Despite the overall decline in walking levels, walking is still an important mode of transport, especially in urban areas, and could be more so, as a significant proportion of everyday car journeys are short ones that could easily be made on foot. Nearly all journeys involve some walking, and it is particularly important as a component of trips by public transport.
Walking is a complex mulit-purpose activity that can be undertaken for a variety of reasons -- transport, leisure, healthy exercise, exploration -- sometimes simultaneously in the same trip. We believe walking policies and projects should reflect this complexity and not be limited to a transport-focused modal shift approach. We also want to ensure projects reach those that can most benefit -- people who are currently insufficiently active and suffer disproportionately from poor health.
The distincitveness of walking and its importance to a number of cross-cutting agendas is such that it merits its own comprehensive strategies led by the national governments. There are now a number of partial plans and strategies, often prepared with Ramblers input. However none of these has yet delivered the necessary investment, commitment and joined-up thinking necessary to reverse the decline in walking levels.
The real and perceived danger posed to walkers by fast moving motor vehicles is one of the major barriers to walking. In the past the approach to road safety has been to inconvenience walkers by separating them from vehicles rather than tackling the issue of safer driving and slower speeds, leading to further reductions in walking. There are encouraging signs that attitudes are starting to shift but there is much to be done before walkers will feel truly safe on streets and roads.
Public transport
Public transport is the natural partner for walking, and more people using public transport would reduce vehicle congestion, improving the walking environment. We encourage all walkers to use public transport or walk from their doorstep rather than drive in order to go on a leisure walk, and we encourage our volunteers to run led walks that are accessible by public transport. We also support In Town Without My Car Day on 22 September each year.
Walking to school and work
A high proportion of daily transport trips are to reach schools and workplaces and switching these trips to walking could make a big difference both to health and to the environment. Walking to school has major benefits to children and can help instil good habits that will have a positive impact on their adult lives too. Our fellow walking charity Living Streets manages campaigns around both schools and workplaces.
Ordnance Survey mapping
Late in 2009 the government consulted on proposals to make significant amounts of Ordnance Survey (OS) mapping data free for use and re-use , changing radically the current solution where OS mapping can only be re-used under complex and expensive licensing arrangements. We generally supported this proposal as it could help deliver the great social benefit of making walking promotion easier and cheaper. The government quickly responsed to the consultation announcing on 1 April 2010 that some but not all OS mapping data would now be free for reuse. Though we welcomed the free mapping, we were disappointed that the most familiar maps for walkers in rural areas, Landranger and Explorer, were excluded from the new free package.
