Active Travel Board meeting: 2 December 2021
Summary of the minutes of the meeting held on 2 December 2021.
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Active Travel network map consultation
The Chair updated the Board on correspondence received regarding the Active Travel Network Maps (ATNM) consultation. Guide Dogs Cymru raised concerns of the inclusivity of local authorities’ consultation processes in preparation for submitting their ATNMs.
In response to this, the Chair requested local authorities confirm how they have consulted with and ensured that those with protected characteristics are able to access and contribute to their consultation. From this request some authorities show a proactive approach and some are more reactive in their methods.
The Board discussed concerns regarding the reliance on Commonplace for the consultations and resource issues within local authorities.
Active Travel to school
Board members were provided an overview on Active Travel to School which aims to bring together pieces of work currently undertaken and is underpinned by behavioural science. There are several recommendations including:
- working across policy areas with joint goals
- a mass communication programme with parents/guardians as the primary target
- addressing travel to secondary schools and reducing traffic around schools
- developing guidance for school travel improvement plans from a community level
- ensuring there is effective evaluation of initiatives and sharing best practice.
The Board welcomed the paper and its recommendations and discussed how these could be implemented to further progress active travel to school.
ATB Sub Group: inclusive Active Travel
The Board was updated on discussions undertaken by the sub-group, who re-emphasised the urgency for training on inclusive design and equality impact assessments. The sub-group are keen to progress quickly as funding is being administered to authorities and there is a need to ensure schemes deliver for all parts of the community.
The sub-group proposed a programme for training on inclusion is developed and that grant funding applications are assessed by a diverse panel. The sub-group also suggested increasing diversity in the membership of the Active Travel Board.
Burns recommendations update
The board was given a presentation on the Burns Commission Report recommendations and what progress has been made. There were a total of 58 recommendations which cover all modes of transport. The Union Connectivity Review, which has recently been published by UK Government, sets out the priorities for rail and builds on the Burns work. The Burns proposal includes improvements to the South Wales rail line and the building of up to six new stations, such as a Newport West Interchange. These plans would see easier connections between rail, bus and active travel.
This work is being carried out by a technical team in Transport for Wales (TfW), which includes project managers, transport planners, active travel officer etc. who work closely with the relevant local authorities and other stakeholders. This is overseen by an independently chaired steering group.
Following the presentation, there was a discussion on how the proposals could be supported by the Board, including how to effectively implement a car free day in Newport.