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to walk, cycle or get public transport, that’s 10% less cars in the traffic jam in front of you,” he adds. “So even if you really want to drive, any plan that
creates that modal shift is good for you, as well as for the people who are moving. “We’ll hopefully find out more over the next few months [from the government about its plans], but we are certainly seeing some really positive movement in terms of continued commitment to investment around active travel, but alongside that, more devolution towards the local authorities making decisions about how that is best enacted in a local place.” As Mildon explains, the role of local authorities in making decisions for local roads is crucial to get the right infrastructure in the right places. For example, one city may have the objective of having
segregated cycle lanes to make people feel safer. “So they want to get more timid cyclists into that and see more timid cyclists in that world, rather than as a route to get people to move more efficiently from A to B,” says Mildon. “A different city might have the objective that the
cycling infrastructure is to make it more efficient for someone to cycle from A to B, and if that creates a modal shift, more efficient for people to drive from A to B as well. “And those are subtly different. “You’ll see a difference in how you design those
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networks, in terms of the right of way at crossroads, potentially trying to either slow cyclists down or let them cycle through it at 20/30, miles per hour. “It’s up to local politicians to make those sorts of decisions. I don’t think it’s right for that to happen nationally.” In short, a good cycle lane in one city will potentially
look very different in another, and having data that lets you work out if the design meets that level of objective is where VivaCity comes into play. “We’d never say this particular histogram of cycling in a
cycle lane is good or bad,” comments Mildon. “It’s just [that] this is the histogram that you’re getting. “What was the objective? “Was your objective to get everybody, whether they were the most timid cyclist or the most energetic cyclist, all in the same lane? “Or was your objective to have the energetic one still out in the road, while the more timid ones were in the cycle lane?
“That’s what local politics decides, the designers try and deliver it, and we measure whether it’s working or not.” ●
This is the first feature in a two-part series with Mildon. Stay tuned to the December issue where we discuss the recent developments in AI, changes in how traffic data and behaviour is tracked, the road diet, and rural vs urban settings
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