Introduction
The Bridgwater ‘Cycle Audits’ were conducted over the first two years from our group’s inception. Firstly, five (5) BACC members underwent detailed training using the Local Walking & Cycling Infrastructure Plan (LWCIP) Technical Guidance for Local Authorities suite of documentation. Training was directed & provided by Somerset County Council (SCC) Commissioning team and a WSP contractor, this lasted several weeks and included classroom work & bike trial surveys across town.
In preparation for these audits the BACC audit team carried out an extensive overview of Bridgwater streets and outlying village areas. This overview started mapping Bridgwater and fully considered a number of technical guidance factors; cycle desire lines, propensity to cycle tool analysis and particularly as directed by Sustrans advice, where are people likely to be attracted to when either walking or cycling. An ‘Attractors Map‘ was produced, this allowed us to easily map & plan in the right corridors & routes for Bridgwater. Major corridors; north to south (Dunball to North Petherton), west to east (Cannington to Westonzoyland). Routes through & across town; Bridgwater districts routes (Wembdon, Durleigh, Newtown, Eastover, Westover, Hamp, Sydenham, Bower, Stockmoor, Willstock, etc.), a town centre ring (taking in the river, docks, canal, quiet streets & Blake Gardens) and the many more links that tie in with the major corridors or are specific attractor locations.
To learn more about the tools of the ‘Cycle Audit’ process and to understand how each audit was put together – read on……..
Audit Route Selection Tool (RST)
To help assess and compare potential routes for inclusion in the Bridgwater network, a Route Selection Tool (RST) was used.
The primary function of the tool is to assess the suitability of a route in its existing condition against the core design outcomes and then compare it with the potential future state, if improvements were made. It also enables the merits of alternative routes to be easily compared.
Route Selection Tool Criteria
The RST uses a range of criteria to assess how well a route meets the core design outcomes for cycling ranging from 5, being the highest, to 0, being the lowest. The criteria ‘core design outcomes’ are, namely Coherent (route connectivity, are continuous & easy to use), Directness (keeping to the fastest & straightest route, not always ideal), Safety (primary element, assessing traffic, dangerous junctions, vehicle speeds and the other hazards), Comfortable (good road/path surface, feeling of being safe) and Attractiveness (enjoyable surroundings and environment).
An RST comprehensive Excel spreadsheet was used (following much training) to record all ‘Cycle Audit’ findings in one neat area.
This linked example RST sheet shows the scope of work, the required comprehensive analysis and the ‘design outcome’ tab functions.
Audit Process
In brief, the audits were conducted gathering a lot of evidence and survey findings, this consisted of three (3) main documented elements, which were; An Overview Map of route audited (usually route(s) will cover an area of no more than 3 – 5 km), a Detailed Audit RTS Spreadsheet (this contains all text analysis findings based against the five (5) design outcomes, namely; coherent, directness, safety, comfort & attractiveness) and finally a Route Video(s) (descriptive video on the whole route with major safety & cost factors noted).
At the conclusion of almost two years work, thirty five (35) audit folders have been amassed and saved on the BACC Google home drive. Each folder evidence providing all the information required to assess whether existing route should be improved, a new route should be built or route is not suitable or impractical to change.
From here we have moved on to ‘phase 2’ which means we can use all of this amassed data & analysis to create specific individual reports, such as; Intervention Reports and Feasibility Studies. These reports are the starting off the process of actually getting new or improved routes built or designed routes challenged. Go to BACC Reports to see more………
