A NEW report represents a “massive step forward” in the Island’s journey toward sustainable forms of transport, a cycling advocate has said.
Alistair Mitchell, the head of the Cycle4Jersey campaign group, added that policies set out in last month’s Sustainable Transport Policy: Next Steps would go a long way towards encouraging more Islanders to leave their cars at home.
Setting out its sustainable transport priorities for the next three years, the government has committed in the report to the publication of a “Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Strategy” in 2024, which will identify strategic corridors for cycling and key walking zones across the Island. The strategy will set out how Jersey will reach its target of 10% of commuter journeys being cycled by 2030. Currently, 4% of people cycle to work.
Detailed work has also been carried out within the ring road of St Helier, the report said, to identify ways to make that route more accommodating for cycling, walking and wheeling.
These would reduce the difficulty in crossing the ring road for those travelling into town by these modes, and for residents and town users who want to cycle, walk or wheel around the town on less congested roads.
New figures in the ‘Next Steps’ report reveal that 40% of people drive to work alone and 24% of people who live and work in St Helier drive to work, which Mr Mitchell said were “shocking” and showed “room to massively improve”.
Mr Mitchell said: “Changing the car culture of the Island is a tricky thing that will take a while, but if opportunities are given to people, then people will make those decisions.” He added: “It represents a commitment to promoting sustainable transport, rather than just talking about it, which is a massive step forward. The potential to get more people cycling is a very real possibility.”
Around 50% of those surveyed said that they would cycle more if safety was improved. “The frustration is how long it takes and the complicated nature of getting any change on the roads,” Mr Mitchell continued. “Every parish has its own roads committee and Constable, and the whole administration of the roads system is complex.”
He said that temporary initiatives brought in over the course of 2023 – such as pedestrianised areas outside St Luke’s School and in areas of St Clement – had been proving successful, and he hoped that they would be made permanent.
Cycle4Jersey had been working closely with former Infrastructure Minister Tom Binet before his resignation.
Mr Mitchell said he hoped that the new Infrastructure Minister shared Deputy Binet’s and the group’s views and took the commitments forward.
Deputy Binet previously said that there was currently no funding earmarked for implementing the so-called “priorities” – which he described as “more longer term” and “concepts at this moment in time”.
In the report, he added: “It’s important that we make the use of alternative modes of transport more attractive than that of the car, especially when taking account of a road network that was never designed to accommodate the varying types, and large number of vehicles now in use.”
The report, which is part of the Island’s attempts to slash its carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, also pledges to re-allocate existing road space to give cycling and walking priority over cars.
