Sustainable transport charity Sustrans has partnered with Arup and Living Streets to create a guide for both local and national governments to help ensure active travel is accessible, inclusive, and desirable.
This guide is designed to support national and local authorities including transport and spatial planning professionals, as well as organisations helping to improve the lives of people who may be marginalised, and anyone helping to make walking and wheeling more inclusive.
An example of the collaboration’s findings is that 72% of disabled people would find fewer cars parked on the pavement useful to walk or wheel more.
“We need government action to give pavements back to people,” the report stated. “With the right political will, investment and knowledge walking and wheeling can give people from all backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, abilities and genders, independence, and freedom.”
The guide called for an improvement in governance, planning and decision making. It recommended inclusive walking and wheeling plans and long-term funding. It also stressed that policy decisions should be based on diverse voices to ensure people live within walking distance of the services and amenities.
Additionally, the partnership suggested a national design guidance for active travel is introduced, which could result in improved road safety, air quality and reduce physical severance by roads.
It also wants to raise profile of walking and wheeling with investment in walking and wheeling programmes, including social prescribing. It aims to reverse the decline in childhood independent mobility while closing the disability mobility gap (the gap in journeys by disabled and non-disabled people).
“Transforming the pedestrian environment to be accessible to disabled people would have a dramatic impact, enabling so many to enjoy positive impacts to mental and physical health, feeling a part of one’s community, and perhaps stumbling across a new favourite spot,” said Katie Pennick, campaigns lead, Transport for All.
