Draft Active Travel Strategy Consultation

3. Case for action

3.1 Car dependent commuting

3.1.1 As a geographic area, Central Bedfordshire is predominantly rural, characterised by large areas of countryside with picturesque villages, hamlets, and small and medium sized towns.

3.1.2 Much of the authority is covered by special designations including greenbelt, the Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Forest of Marston Vale, and the expansive Greensand Country, as well as many parks and nature reserves which preserve the openness of the countryside. While this rural identity helps make Central Bedfordshire an attractive place to live, it also poses challenges for residents when visiting friends and accessing shops, services, and jobs. There is a strong reliance on the car which is reflected in the 2021 Census data which shows levels of household car ownership at 88.7%, well above the national average of 67%.

3.1.3 Most Central Bedfordshire residents can drive, with the authority reporting higher-than-average levels of license holding. However, rates drop significantly amongst younger and older-aged adults. Alongside children, these groups are reliant on walking, wheeling, cycling and buses for independent travel.

3.1.4 With no dominant local destination for employment, most residents travel out of Central Bedfordshire to work in surrounding regional centres, and London. The 2021 Census shows for commuting, 71% of people travel by car, 8% walk, 2.5% use a bus and 2% cycle.

3.1.5 A review of the most recent available information on how and why people travel, drawing on the latest available national and local survey evidence, is provided at Appendix A.

3.2 Housing and traffic growth

3.2.1 In 2021, Central Bedfordshire's population was 294,300. This figure is forecast to rise by 15% (representing 44,145 new residents) by 2035 with the authority a focus for investment in new housing. Of this population, over two thirds live in the largest conurbations, including Leighton- Linslade, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, Biggleswade, Sandy and Potton, Ampthill, Flitwick and Arlesey, Stotfold, Fairfield and Henlow. The conurbations referenced above are the primary focus for investment through Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans.

3.2.2 In part because of population growth, the level of road traffic in Central Bedfordshire is forecast to increase substantially over the period of this strategy and beyond. The Department for Transport's 'core scenario' set out in its National Road Traffic Projection assumes a 22% increase in traffic across the various categories of roads by 2060, against a 2025 baseline. Alternative scenarios range from a low of 8% growth to a high of 54%. This is despite the number of trips people make each week for various purposes remaining the same.

3.2.3 The projected growth in traffic will see many local roads becoming congested for longer periods each day. By default, walking and cycling will become the fastest option for many in-town journeys during the peak travel period. Ensuring these trips are safe and enjoyable will be central to making Central Bedfordshire 'a great place to live and work'.

3.3 Road Safety

3.3.1 In April 2024 the Council endorsed the Bedfordshire Road Safety Partnership's Strategy, recognising that safe roads are a critical component of sustainable urban and rural development. The strategy proposed a target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads within Bedfordshire by 50%, by 2035.

3.3.2 Within Bedfordshire, the data collated through police reports shows close to 9,000 people were injured or killed in collisions over the ten-year period 2011 to 2020. Of these people 613 were pedestrians, mostly children (531). Another 487 casualties were riding a bicycle when³ hurt.

3.3.3 Cars were overwhelmingly involved in recorded collisions that result in pedestrians and cyclists being seriously injured or killed. On a per-trip basis walking is relatively safe. Cycling currently less so. Children and young people aged up to 24 years are disproportionally represented in the figures for people killed or seriously injured when using the highway.

[3] In the UK, the proportion of fatalities and serious injuries for pedestrians and cyclists aged 24 varies year on year. National data from 2020 and 2022 indicates that approximately 30-40% of pedestrian casualties and 30-50% of cyclist casualties fall into this age bracket. For example, in 2020, 29% of pedestrian casualties were aged 17-24, and for cyclists in 2022, the figure was around 30-40% for the 16-24 age group.