When Cities get bigger, they have to think smarter

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“We want – and need – to see a step-change in cycling and walking in the coming years. The challenge is huge, but the ambition is clear. We have a unique opportunity to transform the role cycling and walking can play in our transport system, and get England moving differently” 

From Gear change – for A bold vision for cycling and walking. /Department for Transportation, UK

Active Travel

Active Travel means walking or cycling as an alternative to motorised transport for the purpose of making everyday journeys. Building walking and cycling into our daily routines are the most effective ways to increase physical activity. Shifting more journeys to active travel not only improve health, quality of life and the environment, but at the same time reducing costs to the taxpayer.

Active travel enables optimal travel to work with reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, lower carbon emissions, less collisions and road casualties and an improved quality of life.

Growing interest on the benefits of non-motorized travel has increased the demand for accurate and timely bicycle travel data.  Bicycle traffic monitoring is essential to comprehend current figures and for planning and predicting future demand to manage cycling infrastructure.

As more and more people shift towards Active travel as their preferred method of transport, it becomes essential to incorporate these active travel modes into transportation planning.

Well-designed, accessible streets and improved cycle infrastructure can encourage people to walk or cycle more as part of their daily routines, leading to a healthier lifestyle. 

Data collected by TagMaster’s bicycle and pedestrian counting technology can be used by transport planners to make informed decisions. The data can also help justify investments and measure the success of an active transportation policy.

Gear Change

TagMaster support the Governments ‘Gear Change’ strategy to radically change our transport networks across the UK to include thousands of miles of protected bike lanes, so anyone can ride safely in low-traffic neighbourhoods, to stop rat-running and make it easier to walk and cycle.

The Government want – and need – to see a step-change in cycling and walking in the coming years. The challenge is huge, but the ambition is clear. There is a unique opportunity to transform the role cycling and walking can play in our transport system, and get England moving differently.

Increasing cycling and walking can help tackle some of the most challenging issues we face as a society – improving air quality, combatting climate change, improving health and wellbeing,  addressing inequalities and tackling congestion on our roads.

“To make England an active travel nation, we need to take action to tackle the main barriers. We need to attract people to active travel by building better quality infrastructure, making streets better for everyone, and we need to make sure people feel safe and confident cycling. To deliver this, we need to ensure active travel is embedded in wider policy making and want to encourage and empower local authorities to take bold decisions.”

As part of the summary principles for cycle infrastructure design, the guidance suggest trials of cycle route can be created. Trials can help achieve change and ensure a permanent scheme is right first time. This will avoid spending time, money and effort modifying a scheme that does not perform as anticipated. If there is dispute about the impact of a road change, we recommend trialling it with temporary materials. If it works, it can be made permanent through appropriate materials.  If it does not, it can be easily and quickly removed or changed. However, it is important that the scheme is designed correctly at the beginning, to maximise the chances of it working.

TagMaster’s Active Travel monitoring systems can help manage and report on these trials by collecting data using TagMaster’s bicycle and pedestrian counting technology to report on the number of users. This will help cycle scheme designers make informed decisions as to whether the planned investment into the cycle infrastructure is justified.