Registered Charity CC34550
Aim:
To promote the rights of people to walk with independence, comfort and safety
Objectives:
Ensure everyone has the right to –
- walk as the basic means of human movement, without restriction and fear
- expect that councils and other organisations that have responsibility to pedestrians to have clear development and maintenance standards for footpaths and walkways and apply them.
To promote and advocate for-
- walking as a healthy, environmental-friendly and universal means of transport and recreation
- social and economic benefits of a pedestrian friendly community
- Liaison with local, national and international groups
- Input into decision making (building, parks, transport & roading, walkways, designs/strategies) at local and national transport levels
- clearly identified maintained and accessible footpaths & rights of way
- policing of traffic to enforce and educate drivers on pedestrian rights especially at crosswalks.
- campaigns, meetings and publications to further pedestrian rights.
- safe, pleasant, uninhibited, easy pedestrian access between key points such as their residence to all amenities, including parks, public transport, waterways workplace and other common destinations.
Issues:
Involvement with councils and organisations that have responsibility to pedestrians in an advocacy role, to ensure that priority projects are identified in national and local planning and to set up a ‘reporting’ process for problems. [ Pedestrian safety audits – for/by pedestrians]
Funding and organisation
Pedestrian Rights
Walking as a health issue
Air pollution drains and other environmental issues
Footpath maintenance and obstructions such as parked cars, overgrown hedges, etc
Standards such as everyone to be able to walk from their residence within x time to a free, quiet, green park.
protect walkways that are in common use.
Pedestrian Responsibilities
- Keep left on footpath
- Report hazards to council or
- Indicate ‘thanks’ to drivers and others giving way
NOTES:-
‘Pedestrian’ – A person who is walking – especially in a town – (Oxford English Dictionary 1996)
‘Pedestrian’ in this document it will include people using wheelchairs & other mobility aids
‘Footpath’ – a path for pedestrians
‘Everyone has the right to freedom of movement (Article 13 Universal Declaration of Human Rights)
‘WHEREAS, humankind has been walking for millennia and driving automobiles for only a century, and WHEREAS, humankind has shaped its cities for 8,000 years by walking, and for only 50 years by driving, and WHEREAS, a single automobile generates more noise than 10,000 pedestrians’ (National Congress of Pedestrians Advocates – USA, 2001
