This campaign is revenue funded rather than capital and therefore concerns behaviour change. It aims to maximise the impact of the delivery campaigns through the provision of soft infrastructure. A lack of soft infrastructure such as signs and cycling parking can be a major barrier to prevent people from walking and cycling. By identifying gaps in infrastructure and implementing them, this campaign will increase the overall effectiveness of increasing usage of the cycle highway.
Primary audience
Initial group: - Cyclists generally; community groups and employers near the cycle highway
Action group: Transport planners in government/ local authorities
Inputs/resources
Staff and volunteer time to identify gaps in soft infrastructure
Revenue budget to implement infrastructure
Audit tool
Information including audit results through other work packages
Outputs and impact
Map showing need for soft infrastructure improvements
Implementation of soft infrastructure
Cycle parking
Signage
Physical marketing
Plan for future investment
Improved provision for cyclist along cycle highway corridor
Increased number of people using cycle highway
Examples of interventions
Audit of ‘soft’ infrastructure: signage, improved access points from cycle highway to workplaces, cycle parking, local attractions.
Involve stakeholders from workplaces and community and partner organisations
Develop wish list of actions from meetings
Possible physical marketing at touch points
Secure/smart cycle parking etc at some Public Transport hubs, bus stops, Park & Ride centres.
Service points and information in place at cycle hubs or similar
Examples of similar campaigns
Active School Travel Programme in Northern Ireland – a behaviour change programme to encourage children to walk, scoot and cycle to school, included adding cycle parking and signs to schools and area.
Access to Stations project in Northern Ireland included addition of cycle parking and signage around stations.
Plan of Action
Step 1: Audit
Undertake an audit of current provision of soft infrastructure along the highway to identify key issues and quick wins. Audits and information from other campaigns will feed into this information.
Step 2: Engagement
Engage with communities and workplaces to identify gaps and develop creative solutions. Use creative techniques to engage communities in the project. This campaign will rely on the involvement and engagement of key partners, particularly land owners and workplaces along the cycle highway corridor and funders. Champions in workplaces and communities will also be encouraged to identify additional sources of funding.
Step 3: Implementation
Encourage and support workplaces and retailers to consider implementation of soft infrastructure:
Cycle parking – in the workplace; near shops and amenities
Routes into workplace
Signage and routes to greenway/cycle highway from workplace or community/retail area
Advertise access to cycle highway to/from workplace, both physically and online (see Campaign 5).
Encourage retailers, services and communities to identify funding for installation of infrastructure or local signage e.g. sign in shop saying cycle highway 2 minutes to the right (see Campaign 1).
Review
Record of soft infrastructure implemented
Contribution to overall impact of project; increase of numbers cycling
Survey cyclist/commuter satisfaction with cycle parking and signage.
Case studies
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sustrans produced a map which identified infrastructure (existing and possible) including CHIPS WP4 investment items along the Comber Greenway.
These improvements complement strategies such as the Northern Ireland Bicycle Strategy, Belfast Bicycle Network Plan and the Strategic Plan for Greenways developed by the Department for Infrastructure in order to access funding for infrastructure improvements.
Sustrans has also worked with retailers, via the Pedal Perks Scheme (Campaign 1) to offer cycle parking outside shops.
Bike maintenance hubs, including pumps and tools have also been installed at key points on the cycle highway, near Billy Neil playing fields at Comber and at the Active Travel Hub in CS Lewis Square.
Campaign 9: Infrastructure
