Have your say on two important plans that aim to make it easier, safer and more pleasant to walk and cycle around Brighton & Hove.
A consultation is open until 15 November 2021, covering the following two plans:
Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)
This is a strategic plan to improve cycling and walking for the city, which the government requires to release future funding.
The draft plan has been developed with input from stakeholders including cycling and walking groups as well as disabled car users, taxi drivers and local bus companies. The plan sets out networks for walking and cycling improvements, and establishes priorities. It doesn’t go into detail as to which measures are needed – that will come at a later stage, when there will be further design and consultation.
There’s more information on Brighton & Hove City Council’s website about the routes and areas proposed.
Priority has been given to routes that pass through more deprived areas, employment and business areas and areas of poor air quality.
Areas and routes for walking improvements have been selected using criteria such as areas of high deprivation, elderly/young populations and those with high numbers of vehicle collisions for pedestrians and cyclists. An area-based approach to walking will ensure wider benefits for communities than just focusing on routes. Pedestrians will benefit from improvements on the cycling network, as schemes will improve both cycling and walking access, as well as linking in to bus routes.
Walking improvements are not detailed at this stage, but the document includes examples such as reducing through-traffic in residential areas, restricting traffic on streets outside schools and improvements to crossings – all of which will make walking easier and pleasanter, and reduce pollution.
Over the past year, there has been controversy in other cities over ‘low-traffic neighbourhoods’: streets that are closed to through-traffic but open for access by vehicle. There have been claims that these schemes merely displace traffic to surrounding roads, but evidence shows that this is untrue. By making cycling and walking safer, they allow people to avoid unnecessary car journeys, leaving more room for those who rely on vehicles or simply prefer to travel by car. Brighton & Hove City Council are working on their first Low Traffic Neighbourhood in Hanover, as well as a Low Traffic Neighbourhood Strategy for the city.
Vehicle use in the UK has grown constantly since the 1950s. Between 2010 and 2019, traffic in urban areas grew by a quarter, and on side streets it grew by a third. Ride share services, increased delivery traffic and apps that direct people down side roads have all played a part in this. The government has put in place policy to reduce this by redesigning our road network to make it easier and safer to walk and cycle, and introducing high-quality cycle design standards. Click here to find out more.
Click here to respond to the council’s consultation on the LCWIP and LTP5 [Link removed 23/4/2024 as the Council’s consultation process closed]
Local Transport Plan 5 (LTP5)
A Local Transport Plan is a document drawn up by local authorities, that sets out how to maintain and improve all types of transport. It typically covers a five-year period.
The council are currently consulting on an an initial ‘direction of travel’ document, which will form the basis of the final LTP5 document next year.
Brighton & Hove’s fifth Local Transport Plan will focus on the challenges of making active travel (walking, wheeling and cycling) easier, safer and more attractive, so that people have greater transport choice and are less likely to be reliant on cars. This means cleaner air, less greenhouse gas and more active lifestyles, allowing people to stay healthy more easily. The city has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2030, and transport makes up one third of its emissions.
By making it easy for people to make the switch, the roads will be left clearer for people who depend on vehicles, or simply prefer to drive.
The plan also includes support for improved, more integrated public transport and incentives for clean vehicle transport, such as parking discounts for low-emission drivers, an expanded Ultra-Low Emission Zone, a Liveable City Centre and free loans of electric cargo bikes.
The plan has three key principles:
- Reduce the need for travel – by giving people access to facilities closer to home and services online
- Shift how people travel – by prioritising walking and cycling for short journeys and public transport for longer journeys
- Cleaner vehicles – incentivising the use of electric vehicles, including cars, buses, e-cargo bikes and e-scooters
Particular attention is paid to improving access for disabled people, with improvements to step-free access and more disabled parking bays.
Click here for an easy-to-read, jargon free overview of the plan on the council’s website.
You can have your say on the plan by clicking here to take part in the public consultation on the LCWIP and LTP5. It’s open until 15 November. [Link removed 23/4/2024 as the Council’s consultation process closed]
Consultation events are also being held at Jubilee Library in October – click here to find out more.
