Walking Strategy published

Last Friday finally saw the publication of the Council's new Walking Strategy - something I have been working on for the last 18 months.

It's one of those things that's been beset with unavoidable delays with people going off sick and the like. I've made a real pain of myself in pushing officers to get it finished, but I am grateful to them all and they've done a very good job in the end.

You might be thinking, "Why does Bristol need a Walking Strategy?" - after all, how difficult can it be! This document lays out in detail exactly why getting walking right is so important for the city - for health, climate change and economic reasons. It will help to ensure that walking is taken into account when making decisions and it will also act as a very useful document to attract funding, especially through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund and similar initiatives. It's also a useful sister document to the city's Cycling Strategy, demonstrating the importance that the Council places on sustainable forms of transport.

The publication of a strategy document is always the start of a process rather then end. The key thing will now be how it is used by officers, councillors, campaigners and residents to push improvements forwards. My own pet idea is that of 'showcase walking routes' - key routes around the city which are heavily used and where a little bit of love and investment could make them even more pleasant and popular. Routes like College Green to the top of Black Boy Hill, which is used by thousands of Bristolians and visitors every day.

Anyway, do have a look at the Walking Strategy - the action plan towards the end is probably the most interesting bit, but it's all meant to be relatively easy to engage with. As always, any comments gratefully received!