stickyA first-rate article by DDF about how the coronavirus has changed the long years of consultations to a few days, and how this could be applied in the future.
"In Scotland, the UK, and indeed around the world, measures to boost cycling and walking, and to restrict or tame motor traffic, are appearing in days or weeks on a ‘try then modify’ basis – rather than the years-long consultations to which councils and the public have become conditioned.
Many of them are wildly popular, with demands for more and sooner. And it’s not due to any radical new political or technical thinking – it’s all thanks to a virus!
Covid-19 means that Councils must maximise opportunities for social distancing, and for safe exercise and travel on foot and bike.
In Edinburgh, funded by the Sustrans and Scottish Government Spaces for People scheme, through-roads such as Silverknowes Road, Braid Road and Cammo Walk were closed – without consultation – within days of the new government Temporary Traffic Order lockdown change of regulations which permitted them. And they have generated wide support.
..
Under traditional thinking, few if any of these closures would have happened at all – and if they had it would have taken an absolute minimum of one year, likely much more, to consult, doubtless undertake ‘traffic modelling’ then be at the mercy of objections to any legally necessary traffic and/or redetermination orders. Instead, a virus and ‘try then modify’ worked their magic!
There are now 5 day consultations replacing the usual years.
The excessive time taken to implement some of Edinburgh’s active travel projects has 3 main causes…
1. Extensive consultations at multiple stages of projects – this is probably the top reason.
2. .The Scottish Government’s Traffic Regulation Order labyrinth
3. Staffing – cutbacks and/or staff turnover – experts, or those leading active travel projects, leaving and being hard to replace (consultancies often pay higher wages
http://www.spokes.org.uk/2020/06/spaces-for-people/
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