Response to Midlothian Council’s Expanding the Active Travel Network Consultation

The University’s Estate department responded to a consultation on active travel, opened by the Midlothian Council.

Response ID ANON-BSV1-D1DK-Z

Submitted to Active travel survey
Submitted on 2024-07-22 15:49:48

Expanding the active travel network

1 To what extent do you agree that the strategy will help us to expand the active travel network and improve its accessibility, connectivity, and maintenance?

Agree

2 Is there anything else you would like to add?

Fill in the box to tell us more about expanding the active travel network:

Funding: the strategy appears to be entirely reliant on Scottish Government funding, of which a great deal of uncertainty lies. The strategy lacks a delivery plan. Is Midlothian thinking more laterally on this? In the absence of a map showing the locations of the 90 actions listed at the end of the plan, it is difficult to understand how these actions will come together to form a coherent active travel network, or if indeed that is the objective.

Helping people change their behaviour

3 To what extent do you agree that the strategy will help us to address barriers to active travel through promoting and enabling behaviour change?

Neither disagree nor agree

4 Is there anything else you would like to add?

A text box for anyone who would like to add more information:

The strategy lacks ambition – much of the text is reiterating what you already do. Do you know how impactful this is? There is an emphasis on delivering behaviour change to Midlothian Council staff, and otherwise the ‘public’ and ‘schools’. What about working with major employers? As per the previous
point, many of the actions are reliant on unconfirmed funding sources / signposting others to these sources.

How we will monitor and track expanding the active travel network

5 To what extent do you agree that the strategy and the route action plan described in Chapter 7 will help us to track the delivery of new active travel routes?

Agree

6 Do you have anything else you would like to add?

A text box for people who want to write more about tracking how we are expanding the active travel network:

How we will support the many types of active travel

7 To what extent do you agree that the strategy and the route action plan will allow you to walk, wheel or cycle more in your everyday life?

Neither disagree nor agree

8 Is there anything else you would like to add?

A text box for those who would like to write more about helping people to walk, wheel or cycle more:

Addressing the everyday journey needs of a growing and changing population

9 To what extent do you agree that the strategy addresses the future every-day journey needs of a growing and changing population?

Neither disagree nor agree

10 Is there anything else you would like to add?

This text box is for people who would like to write more about how well the strategy addresses the needs of a growing and changing population:

Addressing strategic policy challenges

11 To what extent do you agree that ‘On the Move Midlothian: Our Active Travel Strategy for Everyone’ addresses these strategic policy challenges?

Partly

12 If you answered ‘Not at all’ or ‘Partly’, what do you feel is not being addressed?

A text box for people to write more about how we are addressing strategic policy challenges:

Very difficult to make an assessment of this, in the absence of the provision of what a future active travel network will look like as a result of delivering theactions.

Addressing the need for small scale local improvements

13 How well do you feel the strategy and route action plan address the need for small scale local improvements? (this includes routes to school; removal of physical barriers; provision of dropped kerbs, junction and crossing improvements)?

Slightly

14 Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

A text box for people who want to write more about how we are addressing local small-scale improvements:

Addressing the need for larger scale strategic connections

15 How well do you feel the strategy addresses the need for larger scale strategic connections (including villages to towns; towns to towns; cross-boundary journeys into other local authorities)?

Quite well

16 Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

A text box for people who would like to write more about longer term connections:

Developing a fair and sensible approach to prioritising routes

17 To what extent do you agree that we have developed a fair and sensible approach to prioritising routes?

Agree

18 Is there anything else you would like to add?

A text box for people who want to write more about developing a fair and sensible approach to prioritising routes:

19 Are there are specific routes that have not been identified in Part 2.1: Active Travel Route Action Plan that you would like us to consider for future inclusion?

A text box for people who would like to write about specific routes they would like included in future plans:

Any other comments about the draft strategy

20 Are there any other comments you would like to make on the Draft Strategy and Action Plan?

A text box for people who wish to comment further:

About you

21 Are you answering on behalf of yourself or an organisation? If you are answering on behalf of an organisation, use the text box to tell us which one. You can then choose ‘Not Applicable’ to answer the remaining questions in this section.

An organisation

A text box to tell us which organisation someone is answering on behalf of:

Estates Dept, University of Edinburgh

22 What age group are you in?

Not applicable

23 What is your gender?

Not applicable

24 What is your ethnicity?

Not applicable

25 What is your employment status?

Not applicable

26 Do you have any physical or mental health conditions or illnesses lasting or expected to last 12 months
or more?

Not applicable

27 If you answered ‘Yes’ to the previous question, do any of your conditions or illnesses reduce your ability to carry out day-to-day activities?

Please select ‘Not Applicable’ if you answered anything other than ‘Yes’.

Not applicable

28 What is your post-code? (Your EH number is sufficient, for example EH22).

A text box for the postcode:

EH1 1NP

29 What is your connection to the area?

Not applicable

How do you currently use active travel and other modes of transport?

30 How often do you use active travel to get around your local neighbourhood?

Not applicable

31 How often do you use active travel to access local services?

Not applicable

32 How often do you use active travel to get to work or education?

Not applicable

33 How often do you use active travel for leisure and recreation?

Not applicable

34 How often do you use active travel to travel to access the bus or train?

Not applicable

35 How often to you use active travel for other purposes?

Not applicable

36 How often do you walk?

Not applicable

37 How often do you wheel?

Not applicable

38 How often do you cycle?

Not applicable

39 How often do you use the bus?

Not applicable

40 How often do you use the train?

Not applicable

41 How often do you use a private car as a driver?

Not applicable

42 How often do you use a private car as a passenger?

Not applicable

43 How often do you use a taxi?

Not applicable

44 How often do you use a van for business?

Not applicable

45 How often do you use other modes of transport not listed above?

Not applicable

46 Are you happy to be contacted further to discuss any issues identified?

Yes