Draft Croydon Cycling Strategy 2017-22 1
FOREWORD [To be added] OUR VISION FOR CYCLING We have a clear vision for Croydon and cycling s role in achieving that vision. We are aiming for: Croydon s cycle routes and facilities being as good as the best in London All our cycle facilities can be used by all cyclists including those with disabilities Croydon will have an extensive network of attractive and safe cycling routes covering all corners of the borough. There will be high levels of cycling amongst residents from all backgrounds and communities in Croydon. Every household in the borough wanting to access secure cycle parking shall have it. Cycling will be considered a safe form of transport for everyday journeys for people of all ages. Real or perceived conflict between cyclists and other street users will be minimised Zero cyclist road casualties as part of a wider Vision Zero. Cycling is part of our Croydon Promise supporting sustainable growth in the Borough. It links with the Mayor s Healthy Streets challenge to re-examine our streets to use the space taken up by cars more efficiently with priority to walking, cycling and public transport. We cannot deliver a step change in cycling in isolation: it will be part of a wider transport agenda and link to the emerging Mayor s Transport Strategy. We will raise the status of cycling as a means to travel around the borough aiming eventually to put Croydon on a par with the most cycle-friendly cities in Europe. Investment is already taking place via the Connected Croydon programme and Quietway initiatives but much more needs to be done. We will improve the cycle network across the borough by providing new dedicated routes, cycle hubs encouraging facilities for cycle hire and servicing and by supporting cycling schemes at schools and places of work. (The Croydon Promise: Growth for All 2014) 2
This strategy sets out how we intend to take cycling in Croydon towards that vision and to enable it to play its full part in achieving our vision. The strategy is clear as to the reasons for wanting to achieve our vision. At the core of the strategy sits a network of high quality cycle routes focussed on the Growth Zone helping to support and achieve a better not just bigger town centre. Our plans are ambitious. Delivering many elements means overcoming major challenges. It will require taking opportunities as they arise, but also making opportunities. Depending on resources, opportunities and the willingness of our partners, completing the journey may take 20 years (although the strategy will be refreshed after 5). We will be detailing a costed programme through a separate Delivery Plan and provide an annual report on progress. 3
WHY CYCLE? SETTING OUT THE BENEFITS Convenience Travelling by cycle gets you from A to B quickly and in a reliable time. It is cheap, easy and available to almost everyone of any age and ability. It is a fun way to explore the borough and beyond. Efficiency of road space Cyclists are able to make more efficient use of space than all road users except buses. Cyclists can generally use road space which is not available to other larger vehicles. Value for Money As well as being relatively low cost, DfT research into the costs and benefits of recent cycle schemes have shown these offer high to very high value for money stating that targeted investment in cycling can bring very strong returns to society. Health Benefits Cycling makes you healthier and improves your well-being. It can lead to positive mental health as it connects people to the outside world and reduces the stresses often felt sitting in a traffic queue. Inactivity is having profound health effects and is a major contributory factor to the levels of obesity in Croydon. In Croydon, more than one in three children aged 10-11 are overweight. For adults the situation is more serious. Almost two-thirds of all adults are overweight. This equates to over 185,000 adult residents. Children in Croydon are growing up in a borough where it is normal to be overweight. From 2007 to 2015, the estimated annual cost of obesity to the NHS in Croydon is predicted to rise by 24% ( 11.2 million). Data from TfL shows that if people walked or cycled 20 minutes a day then the NHS would save about 1.7bn over 25 years. Moreover, a new study by Glasgow University shows that regular commuter cycling can reduce the incidence of cancer by 45% and heart disease by 46%. Economy Cycle parking, wayfinding and new routes to improve access to town centres can all make it easier for people to make local journeys by bike. This in turn can benefit local shops and services. A survey by TfL of 15 town centres found that those who arrived on foot or by cycle spent more per month than those who arrived by any other mode of transport. 4
On average, employees who are physically active take 25% fewer sick days than inactive employees. Air Quality More cycling can be achieved by people using private transport less. Road traffic is a prime source of the most damaging pollutants which affect health of all residents but particularly young children, older people and people with health problems. Currently, road based transport in London is accountable for 54% of NOx and 48% of PM10 emissions. Poor air quality is a major issue for parts of the borough but particularly for people living along the major roads in the borough. Climate Change Greenhouse gases are one of the most pressing environmental issues facing London. TfL data shows that 21% of CO2 emissions are from transport. Around 80% of these emissions are from road based transport. Changing Behaviour It is important that the benefits of cycling and walking are embedded in children as there is evidence that if children cycle or walk then they carry on doing so as adults. Moreover, studies have shown that children who walk or cycle to school have significantly improved behaviour, attendance and learning ability. How much cycling at present? Current levels of cycle activity in the borough are low. Indeed there was a 10% reduction in the number of cycle trips between 2008 and 2013 in contrast to the growth shown across London. Only around 1% of Croydon s population cycle for at least 30 minutes five times a week. Croydon has fewer regular cyclists than many other parts of London. Only 1% of Croydon residents regularly cycle compared to 2% in outer London and 3% across London as a whole. Croydon residents also have relatively low cycle ownership. 5
Table 1 Proportion of London households with a cycle available Relative to the distance travelled, cycling in Croydon is safe compared to other parts of London. As with other types of road casualties cycle casualties mainly occur on the main thoroughfares with concentrations along the London Road [A23], A212, A222 and the town centre area. Nevertheless cycling has to be made safer and appear to be made safer if we are to release the potential for more cycling across the borough. How much potential for cycling? Although there is currently a low level of cycling in the borough there is enormous potential for much more cycling. As an example during weekdays the majority of car journeys into the Town Centre are less than 5km in length, a journey length most people are well capable of cycling. TfL has undertaken an analysis of the potential for cycling based on an assessment of the number of cycleable trips. This indicates that Croydon as a borough has the highest potential for cycling of all London boroughs with 400,000 daily cycle trips that could be made by residents. Currently only 6,000 daily cycle trips are made, representing only about 1% of the potential. TfL estimate that more than 300,000 of these potentially cycleable journeys are made by car. The centre of Croydon has particular scope for much more cycling. 6
Table 2 Number of potentially cycleable trips in a 15 minute cycle time radius of the Growth Zone Croydon Town Centre / Growth Zone Study Potentially Cycleable Area Trips With an origin in the study area (outbound) 114,700 With a destination in the study area (inbound) 124,000 With an origin and destination in the study area (within) 68,700 Total cycling potential in study area 307,400 The TfL report Delivering the Benefits of Cycling in Outer London identified a number of barriers to cycling in outer London: The report identified how these barriers could be overcome. 7
TfL has adopted a new methodology to assess propensity to cycle through a Transport Classification of Londoners [TCoL] including Census and London Travel Demand Survey [LTDS] data. This analysis classifies London s population into nine segments, identifying households most amenable to cycling in the future and those currently cycling more than average. Those most likely to cycle are Urban Mobility, Suburban Moderation and Affordable Transitions segments. These households are concentrated in the north and centre of the Borough. Croydon is a location where couples move to from central/inner London to start families. At this point they may well give up cycling. Cycle infrastructure and supporting measures will need to be tailored to enable existing young couples to keep cycling, and to make it easier for them to introduce children to cycling / include cycling in the school and onwards to work. Effectively reaching and encouraging the large Affordable Transitions and Suburban Moderation segments in Croydon to cycle will be vital to normalising cycling. 8
OUR APPROACH TO FOSTERING MORE CYCLING AND A HEALTHIER FUTURE Connecting People and Places: Addressing the built environment - Implementation of a network of cycle routes. We will be enhancing the existing cycle route network through Quietways on local roads, Cycle Highways on busier roads and Greenways through green spaces. - Supporting safe and secure on and off-street cycle parking - Implementing permeability measures such as cut throughs on road closures and contraflow cycling in one-way roads - Improving the environment for cycling such as through 20mph speed limits and zones, traffic management measures and local safety schemes - Development of cycle hubs Creating a Cycling Culture and Changing Behaviour - Delivering a behavioural change programme including cycle training - Support for travel plans for schools and require travel plans as part of development proposals - Measures to enhance cycle safety such as Freight Operator Recognition Scheme [FORS] - Re-energise the Council s staff travel plan Guiding Principles We are setting out some guiding principles to help us to achieve our vision: 1. We will seek to implement cycle facilities in line with TfL s London Cycling Design Standards 2. When creating routes on busier roads we will aim to protect cyclists from other traffic through segregation or semi-segregation 3. We will focus on meeting cycle desire lines through a network of cycle routes on quieter roads 4. We will support the growth in Croydon town centre by a network of routes and permeability measures 5. Streets in the centre will become more liveable and able to be enjoyed by pedestrians as well as cyclists 6. Work with local businesses to support more employees cycling to work 7. Cycle routes will be clearly signed making them easy to navigate 8. Each cycle route would be delivered as a whole 9. All facilities should be able to accommodate hand bikes, trikes and other nonstandard cycles. We will not create barriers to cycling for disabled people. 10. We will aim to allow for the growth of cycling in our designs 11. We will maintain the existing cycle route network and make provision for future maintenance of planned routes 12. We will subject our policy and programmes to external Bicycle Policy Audit 13. Eventually we aim to deliver a hierarchy of routes across the Borough: a. Segregated or semi-segregated Cycle Highways on some of the busier road corridors b. Quietways along less busy streets 9
c. Greenways connecting people to and through parks. Fig 1 Proposed End State Cycle Route Network 10
CYCLING S ROLE IN REGENERATING CROYDON We have ambitious plans for growth. Our Growth Zone focused on the town centre will deliver 5.25bn of investment providing 23,500 new jobs and 10,000 homes. It is a similar pattern for population growth across the Borough as a whole with an increase of 30,000 expected over the next 20 years. Much better public transport and cycling facilities will be the key to ensuring this growth can be delivered sustainably. It is essential that the Growth Zone and its immediate surrounding area is made cycleable. To be a cycleable town centre, cycling must be convenient, safe and attractive. Convenient cycling in the Growth Zone One of the town centre s defining features is its one-way streets which make it impermeable to cyclists. All streets need to be capable of being cycled in both directions unless there are strong safety reasons for them not being so. Major roads in the town centre act as barriers to cycling. We have begun to break the Roman Way and Park Lane gyratory and Wellesley Road barriers. More crossings are planned on Wellesley Road but it too must eventually become a cycleable route. With development in the centre the major roads will become less of a barrier and in time will become part of the Cycle Highway network and a significant aid to cycling. We know that many businesses and workers in the town centre favour cycling to work. Yet the ageing office accommodation often lacks secure cycle parking and cyclist changing facilities. With redevelopment of much of the town centre the situation will improve as we can secure cycle parking and other cyclist facilities through planning permissions. We will work, however, with our partners including Network Rail and the train operators to provide cycle parking hubs at stations and other locations which will include high quality secure cycle parking and other services for cyclists. Safe cycling in the Growth Zone Across the town centre [with the exception of its major roads] and beyond we will enhance the cyclist environment by limiting speed to 20mph. We will also press for speed limit enforcement to be given higher priority. As major roads undergo redesign we will ensure designs encourage 20mph as the norm. Gradually the town centre roads will become Healthy Streets in which the street space will be treated as a whole with urban realm enhancements, more greenery, space for stopping and sitting and appropriate surface treatment. Larger vehicles pose the most risk to cyclists. With central Croydon entering a major phase of development with an associated increased number of construction vehicles we need to ensure the safety of cyclists is not compromised. We require (and will continue to do so) construction logistics planning, vehicle route planning, membership of the Freight Operators Recognition Scheme and vehicle equipment and driver training standard levels via the Planning system. 11
The town centre benefits greatly from being at the heart of the tram network. The tram system though can pose particular challenges to cyclists and give rise to safety concerns amongst them. We will work with TfL to ensure that: - Growing numbers of cyclists can conveniently and safely share space with trams in the town centre; and - New tram infrastructure does not conflict with the needs of cyclists Croydon s economy, environment and residents benefit significantly from the dense bus network focused on the town centre. However, cyclists can feel intimidated by the presence of buses and the road safety threat posed by them. As we move to 20mph being the norm for the town centre we will work with TfL to extend its bus Intelligent Speed Adaption experiment to central Croydon. Cycling will be made easier for many more people in the town centre through easy low cost cycle hire. Local Centres As well as supporting the sustainable delivery of our Growth Zone ambitions we want to support regeneration and access by cycle to our district centres. We will be linking these to the town centre complemented by a network of routes serving local centres. CONNECTING PEOPLE AND PLACES Quietways We have surveyed and costed a potential network of Quietways radiating from and connecting to the Growth Zone. Quietways are routes aimed at less experienced cyclists or cyclists who prefer to use less trafficked residential roads. We will work with local residents and other stakeholders to design the best solutions. Cycle Highways We will complement the network of Quietways with a number of Cycle Highways on busier roads where we will aim to segregate cyclists from other traffic as much as we can. This will be most challenging where these routes are also roads passing through district and other centres. Here the demand and need for kerbside parking [at least in the medium term] will remain high. There will be a presumption in favour of 20mph speed limit at these locations to help calm traffic as it passes along these roads and help cyclists claim their space within the street. Cycle Highways will inevitably pass through junctions which we know offer a challenge for cyclists to safely pass through such as at the major junctions on the A23 [Lombard roundabout and Purley Cross]. We will work with TfL to deliver solutions to these junctions and we are currently working with TfL on proposals for Fiveways. 12
The challenges we face should not be underestimated. In many places [especially near Croydon town centre] carriageway widths are narrow making it difficult to provide segregated cycle lanes. Some streets such as Whitehorse Road have cycle lanes but these do not come near to the type of segregated or semi-segregated route aspired to. On some streets trees and essential parking will reduce the options available. Across the Borough there are junctions that are problematic for cyclists and a barrier to cycling. Some are in the Council s gift to address. Others will need partnership working with TfL and may need to await major proposals for junction redesign. Junctions we know to be problematic for cyclists and should be addressed over time include: - Thornton Heath/A23 - Thornton Heath/Sydenham Road - Lombard Roundabout - London Road/St James s Road - Newgate gyratory - Cherry Orchard Road/Lower Addiscombe Road - Roman Way/Derby Road - A232 Chepstow Road - A232 Shirley Road - Fiveways - Coombe Road - Gravel Hill - Purley Oaks - Purley Town Centre - Park Lane - Selsdon Road - Coulsdon Town Centre - Gravel Hill/Shirley Hills Road - Mill Lane Bridges and underpasses can also cause problems for cyclists. They can create pinch points and typically the road layout does not provide a safe and pleasant cycling environment. Over time as opportunities arise, we want to address these as part of this strategy. We have identified these pinchpoints: [list to be added] Cycle Greenways Over third of the Borough is open space. This is an important asset. Some of it already accommodates both utility and recreational cycling such as South Norwood Country Park. 13
Our Local Plan Core Strategy includes proposals to connect the Borough s places and green spaces via a network of walking and cycling Greenways. Much of the initial feasibility for the Greenways has been undertaken. Considerate cycling will be permitted in the majority of Croydon s parks. Greenways will increasingly connect people to and through parks and other green spaces for both recreational and utility cycling. Greenways will complement our network of Quietways and Cycle Highways. Cycle Parking As part of development proposals we will continue to require safe and secure offstreet parking. We follow London Plan standards which seek a minimum level of cycle parking. The lack of secure off-street parking is often cited as an issue deterring more people from taking up cycling. We recognise that for many residents the type of housing makes it difficult to have secure off-street parking. We will seek to provide secure on-street parking such as in bike hangars and consider options for use in communal areas in blocks of flats. Cycleable Areas Only a minority of streets in the borough will have a formal cycle route. We want to make all of our streets much more cycle friendly. We are expanding the area of the Borough subject to 20mph speed limit or within 20mph zones, subject to consultation. Many journeys can be made on foot or by cycle and part of this aspiration can be met by making our streets cycleable. and helping to helping to deliver the Mayor of London s Healthy Streets objective. Cycling as part of Longer Journeys For most the commute to central London and other long journeys will continue to be by train. Croydon has a number of stations where the annual number of passengers using them is more than 1 million suggesting a significant opportunity to travel to stations by cycle, see Table 3. We will work with Network Rail/TfL and the train operators to look at opportunities for closer integration between cycle and rail. The busiest stations also tend to be in town centres meaning we can develop cycle facilities in these centres to support both the town centre and sustainable access to rail. Our focus will be on the district centres such as Norbury and Coulsdon. Cycling hubs with secure cycle parking, servicing equipment and cycle hire will be developed at the busiest stations. Our busiest station is East Croydon [one of the nation s busiest] with more than 24 million passengers entering and exiting each year. Data from the station travel plan 14
showed that 25% of station users travel less than 1km to the station with a further 36% travelling between 1 and 3km. For many of the short journeys walking is the most convenient way to access the station. But the data also suggests there is huge potential for many of the longer journeys to be made by cycle. Table 3 Croydon s busiest stations Station Entries and exits 2015/16 [million] East Croydon 24.2 West Croydon 5.1 Norwood Junction 4.3 Norbury 4.0 Thornton Heath 3.9 Purley 3.3 Selhurst 1.7 Coulsdon South 1.6 South Croydon 1.2 Sanderstead 1.1 CHANGING BEHAVIOUR We will be complementing our infrastructure plans with soft measures to enable local residents and employees comfortable and safe cycling in the Borough. We will continue measures such as: - Led community cycle rides to build confidence and cycling skills - Cycling for Health as part of the exercise for Referral programme to get people cycling for improved health and fitness - Promotion of walking and cycling through events such as Walk on Wednesdays and Bike Week We will target plans and activities at groups under-represented among cyclists [e.g. women, disabled people and certain BME groups] to start cycling. We will continue to work with schools to develop, deliver and improve travel plans and associated programmes aimed at stimulating a cycling culture amongst the young: Walkers / Bikers Breakfast - run a breakfast club and provide free breakfasts for those pupils who walk, scoot or cycle to school. Walk Once a Week pupils who walk once a week each week in a month are given a badge incentive to encourage more walking Cycling / Walking Club - purchase equipment for activities. Scooter Storage - request a scooterpod for pupils to store their scooters in during the school day. Balance Bikes - some schools have used the funding to purchase a small number of balance bikes to aid in teaching their early years how to cycle. 15
Croydon Cycle Festival engaging Croydon schools with multiple aspects of the Croydon Cycle Festival such as static bike racing and year 5 racing Pop-up bike Markets providing 5 pop-up bike markets annually to schools in areas of high deprivation and obesity to encourage recycling of used bikes within the community Love your Bike events such as Dr Bike and bike decoration To complement this work we will aim to create a calmer traffic environment around schools to make cycling safer and more pleasant. We will continue to promote cycling events such as the Tour Series in the town centre. SAFER CYCLING Lorries and particularly HGVs are disproportionately involved in collisions with cyclists resulting death or serious injury. The Freight Operators Recognition Scheme [FORS] is intended to help road freight operators become safer, more efficient and more environmentally friendly. There is an accreditation process with freight operator members meeting Bronze, Silver or Gold standard. We specify FORS membership in assessing the environmental impact of planning applications. As part of our approach to minimising the risk of personal injury collisions we will be seeking to adopt the FORS standard. Workplace travel plans Through the planning process we support sustainable development by requiring travel plans for larger developments in line with TfL guidance. These include requirements for reducing travel, reducing car use and encouraging sustainable transport such as cycling. Plans would include actions for achieving targets for reducing car use. Such measures could include setting up car clubs, promotional information on the availability of cycle routes in the vicinity of the site and providing cycle parking in line with London Plan standards. 16
DELIVERY The following summarises actions and activities to deliver our ambitions and indicates possible future funding sources. Further detail can be found within the Cycle Route Delivery Plan. Type of Measure Infrastructure Cycle routes - Quietways - Cycle Highways Cost [L/M/H ] H H per annum [pa] Timescal e [S/M/L] M L Delivery Agents TfL/LBC TfL/LBC Potential funding source TfL TfL/LBC LIP/CIL/Growth Fund - Greenways [current cycle route programme detailed in Delivery Plan] Junction enhancements Bridge enhancements Cycle Parking on and off-street Cycle hubs - East Croydon - West Croydon - Other rail stations Road safety measures Healthy Streets schemes around district centres - Thornton Heath - Norbury - South Norwood - Coulsdon H pa L LBC LBC LIP/CIL/Growth Zone H M/L TfL/LBC TfL, LBC LIP/CIL/Growth Fund H M/L TfL/LBC/Networ k Rail TfL, LBC LIP/CIL/Growth Fund L pa Ongoing LBC/developers LBC LIP/CIL/Growth Zone/S106 M M M S M/L M/L LBC/Network Rail/train operators L pa Ongoing LBC LBC LIP LBC LIP/CIL/Growth Zone H L LBC TfL Liveable Neighbourhoods/LB C LIP 17
- Addiscombe - Crystal Palace/Uppe r Norwood - Purley - Selsdon 20mph speed limit/20mph zones on local roads Permeability measures - Contra flow cycling on one-way roads H S LBC LBC LIP L pa M LBC L pa M LBC LBC LIP/CIL/S 106 LBC LIP/CIL/S 106 - Cycle gaps in road closures Local cycling group identified measures - Link to existing schemes where relevant? LBC/Cycle Forum LBC LIP/CIL/S 106 - Identify priorities Non-infrastructure measures Cycle training L pa Ongoing LBC/cycle LBC LIP trainer Behaviour change M pa Ongoing LBC LBC LIP programme School travel plans - Bikeability L pa Ongoing LBC/schools LBC LIP/S 106 training L pa Ongoing LBC/schools - Cycle parking Cycle safety L pa Ongoing LBC LBC LIP [FORS, SUD] and other initiatives Cycle counts L pa Ongoing LBC LBC LIP Policy integration N/A Ongoing LBC with land use and transport planning N/A - Cycle parking standards 18
- Car parking standards Cost L = < 200k M = 200k to 500k H = > 500k Timescale S = 2017/18-2019/20 M = 2020/21 2022/23 L = post 2023 MEASURING PROGRESS Croydon s transport Local Implementation Plan approved in 2011 includes a mandatory target and performance indicator relating to cycling mode share. We are also monitoring cycle route completed, cycle theft, the number of on-street cycle parking spaces, cycle road casualty data, volume of cycling and the amount of cycling to schools and to workplaces. Measure Proportion of cycling trips by Croydon residents Estimated spend per head of population on cycling investment Length of cycle route completed Cyclist casualties - KSI - All casualties Number of public or on-street cycle parking spaces delivered each year Current performance Interim target Long term target Data source 1% [2013/14 2% 3.5% LTDS 2015/16] [2018/19 [2025/26 2020/21] 2027/28] 3.69 [2017/18] 15 15 LBC (To be added)? [2020/21] 7 [2013/15] 98 [2013/15] -10% [2018/20] -10% [2018/20]? [2027/28] -20% [2025/27] -20% [2025/27] LBC TfL 20 100 200 LBC 19
We will prepare an annual monitoring report [The Croydon Cycle Account] including the various sources of data identified above. The use of LTDS data allows comparisons with other boroughs as it is collected on an annual basis by TfL although 3 years of data are used to give reliable results due to small sample sizes at the borough level. As part of cycle training for adults and school children we will be undertaking a questionnaire survey of how their cycle usage has changed following completion of the training. 20