At its Full Council meeting today Sheffield City Council voted to support a Green Party proposal to add making a Pedestrian Friendly City to the Council’s Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee’s work plan.
In welcoming the support from all parties on the Council, Hillsborough Gilligan Kubo said,
“Thank you for the cross party support for this motion to make Sheffield a Pedestrian Friendly City.
“It shows how far we have come as a council that we can work so positively, cross party.
“This is a policy for everyone, as everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their journey
“What I am really looking forward to is working together to implement it.”
Proposing the motion Cllr Gilligan Kubo said,
“We are all pedestrians at some point, whether we walk or use mobility aids to get to the bus stop, to buy a newspaper, or to take our children to school.
“Walking is simple, free and one of the easiest ways to get more active, lose weight and to improve your health.
“Walking briskly can help you build stamina, burn excess calories and make your heart healthier.
“And you do not have to walk for hours. A brisk 10-minute daily walk has lots of health benefits and counts towards your 150 minutes of weekly exercise, as recommended in the physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64.
“Walking in the outdoors is also good for your mental health and Sheffield prides itself on being the Outdoor City. To get outdoors you have to leave your house, get off the bus or get out or your car so if Sheffield is truly to be the Outdoor City it must be a Pedestrian Friendly City too. If we want people to visit and enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces it is important we make it easy and safe for them to get around our city.
“But the benefits of this proposal are not just for visitors. We all want to be able to get around our city and our neighbourhoods, safely and easily, whether we are walking, cycling or scooting. I want to see well maintained foot ways that are not obstructed by advertising hoardings or parked cars. It is not acceptable to expect pedestrians or cyclists to have to move into often busy roads in order to continue their journeys.
“I also want to see safer streets so that our children can walk to school. Most parent should be able to enjoy a short walk to their local school with their children on streets that are safe, and not congested with polluting vehicles and dirty air. This will improve the health of our younger generation and encourage healthy habits for their future.
“There are 357 deaths and injuries each year on Sheffield’s roads. The fact that His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services has identified a lack of effective road safety strategies is a major cause of concern.
“I welcome the development of the Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment Plan by the Transport, Regeneration and Climate Committee. This is a positive step but we need a holistic approach across the council and working our partners to ensure obstructions such as bins, parked cars and digital advertising displays do not impede our footways. Pavements are for people not parked cars, vans or lorries. Our streets should be easy to navigate for everyone, including people using wheelchairs or mobility aids, blind or partially sighted people, and residents with young children.”
In seconding the motion City Ward Cllr Ruth Mersereau said,
“The way that people in Sheffield are able to travel about our city is massively unfair.
“Many residents are excluded from jobs, from leisure and social activities because they cannot get about safely or easily. Remember that nearly a third of Sheffield’s residents don’t have access to a vehicle.
“Making it easier to walk and wheel (for example, use a wheelchair or mobility scooter) is good for our mental and physical well-being and reduces isolation. But currently it’s often difficult, unsafe and unpleasant.
“At last week’s Transport Committee, we passed a Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Investment plan and we heard about the things that stop people from walking and wheeling. Top of the list was vehicles parked on pavements. Obstructive parking stops people from getting about safely, or even from getting about at all. We urgently need to deal with this and send a clear message that obstructive parking is illegal and socially unacceptable.
“The poor state of pavements and paths also stops people getting about. Our current maintenance schedule means that most of the city’s pavements are left with leaves, snow and ice uncleared. Slippery pavements make it risky to get about, particularly on hilly streets. And when pavements haven’t been gritted, people are forced to walk in the roads, at risk from motor vehicles.
“Uncleared pavements and insufficient enforcement against obstructive parking very visibly transmits the message that people wheeling and walking are at the bottom of the transport hierarchy – when our Transport Vision, and the Highway code, say that they should be our top priority.
“People are also prevented from walking and wheeling because of very valid concerns about road danger. Someone is killed or seriously injured almost every single day on Sheffield’s roads. Think about that statistic for a moment and its appalling effect on loved ones and others.
“We must do more to reduce road danger.
“We must do better. We urgently need to work across the Council’s committees and with South Yorkshire Police and SYMCA.
“If we enable people to walk and wheel, we can have a city that’s cleaner, fairer, safer and healthier – and better for everyone.”
