As we ease ourselves out of the Coronavirus lockdown and start to head back into the office, there is an opportunity to examine the way in which we travel to our places of work. With new initiatives to encourage walking and cycling to work, rather than relying on public transport or cars, the physical and mental health and environmental benefits of these forms of transport are also being recognised. All this is being promoted as we adjust to a ‘new normal’.
In order to facilitate safer cycling and walking, pavements and roads have been temporarily repurposed in cities in Europe and the UK. Wider cycling lanes have been created and plans drawn up to widen existing infrastructure.
Specifically, the Government has created a £250 million “emergency active travel fund” to help urban areas restructure road layouts to facilitate sustainable transport. This may involve creating new cycle lanes, widening pavements and removing street furniture to facilitate social distancing and to help foot and cycle travellers feel more safe. This is part of a wider £2 billion investment in cycling and buses, announced before the Coronavirus lockdown began in the UK.
Of course, any new road use scheme will benefit from mapping solutions, whether to show new temporary layouts, or to highlight alternative routes. A map is a useful tool to encourage pedestrians and cyclists. An interactive map is particularly useful for a rapid response to a new road layout.
Here at Lovell Johns, we have worked on a variety of cycle and walking maps for local authorities and private companies, and have several case studies to illustrate this.
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