Safer streets to be celebrated at Bristol conference

Eleven pilot schemes designed to improve cycling in urban areas will come under the spotlight in March at a conference organised by Sustrans.

The organisation's DIY Streets projects, in London, South Wales, Coventry, Manchester, Sheffield, Torquay and Oxford, have encouraged local people to re-design their own streets, making them safer, cleaner and more people-friendly.

The conference, to be held in Bristol on March 11, will review the evaluation results of the pilot projects carried out Residents' success in slowing down traffic and making streets safer for pedestrians and cyclists could see the scheme rolled out across the UK.

Finlay McNab, Senior Project Officer at Sustrans, said: "The conference will provide an ideal opportunity to display and celebrate the work carried out across each pilot scheme, allowing residents and planning teams involved to get together, discuss individual projects and share best practice.

"Evaluation results will help Sustrans shape the next steps ahead for achieving its vision of creating safer and more attractive walking and cycling conditions for communities across the UK."

The scheme has been part-funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, local authorities and housing associations along with additional funding from Transport For London for projects carried out in the Capital.

It is hoped that evaluation results, currently being collated, will be in the public domain towards the end of next month. Road.cc has covered news of a few such schemes. In Hackney, residents managed to introduce speed tables to slow traffic down, whoile in Coventry speeding and and U-turning was stopped on Iden Road.

Sustrans' Chief Executive, Malcolm Shepherd, Peter Lipman, Policy Director at Sustrans, and project officers involved in urban design, community involvement and sustainable transport, will all take part in the conference.

Members of the public are invited to attend the conference at Bristol's Council House. Tickets are £55 each (£20 concessions) including lunch and are available through Sustrans. To make a booking, please contact Mira Ruskin on 0207 0172 364 or email mira.ruskin [at] sustrans.org.uk by 26 February.