Agenda item

Martijn Cooijmans, The Director of Climate Change and Transport, gave a presentation introducing the committee to Active Travel and the plans involving this in the coming year. They noted Islington was a top inner-London borough for Active Travel for the third year in a row.

The Council's Active Travel Program was an integral part of the council's overarching strategy, which included the Vision 2030 strategy and the Transport Strategy. These strategies were developed in tandem, underwent consultation, and were adopted in 2020. Active travel and public health promotion were central elements of these strategies. The program revolved around eight objectives, with a strong focus on making walking and cycling the top choices for local journeys, ensuring safety, reducing road danger, and minimising the environmental and air quality impact of travel.

To gauge progress and performance, the council conducted monitoring reports every two years, aligning with the Transport Strategy's objectives. Key aspects related to active travel included increasing the percentage of journeys taken by walking, cycling, or public transport, with a target of 90% by 2041.

The presentation also highlighted various teams within the council, which collaborated to promote active travel. Other areas of focus included promoting bus priority measures and offering cycle training. Additionally, the council sought to provide secure cycle parking, promote the use of cargo bikes, and encourage the adoption of active travel through bike hire and incentive programs.

The council actively engaged with the community to create "People-Friendly Streets," including Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and Liveable Neighbourhoods. These initiatives demonstrated positive results, with reduced road danger and increased cycling levels in the areas where they were implemented.

Efforts were made to motivate and incentivise residents to embrace active travel, including initiatives like school travel plans, festivals, and partnerships with various groups, such as Joyriders, Positive Spin, and Silver Cyclists. The ultimate goal was to encourage physical activity through active travel while creating a safe and accessible environment for all Islington residents. The council remained committed to making active travel a practical and preferred choice for all members of the community.

In response to questions from the committee, The Director of Climate Change and Transport explained, while emergency response time does vary it id overall generally good and there was detailed monitored reports for each low traffic neighbourhood. Additionally, it was clarified that potential alterations to 20mph roads are not anticipated to affect highly urbanised areas like Islington.

Regarding inquiries concerning bike hangars and cycling initiatives, the Director explained that the selection of their locations was contingent upon the demand and wait lists. Where there exists a clustering of demand, these facilities would be strategically placed in easily accessible locations. Furthermore, they conveyed that the team is actively exploring methods to reduce the associated costs, with the possibility of costs decreasing as more individuals make use of these amenities.

Behavioural change was identified as a pivotal factor in encouraging people to adopt active travel. This transformation can be facilitated through more effective communication with residents and resident associations and for example, by encouraging residents of housing estates to reduce their reliance on cars. Furthermore, the council was committed to empowering minority groups to engage in active travel, and this will involve engaging with various organisations, including Joyriders, Cyclesisters, and Transport for All. The Director also expressed willingness to receive suggestions on how to empower diverse groups to embark on more sustainable travel options.

RESOLVED:

That the report was noted by the committee