A recent Freedom of Information request showed that Somerset County Council’s capital expenditure on new roads was £47 million in 2018-19, with £116,000 spent on cycle infrastructure. This is an extreme example, but in the years 2017-19 for every £1 of capital expenditure on walking and cycling infrastructure more than £13 was spent on infrastructure for motor vehicles.
Taunton Area Cycling Campaign, in close cooperation with Safer Walking and Cycling in Bruton and Bridgwater Area Cycling Campaign, have compiled a manifesto. This manifesto calls on Somerset Country Council to reverse the way it prioritises car traffic over walking and cycling in its design and resource decisions. The manifesto is based on responses to a consultation with parish and town councils and other community organisations in Somerset in May/June 2020. Groups were consulted on an initial draft of the manifesto and the manifesto was amended to accommodate the comments, where possible. It has received support from many community organisations across Somerset.
Please, please, please, mention and include the other vulnerable road users – equestrians. Central Government has stated that equestrians should be included wherever possible in all plans for connectivity and Somerset County Council firmly agree that this should be the case, especially in rural areas. Please modify your website to include equestrians in line with national guide lines.
We specifically changed the wording on the manifesto to talk about ‘multi user paths’ in rural areas to reflect that.
Please,please stop resisting change and put the effort into creating safer conditions for pedestrians and cyclists.
Our councils both at local and county level have a vision of “will not do” rather than “can do.” Although praiseworthy for the temporary closure of E. Street in Taunton, there is funding available for further improvements to make cycling and walking much safer. It is possible to implement these measures rapidly, like so many other authorities have achieved across the country. So come on SWT and SCC, stop sitting on your hands and lets see more action from you now. It is very sad that UK lags so far behind other European countries for cycling and walking infrastructure. Taunton as a “Garden Town” could be a showcase of what “can” be done and the opportunity should not be wasted.