DfT updates on Door to Door Strategy

The Department for Transport (DfT) says it is making progress in implementing its Door to Door Strategy, introduced in March last year and aimed at making it easier for people across England to combine cycling and walking with journeys from public transport hubs.

The update report on the Door to Door Strategy, which according to the DfT “will help make door-to-door journeys by public transport, cycling or walking the norm,” outlines the progress made on the implementation of the four key elements of the initiative, namely:

• accurate, accessible and reliable information about different options for their journey
• convenient and affordable tickets, for an entire journey
• regular and straightforward connections at all stages of the journey and between different modes of transport
• safe and comfortable transport facilities.

By nature, the document is one that looks at existing initiatives, rather than announcing anything new, and completed projects highlighted include the Cycle Point at Chelmsford railway station, which has parking space for nearly 1,000 bikes.

It adds that cycle-rail journeys have increased by 14 million in 2009 to 39 million in 2012, in large part helped by improvements to cycle parking at many stations both in terms of the number of spaces and the quality and security of facilities.

The DfT’s report also highlights that all but one of the first 39 Local Sustainable Transport Fund projects that were awarded funding for 2011/12 had a cycling element, and also outlines money the Coalition Government has made available for cycling, including the £94 million Cycle City Ambition funding announced in August.

Transport Minister Baroness Kramer commented: “The new year is an ideal time to join the increasing numbers of people who are choosing healthy, more environmentally-friendly methods of getting to work.

“Real life journeys on public transport tend to be more complicated than just a single trip on a train or three stops on the local bus. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to choose greener ways of getting between each mode of transport.

“Since we launched the door to door strategy eight months ago, there have already been significant improvements to integrate public transport. This action plan highlights where progress has been made but there is still more to be done,” she added.

With local transport being a devolved issue in Wales and Scotland, the Door to Door Strategy only covers England, but initiatives are under way in other parts of Britain to support sustainable transport.

Last year, Wales’s groundbreaking Active Travel Act became law, putting a duty on local authorities to develop and maintain an integrated network of walking and cycling routes.

Meanwhile, in Scotland’s third largest city, Aberdeen, the leader of the city council Barney Crockett has urged motorists to leave their cars at home and switch to the bus or cycling for journeys.