One of the challenges of planning anything is trying to imagine it through the eyes of others. I am currently reading ‘Invisible Women’ by Caroline Criado Perez, which explores how gaps in data lead to decisions that do not adequately reflect diverse needs. One observation Perez has is that transport planning tends to reflect the travel patterns of men going to paid work above everyone else. 

At the same time I have been looking at the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which by and large is lines radiating out from urban centres. If we are focussed on people going in and out of town, what journeys are we missing?

A sample map taken from the LCWIP

Well, quite a lot:

• Journeys to and from education (personal or escorting others)
• Going to local shops
• Picking up something from the chemist
• Taking a relative to a healthcare appointment
• Taking children to activities such as swimming and birthday parties

Notice something about the above? It is all ‘work’, as in it is not leisure time, and it is all unpaid. And without labouring a point, who does the bulk of unpaid work in our society? 

Looking at where I live (Weston, North West Bath), I noticed one of the principle walking and cycling routes does not feature in the LCWIP at all, that being Penn Hill Road. This orbital route connects Oldfield School to Weston Village and it used by hundreds of young people every school day. How has this route not been captured, when the school’s website has an anonymised map of where pupils travel from and by what means?

Image from Oldfield School’s website showing travel is largely orbital not radial

As a previous blog by Adam has highlighted, the LCWIP urgently needs updating. When that happens, we need to grasp the opportunity to fill the data gaps. Perhaps an opportunity for the Journey to Net Zero Forum to contribute?