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Summary of Proof, May 2006
Dr Dyfed Wyn Huws
BMedSci, MBBCh, MSc, DLSHTM, MRCP, MFPH
Chair Cardiff Cycling Campaign
Independent Consultant in Public Health
Member of the Transport and Health Study Group of the Faculty of Public Health of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom
Senior Clinical Researcher, Centre for Health Sciences Research, Cardiff University
Cardiff Cycling Campaign
Summary of Proof, May 2006, S247 Order/s249 Order 200_ Cardiff City Centre
Current transport situation in Cardiff and its city centre
Policy
Cardiff County Council’s white paper on transport "Keeping Cardiff Moving" states in its opening pages:
"Our ability to ..solve Cardiff’s transport problems depends on our ability to encourage people to cut their use of their car and to walk, cycle or use public transport,..."
"Cardiff’s core strategy is to reduce car use... by reducing demand for travel, particularly by car."
"Car travel... has come at a cost to our quality of life, our health, our environment and local business."
Traffic growth
Traffic has grown by almost 5% in the UK as a whole since 1998 to the middle of this decade. In Wales traffic has grown by 8%. Yet in Cardiff traffic has grown by 17% in this time. Cardiff County Council’s own white paper on transport ‘Keeping Cardiff Moving’ states that ‘congestion is Cardiff’s No1 transport problem.’
Walking
The UK has one of the highest pedestrian traffic injury rates in Europe. Police stats 19 statistics show that 247 pedestrians were knocked down by motor vehicles in the Cardiff City Centre Electoral Division between 2000-2005, three of these were killed, 29 seriously injured.
Cycling
Only 2.7% cycle to work in Cardiff – one of the lowest rates of all major cities in the UK. Many more cycle in London, Bristol, Cambridge, and in Edinburgh, where car use per capita is lower and public transport use higher. In York almost 15% cycle to work.
Despite the current low rate of cycling in Cardiff, police stats 19 statistics show that 77 cyclists were knocked down by motor vehicles in the Cardiff City Centre Electoral Division between 2000-2005, one of these was killed, and 7 seriously injured. During the same 5 year time period in the central pedestrianised areas in Cardiff City Centre Electoral Division only 2 collisions between a cyclist and a pedestrian were recorded, and both were classified as ‘slight’.
Research shows that high pedestrian injuries rates and low cycling but high cycling/motor vehicle collision rates occur where planning does not prioritise pedestrians/cycling over motor vehicles, where private vehicles dominates over public transport and cycling, where car parking is plentiful, where traffic is heavy and speed high, and where direct pedestrian/cycling routes are few, crossings scarce, indirect and staggered with long multiple waits, caged central reservations, and where multiple railings exist.
Further reasons for high motor vehicle traffic and low cycling but high cyclist injury rates in Cardiff are available in Cardiff Council’s own transport white paper ‘Keeping Cardiff Moving’, in a statement by Ms Lynn Sloman, Board Member of Cycling England and Board Member Commission for Integrated Transport, and in Professor David Begg’s (Chairman Commission for Integrated Transport) comments about transport in Cardiff in the minutes of Cardiff County Council Environment Scrutiny Committee 21 July 2003, all of which are cited in our associated Statement of Evidence. A visual impression can be gained from our Appendix 1a photographs.
Existing cycle routes in Cardiff City Centre
Although high traffic growth in Cardiff and poor cycling facilities are detrimental to cycling here, there are however currently less trafficked options available for cycling in and across the city centre in a north-south and east-west direction. Many are officially marked as cycling routes on the County Council’s Cycling Map (latest edition 2004), and their use legally or otherwise is confirmed by the Council’s own count surveys. Others appear on the Proposed Strategic Cycle Network for Cardiff and also in routes proposed in the recent Hyder Report Cardiff City Centre Cycle Links. The following streets currently provide partial or complete east-west and north-south routes for cyclists and potential cyclists across and to the city centre:East-west (approx)
Station Terrace, past Queen St Station, Guildford St, Bridge St (east only), Hayes Bridge Rd (south only), and Customhouse St or Mill Lane across St Mary’s St to or from Saunders Rd and Cardiff Central Station. ALL OF THESE ROADS ARE EITHER OFFICIAL ADVISORY CYCLE ROUTES (yellow on cycling map), or have a length of bus lane or off road cycle track one way (red dots or green line).
There is also current use of the highway for cycling in both directions on Customhouse St/ Bute Terrace/ Adam St.
There is also presently de facto (albeit illegal) cycling east-west along Queen St. It is marked as an official route on Cardiff Cycling map where cycles should be pushed.
There is also legal and illegal present de facto cycling along Hill St.
North-South (approx)
St John St*, Working St*, (alternatively Church St*, Trinity St*, Victoria Place*), The Hayes**, Hayes Bridge Rd** (south) / Mill Lane**(north). * = official route on Cardiff Cycling map where cycles should be pushed, but in reality there is de facto cycling. ** = official advisory route.
Park Place, (Queen St - "dismount"), Churchill Way (northern end), and Bridge St/Hayes Bridge Rd is an official advisory cycle route on the map to the south.
Park Place, (Queen St - "dismount"), Churchill Way (northern end) and Guildford Cres / Sandon St (signposted cycle routes) is another official southerly route on the map.
From either Mary Ann St or Churchill Way (southern end) to either Churchill Way (northern end) or Guildford St/Station Terrace are other used partially officially, entirely legal cycling routes north.
In addition High St and St Mary’s Street are also used as legal north-south city centre cycling routes on the highway.
Proposed Strategic Cycle Network for Cardiff -
Priority routes - St John St, Working St, The Hayes, Mill Lane, Queen St, Churchill Way, Bridge St, Guildford St, Station Terrace.
Feeder routes - Caroline St, Hayes Bridge Rd.
Cardiff County Council approved network - lower end St Mary’s St, Customhouse St, Bute Terrace, part of Adam St.
Likely impact on city centre cycling of the stopping up order
Whilst it is accepted that the stopping up order is necessary to deliver the footprint of the development according to planning permission, the order will nevertheless disrupt many existing official cycling routes across the city centre, as described above.Given also that the original proposal was to ban cycling under the pedestrianisation order, and that Cardiff Community Safety Partnership propose to strictly enforce the cycling ban on existing pedestrianised areas, then both orders will force cyclists travelling across the city centre to legally use only the proposed future versions of:
- High St, St Mary’s St
- Customhouse St, Bute Terrace, Adam St
- Churchill Way, Guildford St, Station Terrace
- Mary Ann St, David St, remainder of Bridge St
Increased traffic
The increased traffic on the future roads and junctions left for cyclists is estimated by the transport modelling in the Transport Assessment in the revised environmental statement of the St David’s Partnership. It is also predictable given the size, car parking spaces, and prioritisation of cars to enter the development of the new road and junction layouts. This view is supported by evidence/objections from Professor Begg, Lynn Sloman and Sustrans. Walking and Cycling Strategy for Wales and the TFL London Cycling Design Standards state that the prioritisation of cyclists, and the overall road environment and levels of traffic are as important for safe cycling as are the presence of high quality cycling facilities.
Highway and junction alterations and new highways
The developers have also proposed a number of junction alterations. They are mainly to prioritise motor vehicle traffic, and lead motor vehicle traffic from Newport Rd/Dumfries Place through the currently less busy roads of the city centre south of Queen St to the proposed new multi-storey car parks within their development. Similarly such alterations are also made to Bute Terrace. Further details of the lack of prioritisation of sustainable transport is given in our full proof.
Cycling routes
Despite the heavily trafficked routes left for cyclists in the future, no new high quality cycle routes, cycle lanes, cycle ways or rights of way are proposed.
We note that only a minimal road safety audit was carried out. No non-motorised road user audit was conducted.
On the widened multi-laned roads proposed, and proposed new and existing traffic-prioritised junctions, no prioritisation of cycling is proposed. Some low quality relatively cheap narrow intermittent lengths of gutter/kerbside pink/red tarmac cycle lanes are proposed in places, along with red tarmac cycle advanced stop lines (see Appendix 1a). These will not be segregated from heavy motor vehicle traffic. No junction will have direct desire line prioritised light crossings for cyclists (required under the outline planning permission). No new cycle crossing of any road is proposed. No indication is given by the developers of the enforcement of no parking on the proposed narrow pink tarmac cycle lanes.
For such busy, wide, and often dual carriage-way roads, with sweeping wide junctions and likely HGVs, the standards of the cycle facilities and prioritisation of cyclists proposed, fall well short of those suggested in Transport for London’s London Cycle Design Guide (which the Council claim the designs follow), and in the Walking and Cycling Strategy of the Welsh Assembly Government.
In addition the strict banning of cyclists from existing pedestrianised areas and the addition of more with the pedestrianisation order also banning (or limiting) cyclists, goes against the known accident statistics, Transport Research Laboratory research on pedestrians and cyclists on pedestrianised areas, and against current Department of Transport and London Cycle Design Standards on cycling in pedestrianised areas.
Conclusion
In conclusion we feel that our objections that we have maintained throughout this process from before the planning committee to the present, are justified and have been consistent. The stopping up order and its alternative highways and junctions, as well as the pedestrianisation order will:- Impact strongly on cycling routes through the city centre;
- Disrupt the east-west cycling routes across the city centre;
- Impact on the north-south cycling routes across and through the city centre
Recommendations
That current construction of junctions in relation to the development is halted until the Inspector’s report is considered by the Assembly Government.If the stopping up order goes ahead then plans for the alternative routes and junctions are redrawn to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists, public transport, delivery vehicles, then private motor vehicles, in order to comply with Cardiff County Council transport policy, Welsh Assembly Government Walking and Cycling Strategy, TFL London Cycle Design Guide, and that advice is sought from Sustrans, sustainable transport consultants and others with experience. (see Appendix 2 for high quality route examples).
That the pedestrianisation order is withdrawn and that consideration for partial pedstrianisation and a small square with vehicle restricted shared use highways are considered (according to London Cycle Design Standards and Dept of Transprt advice on pedestrianisation), in addition to repealing the ban on cyclists in existing pedestrianised areas.
That there is future proper consultation and involvement of Cardiff Cycling Campaign and other organisations according to London Cycle Design Standards CRISP guidelines on scheme consultation.
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