Agenda item

To receive the report of the Team Leader, Safe and Sustainable Travel, providing the Inner South Community Committee with an understanding of the recently adopted Vision Zero Strategy and its action plan and to gather input from elected members and residents.

The report of the Team Leader, Safe and Sustainable Travel, provided the Inner South Community Committee with an understanding of the recently adopted Vision Zero Strategy and its action plan and to gather input from Elected Members and residents.

 

The Team Leader for Safe and Sustainable Travel presented the report, noting the following:

·  The Vision Zero strategy was adopted by the Council in October 2022,

putting in place, measures to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe

injuries, whilst increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all by

2040.

·  Road traffic accident figures were decreasing until around 2013,

however since then, and even more so during and after the Covid-19

pandemic, road incident figures had risen.

The strategy and action plan were developed to stop the trend of

increasing road traffic incidents and imbedding the notion that no loss

of life is acceptable.

Figures specific to the Inner South area from 2017 to 2021 were

outlined as 7 fatalities, 319 serious injuries and 1361 slight injuries.

·  The vision will reject traditional road safety data and targets and

change the language surrounding the topic to understand difficulties in

compelling people to behave properly when using roads to reduce

harm and fatalities for vehicle passengers and pedestrians.

·  The safe systems approach aims to prevent mistakes but also mitigate

the potential for disastrous events when driver error occurs as reducing

mistakes on the road to zero was noted to be unrealistic, so measures

strive to improve overall road safety.

·  Everyone can take responsibility in delivering the vision by following

the Highway Code. The Council models for delivery were noted as,

road design, traffic management and strategy, public health, education

and leading by example through the fleet services and taxi and private

hire licensing.

·  The Council had engaged with WYP, West Yorkshire

Fire and Rescue Services, National Highways, Ambulance Services,

and road safety charities such as Safe Road Partners.

·  Council and Police operations working to deliver the strategy were

noted as, SPARC (Supporting Partnership Action to Reduce Road

Casualties), SNAP (Safer Roads Digital Submissions Portal) and

Safety Camera Partnership. Behaviour change campaigns, targeted

communications, education, funding bids and data reported were

outlined as direct, positive, public facing activity.

·  Safe system pillars of action were noted as, safe speeds, safe roads,

safe vehicles, safe behaviours, and post-collision learning

and care, which feed into overarching strategic objectives and then a

tangible delivery plan.

·  The ‘fatal five’ are the leading causes for collisions on the road which

are, speeding, distractions, the influence of drink or drugs, seatbelt

non-compliance and careless driving.

·  The changes in language surrounding collisions on highways, for

example, reference to drivers not vehicles and focusing on victims, are

to personalise the incident, not to allow it to become another statistic.

The updates to the highway code in 2022 created a hierarchy of road

users, in terms of vulnerability to injury, noting drivers are most likely to

cause harm.

·  In February 2023 WYP and West Yorkshire Safety

Camera Partnership published a revision to speed camera criteria with

greater flexibility for new camera provision with no new pre-warning

signage of upcoming speed cameras to be installed.

·  Infrastructure changes to mitigate road incident risk in Leeds will be

revised speed limits, more designated cycle lanes and improved

pedestrian crossings and safety measures.

·  Speed Indication Devices (SIDs) will become more widely available

with both mobile and fixed lamppost devices to target areas in need of

monitoring. Road safety collision data will be analysed to identify

current and emerging areas of concern.

·  School based road safety training included, pedestrian, scooter and

cycling courses. City wide, targeted communications and education are

also being implemented.

·  Members were advised how they can promote the vision and strategy

through sharing information on the highway code, Operation SNAP and

using their reach and social media platforms to communities.

 

The following was discussed:

·  As footfall was significant during Leeds United FC matchdays at Elland Road, Highways Officers agreed to look into potentially creating a clear marked route from Queens Hotel to the stadium.

·  There was a plan to address the gaps in provision for the cycle infrastructure in and around the city to create safer routes.

·  Speed camera placement criteria was mostly statistic based; however, mobile enforcement placement based on community consultation was emerging.

·  Data gathered by SIDs would be useful to be more widely available and subsequent collaborative work with NPT will provide effectiveness in tackling speeding.

·  A pilot for the use of E-bikes for hire around the city was due to begin on the 15^th of September. It was noted that E-scooters were still illegal to use outside of private late.

·  The conversation to improve safe crossing outside of schools had opened through Vision Zero, with additional funding from Active Travel secured.

·  The Leeds walking infrastructure plan was in development, collaboratively with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

·  There had been recent changes to the Highway Code, with pedestrians having priority when crossing side streets.

·  It was raised that there was some research that widely using 20mph speed limits may reduce overall effectiveness. Highways Officers noted 20mph speed limits applied to most residential streets in Leeds and data showed fatalities were significantly lower in these zones.

·  It was suggested Vision Zero engagement could be done in the Inner South area through Beeston Festival and Holbeck Gala.

·  Quietways, cycle or pedestrian routes through less busy areas, may be a useful as a means of meeting the vision’s aims.

·  School streets was an effective programme that had been launched to encourage walking to school and limiting traffic. Enforcement issues had been experienced.

·  To limit rat running through estate, barriers and closed off streets had been the infrastructure used. The low traffic neighbourhoods’ scheme had been paused for the time being.

·   An aim that linked into other Council strategies such as net zero and active lifestyles was increasing cycling and walking which would reduce overall vehicle collisions.

 

RESOLVED – That the contents of the report, presentation and Vision Zero Strategy/Action plan, along with Members comments, be noted.