Heavitree and Whipton Active Streets

1. Can I ask what Disability groups were engaged and their feedback on the Heavitree and Whipton Active Streets

 

Feedback from disability groups and the County Council’s responses are given on pages 12 and 13 in the report presented to the 20 June 2023 Exeter Highways and Traffic Orders Committee meeting: Active Streets Heavitree and Whipton Trial Scheme

 

Living Options Devon:

Email received 24/04/2023

My key concerns about LTNs [Low Traffic Neighbourhoods] for disabled people are:

• Bollards/planters making streets too narrow to get through on some non-standard cycles/mobility equipment
• Blocked drop-kerbs
• Excessively long vehicular routes to some addresses including to and from schools which means that start finish times for people will have to increase
• Increased traffic and pollution on some boundary roads
• Existing Accessible parking spaces being moved/removed (EV charging spaces seem to take some of these up)
• Route planning factoring in the hilly geography of that part of Exeter (I would not be able to safely wheel up Heavitree Fore St for example).
• Clear communication with the Visually Impaired and others for who (and their assistance dogs) changes to familiar routes are particularly hard to navigate. Many disabled people travel independently

There are also already pre-existing, multiple barriers to safe walking/wheeling/cycling for Disabled people:

• Missing drop-kerbs
• Narrow, cluttered pavements
• Pavement parking
• Inconsistently applied or missing tactile paving
• Sharply cambered footways (caused by multiple driveways, tree roots etc.)
• Inaccessible public transport hubs
• All compounded by the fact that few local shops have step-free entrances etc.

To such an extent that, reducing one’s reliance on motorised transport could easily compound the pre-existing barriers to active travel for Disabled people. It must be ensured that already limited transport choices are not further disrupted and it increases instead of decreasing independence.

Email received 08/06/2023

• For many blind and visually impaired people, it can be challenging to know precisely what changes are being made in their local area and where they live in relation to them. There needs to be uniformed ways of letting them know. Speak to representatives of organisations such as RNIB.
• Deaf people may also struggle to understand how the new scheme works (unfamiliar jargon etc) – the information needs to be interpreted in a way that meets their needs.
• There is already a real fear amongst those who rely on a door-to-door service such as blind and visually impaired passengers who may struggle to locate a taxi parked further away to avoid getting caught up the changes and people with limited mobility who rely on other services such as community transport. There needs to be a way of making sure taxi drivers fully understand where they can park to pick up customers. In Exeter there are already areas of confusion between drivers and people with visual impairments. There is also the issue of higher costs due to longer journey times.
• Disabled people who rely on visitors who provide care, such as personal assistants, district nurses etc, may worry that any detours may mean a later service, this in turn will have a knock-on effect on other clients and could lead to appointments being missed.
• For some disabled people who rely on using their own car there is the concern that they may not be able to park close enough to their property, or the local shops they already use. Having to use a mobility scooter or wheelchair may not be an option, also they may consider this a backwards step. The lack of storage at home or the workplace for mobility scooters means that it may not always be a practical means of getting around.
• Shared spaces with cycling needs careful planning, adequate marking together with space wide enough for handcycles and other non-standard cycles.
• For people who are blind, visually impaired, Deaf or hearing impaired and people with limited mobility the silent approach of fast-moving cycles can be a real concern and, in some instances, a real hazard. A way needs to be found to get those cyclists to understand and respect other users.
• Pavements cluttered by bins, signs, A-boards, planters, and the ever-increasing pavement cafes need to be strictly monitored and dealt with as does pavement parking, bikes and e-scooters left unattended.
• Road crossings need to be lined up (there are many in Exeter that do not line up), have adequate tactile warning and dropped kerbs; they also need to be kept clutter free.
• Access control barriers that are designed to prevent access to motorbikes and mopeds (for example chicanes or bollards) can also be a barrier to many non-standard cycles and mobility scooters – spacing and alignment can make a huge difference.
• As well as upgrades in the standard of pavements and cycle lanes there needs to be investment in improved public transport to make it more accessible, reliable and attractive to users who may give up their car.
• How will people who live in the street gain access and how will the situation be monitored? Account needs to be taken of the fact that not all people who need easy access to their home are blue badge holders.

RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People)

Teams meeting on 11/05/2023

Discussed 10 principles of inclusive street design:

• Are all pavements, walkways and routes pedestrians would use kept free for pedestrian use only – i.e. are they always separated from vehicles by a detectable kerb (minimum 60mm upstand)?
• Are there enough pedestrian-only routes to take people safely from the start to the end of their walking journeys (for example, from shops or residential areas to public transport)?
• Do roads and cycleways have accessible, signal-controlled crossings so pedestrians can cross safely?
• Do all pavements, walkways and routes pedestrians would use have clear and unobstructed pathways at least two metres (6.6 feet) wide?
• Are transport hubs like train stations, bus stops, and community facilities easily accessible for everyone?
• Is access for disabled people travelling in cars or taxis maintained on pedestrianised or low-traffic routes?
• Do new designs or proposed changes comply with existing guidance on accessibility? For example, do they provide good colour contrast and correctly installed tactile paving in a way that minimises its potential negative impact on wheelchair users?
• Have new designs or proposed changes been consulted on, and undergone Equality Impact Assessments?
• Have any accessibility issues highlighted in the consultation or Equality Impact Assessment processes been resolved?
• Have all local people been informed of changes made to their local area, including those who may need different information formats?

Representatives expressed support in principle for the scheme. They noted that the benefits of similar schemes to blind and partially-sighted people are often significant, as the reduced traffic volumes can make residential streets significantly safer to navigate. In their opinion, these benefits generally significantly outweigh the disbenefits arising from increased journey lengths.

 

2) As part of the Impact Assessment Heavitree and Whipton Active Streets Trial. Data showed that ‘within scheme area, 83% were in (very) good health.

 

Can I please have the % break down of the 83% separated between the two categories of ‘very good health’ and ‘good Heath’

Can you please provide the definition that was used for both categories

Can you also provide the same for those classes in ‘Exeter’ which 84% were in this category

 

Please see table below. Data is taken from the 2021 Census, Table TS037 – General health. Due to rounding errors, percentages may not sum to exactly 100%.

Definition: A person’s assessment of the general state of their health from very good to very bad. This assessment is not based on a person’s health over any specified period of time.

 

3) As part of the Impact Assessment Heavitree and Whipton Active Streets Trial

 

Can you please provide the definitions of:

Fair Health

Bad health

Very bad health

 

Can you also confirm the percentage split between bad and very bad

See responses to Q2 above