Make your move Kirkcaldy Inspiring and Encouraging More Walking and Cycling Fife Council and Sustrans are working in partnership to encourage more walking and cycling in Kirkcaldy with a particular focus on cycling which makes up a very low share of existing journeys. A project team made up of staff from both organisations works with partners in the local community to deliver a range of activities. PROJECT OBJECTIVES A baseline survey of more than 1,000 households was carried out which identified a number of key issues in Kirkcaldy: Large numbers of short journeys made by car Very low levels of physical activity Low levels of awareness of cycling opportunities Concerns about the safety of cycling The objectives of Make your move Kirkcaldy are: Deliver a range of established and new interventions that advocate and support more sustainable travel modes; Provide high-quality information about local opportunities for, and the benefits of, sustainable travel; Enable and encourage people to walk or cycle more by providing practical training, support, advice and motivation; Improve the physical environment by providing facilities for walking, cycling and access to public transport throughout Kirkcaldy; Prove the effectiveness of approach and build the case for ongoing investment in similar initiatives in Fife and elsewhere. KEY CONTACTS Project Co-ordinator Michael Nimmo Image Logo HOW WE DID IT Fife Council and Sustrans work in partnership to deliver Make your move Kirkcaldy. The project includes a range of complementary interventions to inspire and support increased walking and cycling – including: New and improved routes for walking and cycling Schools programme including I Bike and Bikeability Workplace bike loan scheme Behaviour change marketing Information such as route maps Cycle training for adults The project is funded by Fife Council and Sustrans (with funding from Scottish Government). Additional funding for has been secured from the People’s Health Trust. A challenge to this type of project is the short term release of funding which makes longer term planning more difficult. WHAT WE LEARNED There is considerable and growing interest in cycling and potential for increase in trips made my bike. Giving people information and support to get cycling can have a real impact. Partnership working and sustained, co-ordinated efforts are particularly effective. Travel behaviour change is a long term process and results will be measured over several years. Initial data is promising (see below). Great feedback from beneficiaries for example a participant in the bike loan scheme found: “how easy it was to get from A to B without the cost of expensive petrol. I made short journeys in the car for 'quickness' rather than walking but a bike can be just as fast - and obviously the environment” And a cyclist who took part in a cycle fun day: “The most useful part for me was the led ride. It has given me the confidence to take my bike out on the roads by myself.” NEXT STEPS The project continues into 2013 and beyond with more improvements to the cycle network and increased opportunities for people to try cycling, have cycle training, join groups on led rides and learn about bike maintenance. At some point the formal project will come to an end but Sustrans and Fife Council will continue to apply the principles both in Kirkcaldy and elsewhere. A detailed survey will be conducted at the end of the project to measure impacts including change in travel behaviour patterns, and resulting economic and carbon effects. For the long term legacy of the project a skilled volunteer base will help to keep walking and cycling promotion high on the agenda regardless of future funding constraints. Image