Final Draft Report Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston (West Lothian) For Kirknewton Community Development Trust By Transport Initiatives LLP April 2011
Mar 28, 2016
Final Draft Report
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston (West Lothian)
For Kirknewton Community Development Trust
By Transport Initiatives LLP
April 2011
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston Kirknewton Community Development Trust
CSSC05 Cycle Review NCN 75 Kirknewton-Livingston MS[2] Page 1 of 7
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75:
Kirknewton - Livingston (West Lothian)
Final Draft Report
Contact for this project:
Tim Pheby 151 Walmgate York Y01 9UB
Tel: 01904 628789
Mob: 07725 466838
Email: [email protected]
Transport Initiatives LLP
Registered Office: Office 4 145 Islingword Road
Brighton BN2 9SH
0845 345 7623
www.transport-initiatives.com
Registered in England and Wales
Partnership number OC310831
VAT registration no. 855 4208 21
Checking and sign off
Job: Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston (West Lothian)
Client: Kirknewton CDT
Job number: CSSC05 Version number: 2.0
Issued by:
Tim Pheby for and on behalf of Transport Initiatives LLP
Signed
Date 27 April 2011
Checked by: Mark Strong
Date 27 April 2011
© Transport Initiatives LLP 2011
All photos © Transport Initiatives except where stated
All mapping based upon Ordnance Survey material with the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of the Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. West Lothian Council Licence no 100037194 2011
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston Kirknewton Community Development Trust
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Cycle Review of NCN Route 75:
Kirknewton - Livingston (West Lothian)
Final Draft Report
Contents
1. Introduction ................................................................... 3
2. Cycle review methodology ............................................ 5
3. Summary of cycle review................................................ 6
4. Recommendations ......................................................... 7
Detailed Plans of Cycle Review (separate document)
Route A – Using NCN 75 Plan 1 Kirknewton to level crossing Plan 2 Level crossing to St Pauls School Plan 3 St Pauls School to North Bridge Plan 4 North Bridge to ASDA Livingston Route B using B Roads Plan 5 ASDA to Mid Calder Plan 6 Mid Calder to East Calder Plan 7 East Calder to A71 signals
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston Kirknewton Community Development Trust
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1. Introduction
1.1 Background
Transport Initiatives LLP (TI) has been commissioned by the Kirknewton Community
Development Trust (KCDT) to carry out cycle audits of the Kirknewton area in West
Lothian. This is part of KCDT’s Carbon Challenge work to encourage sustainable travel
and reduce carbon emissions.
Two levels of cycle audit have been carried out. A Cycle Skills Network Audit (CSNA)
was carried out for the whole area. This was followed by a ‘Ride and Recommend’
Cycle Review along specific routes.
1.2 Cycle Skills Network Audit
The CSNA covered Kirknewton and the neighbouring towns of East Calder and
Balerno, as shown in Plans 1 and 2. This audit has graded all the public roads and
paths by the cycle skills levels needed to cycle on them safely.
Plan 1 Kirknewton area Cycle Skills Network Audit (whole area audited)
Plan 2 Kirknewton-Livingston Cycle Skills Network Audit
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston Kirknewton Community Development Trust
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1.3 ‘Ride and Recommend’ Cycle Review
The Cycle Review looked at journeys to East Calder and Livingston along the National
Cycle Network (NCN) route 75. A Cycle Review is an assessment of the existing
cycling conditions along a route or routes by cycling along them. Recommendations
are suggested to make the route more cycle friendly and so increase its potential for
encouraging more people to cycle more often.
No costings for the suggested improvements have been given at this stage.
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2. Cycle review methodology
2.1 Description
The work was undertaken by Tim Pheby of Transport Initiatives in the following
manner:
i. Site visit: This was carried out by bicycle on 3 and 15 March 2011 from Kirknewton to East Calder and ASDA in Livingston along the NCN route 75, and then on the B roads between the towns. These routes are shown on Plan 3 below.
ii. Recording information: Photos of issues along the routes were taken and have been listed along with their location on a map. These are shown in Tables 1-7 attached to this report.
iii. Review against five core principles: The routes have been compared to the design criteria for a high quality cycle route, which are summarised by the DfT’s five core principles. The route should be:
•••• Convenient •••• Accessible •••• Safe •••• Comfortable •••• Attractive
Plan 3 Kirknewton – Livingston cycle review: routes reviewed
Route A NCN 75
Route B (along B roads)
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3. Summary of cycle review
3.1 Review against five core principles
Cycle route Route A – NCN 75 Route B – B7031 & B7015
Summary Longer route with more stops and some steep gradients, limited access to places, narrow poor quality farm
tracks, remote from surveillance
Shorter route with more gradual gradients, access to more places with smoother
surfaces and better surveillance, some traffic
Core Principles
1. Convenient
1.1 Distance (km) 8.65 6.25
1.2 No of stops for crossings/dismounts
5 3
1.3 Signing • NCN route 75 well signed.
• Some signs have destination and distances.
• Road signs include main town and village destinations but not distances
2. Access to:
2.1 Schools/colleges 2 2
2.2 Shops/cafes 4 4
2.3 Library 0 1
2.4 Leisure centres 0 1
3. Safety
Traffic danger • Right turn off B701 onto farm track above standards of Bikeability Level 1 or 2 cyclists
• All roads suitable for Bikeability Level 3 cyclists
Personnel surveillance
• Remote unlit farm track and river path sections with no personal surveillance
• Some remote sections of road but with passing traffic, otherwise mostly overlooked by houses and well lit
4. Comfortable
4.1 Surface quality • Potholes and puddles on farm track by Raw holdings
• Poor section of track by sewage works on River Almond
• Generally good – poor service cover in East Calder by mini roundabout
4.2 Gradients 1:20 DDA standard 5%
• A couple of steep sections to and along River Almond, which may require dismounting
• 50m gradual climb over 2km from East Calder to Kirknewton
4.3 Widths of road/tracks/lanes
• Very narrow section by bridge over River Almond
• Narrow cycle lanes in Kirknewton
• Narrow traffic lane widths on road to East Calder n. of A71
• Narrow cycle lanes in Kirknewton
5. Attractive
5.1 Debris - glass/dog mess
• Glass in subways in Livingston
• Grit on cycle path in East Calder
• Grit in cycle lanes in Kirknewton from winter gritting (being removed on visit on 15/3/11)
5.2 Aesthetics • Section along river attractive • Some attractive rural roads
Cycle Review of NCN Route 75: Kirknewton - Livingston Kirknewton Community Development Trust
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4. Key recommendations
4.1 Summary
From the cycle review it is recommended that Kirknewton CDT propose the
improvements set out below to West Lothian Council.
4.2 Engineering
To improve safety and increase the range of travel options:
Speed Reduction
• Extend 20 mph zone by Kirknewton Primary School toward Kirknewton House to
where the 30 mph signs are now, with more pairs of speed cushions and a speed
table at the build out by the School Crossing patrol
• Extend 30 mph speed limit out of the village to where the 30 mph countdown
signs are currently sited
Junction improvements
• Install Advanced Stop Lines at the traffic signals in East Calder
• Improve the road surface at the level crossing in Kirknewton
Reallocation of Road Space
• Remove downhill cycle lanes and widen the uphill cycle lanes in Kirknewton
along the B7031. They are too narrow and mainly within a traffic calmed 20 mph
zone, hence vehicle speeds are low.
Off road routes
• Widen the paths on NCN 75 along the River Almond, especially the very narrow
substandard width approaches to the low bridge
Cycle parking
• Provide cycle parking for local shops in Kirknewton and East Calder.
• Cover the cycle parking at Kirknewton Primary School to give added security and
weather protection to students’ cycles.
Route signing
• Reconsider if signing for NCN 75 down the farm track by Raw Holdings is the
best route given the track’s poor condition. Consider using the path alongside the
Sports centre in East Calder instead.
4.3 Marketing
A local cycle map should be produced, based on the Cycle Skills Network Audit, to
encourage local cycle trips within and between the villages, as well as to Livingston.
4.4 Monitoring
To determine the level of cycling:
• Measure the level of cycling by pupils at Kirknewton Primary School by termly
hands-up surveys and counts of parked bikes
• Install an automatic cycle counter along the path by the Sports centre to record
local trips