Tuesdays at APA–DC 13 th May 2014 The Community Streets Program in Hounslow, London: A Community-Led Approach to Street Design Gareth James Community Engagement and Transport Initiatives Officer, London Borough of Hounslow

The London Borough of Hounslow Population: 254, th largest of 32 Boroughs Image: London Councils

Context  Mayor of London's transport strategy published May 2010  Each borough must develop a Local Implementation Plan (LIP) to support delivery of the Mayor’s strategy  LIP covers , but the Delivery Plan is updated every 3 years, detailing the funding allocation and which strategic goals each program is designed to help achieve  Community Streets funding allocation for was $1.35M and goals are to increase walking and cycling, reduce CO2 emissions, and improve accessibility of the transport system

Community Streets Overview  Jointly run by Community Partnership Unit and Transport Planning  Residents’ applications assessed based on the case put forward and any additional information that is readily available (e.g. accident data)  Aim is to develop innovative, low-cost methods of improving the streetscape, enhancing livability, and achieving LIP goals  Community-led with extensive public engagement, to deliver better solutions, social inclusion, and community cohesion  Concept designs by Sustrans; construction-level designs and implementation by Hounslow Highways

Oriel School - Background  Application by “Hounslow Road and Oriel School Community Streets Group” approved in May 2010; concerns they had outlined included:  Crossing the service road  Need for traffic calming  Speeding around the school area  Poor parking practices by parents  Meetings held to gather feedback from stakeholders  Reviewed School Travel Plan, a visual parking assessment, traffic counts, and accident data  Developed vision document and refined designs through further community meetings and officer input  Design concept approved by Area Forum in September 2011

Oriel School - Before

Oriel School – Design Anti-skid coloured surfacing – blue indicates pedestrian desire lines New seating Bollards to discourage pavement parking Mosaic bollard at entrance provides gateway feature

Oriel School – After (Oct 2013)

Wigley Road - Background  Council had been looking at potential solutions to the rat running issue  Speed humps not deemed by TfL to be best solution  Community Streets project launched July 2012  Objectives were agreed at initial residents’ meetings:  Discourage rat running  Reduce speeds  Address parking problems  Improve walking and cycling environment  Enhance green areas

Wigley Road – Project Area

Wigley Road – Design  Agreed an approach that could include road closures, traffic calming, and place-making  Gathered baseline speed and volume data  Developed designs through extensive engagement:  12 “official” meetings (and several more besides)  s, letters, phone conversations, and blog  “Door knocking” and home visits  Trialed closure of service road access for 7 weeks in Sept  Conducted new traffic counts to compare with baseline data  Communicated results of trial to residents by letter and on the blog  69% support for road access closure (74% including petition)

Access Closure Results

“Street trial” (March 2014)

“Street trial” (March 2014)

Lessons Learned  Bring together urban designers and those responsible for implementation as early in the process as possible  The process naturally brings communities together, but beware of hidden tensions  The bottom-up approach may need some parameters (e.g. a long- list) to ensure investment is targeted at areas with the greatest need  For larger projects, it’s important to consider who qualifies as “local”  Look for opportunities to augment the investment in the area and sustain the project’s cohesion benefits (nearby projects involving non-profits, active travel initiatives, forming a residents’ association)  Mainstreaming the community-led approach into other transport programs requires careful planning and adequate resources

Thank you