ENABLE
Governance of the Essex Cycling Strategy
We want to ensure that the promotion and development of cycling is embedded in everything we do as a Council. In order to achieve this, we have appointed an Essex Cycling Advocate at Member level who is a high profile advocate of cycling in Essex, educates and inspires other elected Members, champions the outworking of the Essex Cycling Strategy and chairs a quarterly Essex Cycling Steering Group.
- Essex Cycling Steering Group
The Essex Cycling Steering Group (ECSG) is made up of representatives from key cycling infrastructure providers, promoters and partners in Essex (including ECC Economic Growth & Development, Public Health, Active Essex, Essex Police, Sustrans, CTC, rail operators and voluntary organisations). The group co-ordinates cycling related schemes and activities, monitors their progress, reports on outcomes and shares examples of best practice.
In addition to the delivery of the strategy through both Engagement and Local Plans, there is a formalised programme to deliver the strategy, a programme group has been established which oversees the key strategy components (Enable, Promote and Provide) and the work streams of activities will deliver the Strategy.
- Essex Cycling Infrastructure
To update on cycle infrastructure scheme progress across the county, identify opportunities and plan future programmes
- Essex Cycling Ambassadors
In order to help increase support for local initiatives, Change the image of cycling in Essex to a safe, normal and enjoyable everyday activity and help promote a ‘Cycle Essex’ brand Active Essex has been commissioned to deliver a project initially called Essex Cycling Ambassadors (ECA) to emulate the highly successful “This Girl Can” Ambassador programme. The ECAs are developing key messages to enable a social movement marketing campaign. For more information and to find out how to become an Ambassador visit the Active Essex website.
- Key personnel embedded in target organisations
To help promote active and sustainable transport across Essex we work closely with Public Health, Active Essex, Country Parks, etc,
Transformational Funding
A step change in the provision of cycling infrastructure and promotion will require an increase in funding over and above the current level of funding for cycling in Essex.
- Behavioural Change/Revenue Funding
Essex County Council and stakeholders have assessed funding opportunities to broaden the funding mix in Essex inc. Inactivity and Economic disadvantage partnership bid with Sustrans, EU H2020 regarding Essex becoming a living lab for cycling innovation, Highways England Cycling, Integration and Safety Fund, Network Rails Access for All Cycle Rail Programme, Working with Public Health to develop grant funding for an Active Travel Business
Access Fund. Department for Transport funding to develop the South Essex Active Travel programme – see our Local Initiatives page.
Essex County Council and stakeholders have assessed funding opportunities to broaden the funding mix in Essex inc. Inactivity and Economic disadvantage partnership bid with Sustrans, EU H2020 regarding Essex becoming a living lab for cycling innovation, Highways England Cycling, Integration and Safety Fund, Network Rails Access for All Cycle Rail Programme, Working with Public Health to develop grant funding for an Active Travel Business
Essex County Council has through the Chelmsford City Growth Package secured £15 million to be invested in sustainable transport methods designed to help alleviate pressure on Chelmsford’s road network. These improvements to the network need to be made by 2021 and include 11 cycle improvement schemes
Regeneration via Integrated Transport Packages across a number of the county’s town including cycling infrastructure (e.g. Basildon ITP).
To enable a start on our ambitious plans to be made, Essex County Council has identified £3m to be spent on cycling infrastructure over the years 2018/19 to 2020/21.
A pipeline / Journey to Delivery for capital investment scheme implementation has been developed for Essex Highways Cycling Infrastructure schemes which includes:
- Essex Cycling Strategy. Adopted by Essex County Council in 2016.
- Cycling Action Plans (CAPs). Strategic cycling network planning in every major urban area, utilising a combination of on-carriageway and off-carriageway cycle facilities. The top three prioritised schemes from each CAP will form part of the Essex Highways Advanced Scheme Design programme going forward.
- Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs), as set out in the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, are a new, strategic approach to identifying cycling and walking improvements required at the local level. ECC have been awarded technical support to assist in the production of LCWIPs from the DfT – see above.
- Advanced Scheme Design (ASD). To ensure ECC are primed for future cycling infrastructure funding opportunities and to make sure the cycling infrastructure we design looks attractive, serves its purpose and encourages more people to cycle.
- Capital for Cycling Infrastructure inc: ECC £3m Capital Investment, South East Local Enterprise Partnership Local Growth Fund, Defra Early Measures fund
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Through ongoing liaison with Strategic Development, s106 teams and LHP Officers the ESCL has established a method to ensure increasing utilisation and prioritisation of capital funding – Cycling Action Plans are fast becoming a vital tool in scheme development and funding allocation.
New and Improved Cycling Infrastructure in Essex
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Best Practice Design
We are committed to ensuring that the cycling infrastructure we design looks attractive, serves its purpose and encourages more people to cycle.
In order to facilitate this the following initiatives are already underway:
- Chelmsford City Growth Package demonstrates how ECC are looking at continental and UK best practice when it comes to cycle design. Hybrid cycle tracks, luminescent paint and pre-timed max crossings are being considered.
- Cycle Design Champions. Creation of a network of Cycle Infrastructure experts within Essex Highways. This will create a support network of experienced cycle infrastructure experts to help/challenge designers of new schemes.
- The ECSL has established the annual Essex Cycle Design Forum assessing the effectiveness of existing and new cycling infrastructure, engaging with local stakeholders and sharing best practice across the county.
- Essex Cycle Design Portal. To help us achieve ‘Best Practice’ cycle design across Essex, we’ve been working to bring together ideas for an Essex Cycle Design Portal. The aim is that the portal will be a specific Essex Cycling Design guide that incorporates national best practice and provides a ‘tool kit’ for cycle route assessment and design.
- Training sessions from external stakeholders and partners e.g. Cyclehoop, Sustrans etc.
- Working in partnership with Jacobs Major Projects team the ECSL has organised study trips for designers, planners and members to see examples of good cycling design practice first hand in other UK towns and cities e.g. Cambridge.
- Through the recruitment of 'Cycle Design Champions' and Cycle Design Surgeries held across the Essex Highways Framework the ECSL has created a support network of experienced cycle infrastructure experts to help/challenge designers of new schemes
- Working with TP colleagues, Ringway Jacobs, ECC and Jacobs Health and Safety Executive the ECSL has helped establish correct PPE, TSPAs and RAMs requirements for cycle site visits.
- The ECSL has introduced continental cycle standards and best practice design to Essex Highways through on-going consultation and engagement. A number of high profile schemes inc. Danish style hybrid cycle tracks and Tiger crossings are moving through design phases and are due for delivery.
- New exciting cycling infrastructure (e.g. Castle Park bridge, Broomfield Road Hybrid Cycle Track, Hamstel Road Tiger crossing, luminescent materials on Boxted Road Bridge)
- Promote 20 mph/shared space (e.g. Bond St, Lexden Road, Mill Yard etc)
- Essex Framework Cycling RAMS - PPE Exemption. This will allow more engineers/designers to cycle the route of their proposed measures to ensure that they understand the issues on the ground