The Emergency Active Travel Fund schemes

On 9 May 2020, the government outlined a £2 billion package to support active travel and help the country emerge from the coronavirus crisis.   The emergency active travel fund package included £225 million to enable local authorities to reallocate road space to walking and cycling, with pop-up cycle lanes and other temporary measures.   This aims to: support the re-opening of the economy; help lock-in some of the significant increase in active travel seen during the lockdown period; reduce pressures on public transport capacity following the introduction of social distancing measures.

Pop-up cycle lane schemes

The County Council was awarded £781,000 to allow implementation of seven new and improved pop-up cycle lane schemes, with an expectation that the facilities will be available for use by the end of  September 2020.   The schemes are being implemented as emergency measures using Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders (TTROs).   Accident and traffic flow data will be used, along with automatic counting equipment, to help determine whether the schemes should be adjusted, removed or made permanent.

In October 2020, the schemes were complete bar some minor details.  One - the A259 between Bognor and Chichester - was abandoned and the money spread amongst the others.

The WSCF, and the Cycle Forums around the county, offered advice and there is sadness that this was been ignored.   Indeed, the Cycle Forums have not been acknowledged.   Should the schemes fail through inadequate designs, then this might be seen as folly.   Which is what has happened.   The schemes were generally poor and in some places, downright dangerous.   All schemes were removed within a (very) few months of completion under the orders of the then Cabinet Member, Roger Elkins.   One - Shoreham  - despite being featured in a DfT video and well used and welcomed by local people - was the subject of a Judicial Review brought by Cycling UK.  After much argy bargy, WSCC gave in and settled out of court and C UK was awarded £25K towards its costs.     Prior to that, the DfT told WSCC that its (£2.35M) bid for Phase 3 money would be disallowed.    The word fiasco comes to mind.