in either direction? Sight lines are often blocked due to parked vehicles at either side of the road, corners and obstructions – it is no wonder that children and older people struggle to cross roads safely in current conditions. It’s even more dangerous for children: research by scientists at Royal Holloway has shown children under 11 cannot reliably judge the approach speeds of vehicles over 20mph as their visual systems have not fully developed.

Halving vehicle speeds would make it twice as easy for pedestrians to cross safely, and also reduce the kinetic energy (the kind that kills and injuries people) by a factor of four. Setting 20mph as the default speed limit in urban areas will reduce the dangers imposed on society by motor vehicles. As the campaign points out: “20’s Plenty, 30 hurts me.”