Associate feature: Change is hard but our children will thank us for it

During the past year, many changes in our lives have been very difficult. Changes to how we work, socialise, how we go about our lives can be upsetting. At Sustrans, we realise that the appearance in neighbourhoods of temporary measures like pop-up cycle lanes, school streets, or road closures may feel like one change too many.

Having this extra adjustment, at a time when so much else is changing will be difficult. But it is important that everyone understands why these measures were put in place.

At the height of the first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020 the Spaces for People (SfP) programme was created to provide temporary emergency infrastructure to make it safer for people to choose to walk, cycle or wheel for essential trips and exercise during Covid-19. It had to be designed quickly. Widened pavements, segregated cycle lanes, better public space for queuing had to be delivered quickly, to make sure local authorities could help protect their citizens.

Sustrans was asked by Transport Scotland to design a programme to help statutory bodies provide such changes to our cities and towns. We talked to our local authority partners, particularly the the Society of Chief Officers of Transport in Scotland (SCOTS). Their advice was clear: adapt your usual funding requirements and allow us to deliver infrastructure changes quickly, provide all the funding we need and allow Sustrans officers to support us where we need their help. We agreed to all three recommendations.

Consultation is integral to our funding programmes and usually runs over several months. Due to the emergency nature of the programme the usual deep engagement could not be present. This has inevitably led to resistance from some local communities. We completely understand these frustrations. We are working closely with our Local Authority partners to help find solutions. It is fair to say however that the adverse reaction to some changes has been out of all proportion to their impact.

It important to remember that SfP measures are temporary. This means some of the projects which had been causing issues have already been modified following feedback from the public. Some have been removed.

However, it is also the case that many of the measures put in place have been very welcomed by local communities. So how do we move forward? Any move to make SfP measures permanent will go through significant community consultation.

Consultation means listening to the widest range of voices, not just the loudest ones.

The successes of Spaces for People are strong: 220km of paths have been upgraded, vegetation pushed back and footways reclaimed, particularly impactful connecting communities in rural areas. 90km of protected cycle lanes have been created. 150 speed reduction measures have been introduced, 50km of pavements have been widened, 18km of roads have been closed to traffic. The programme is now nearing an end, but its delivery at pace, by statutory agencies responding to a pandemic deserves real praise.

As we emerge from the pandemic, we have a unique opportunity to make positive change. Living and working habits have changed. Recent statistics show that just after lockdown, active travel to school reached its highest level in a decade.

By getting more people to walk, wheel or cycle on daily basis we will help promote health while tackling inequalities and the climate crisis. It will also allow us to make a green economic recovery from Covid, one that benefits everyone in Scotland.

As the Active Nation Commissioner for Scotland Lee Craigie said: “Change can be unsettling but it is inevitable and each of us has our part to play in ensuring it happens for the greater good.”

This feature was sponsored by Sustrans