Active travel and 20-minute neighbourhoods
Walking and cycling are not only more sustainable than motorised transport in environmental terms but can also be an important part of healthy living.
A Plaid Cymru government would work towards creating 20-minute neighbourhoods in all our towns and cities providing convenient, safe, pedestrian access to the places people need to go and the services people use nearly every day: public transport, shopping, school, parks, and social activities.
We would:
- Require local authorities to set ambitious targets for modal shift including substantially increasing the provision of cycle routes.
- Set out a national target that 10 per cent of all trips are done via cycling or scootering by 2030.
- Showcase the potential for longer-distance cycleways along strategic road network and other main roads radiating 15km from regional centres that draw significant commuter traffic, for example Aberystwyth, Bangor, Merthyr and Pontypridd.
- Create incentives to encourage the take-up of e-bikes and establish an industrial strategy to promote their manufacturing in Wales.
- Establish a demonstration city to show the potential for e-cargo bikes to replace vans and cut HGV traffic.
- Provide the Valleys Regional Park with funds to extend, maintain and market its extensive cycle path network and ensure that the Rhondda and Abernant tunnels become important tourist attractions. We will also investigate the feasibility of creating a similar facility along the disused railway lines in the former north-eastern coalfield.
- Make 20mph the default speed limit in all built up areas.
- Undertake an investigation into measures that should be taken to address the annual toll of around 100 deaths and 1,000 serious injuries as a result of traffic accidents in Wales.
- Establish a programme to relocate public sector offices to town and city centres away from out-of-town developments.