Edinburgh has invested in well-designed, high-quality active travel infrastructure by installing a new dedicated cycleway from Roseburn to Leith Walk via Haymarket, transforming the nature and operation of these streets. Crucially, the cycleway is fully segregated and off-road, providing a safer environment for cyclists, especially those less confident or new to cycling. Using attractive, good-quality materials and clear surface signage enhances its appeal. According to the council, the design is in accordance with local and national best practice guidance and considers the needs of individuals with disabilities or impairments. The new cycleway joins with a wider segregated cycle network, enabling longer-distance journeys to be made by active means.

Edinburgh-based Grease Monkey designs, creates, operates, and maintains sustainable active travel solutions, which is important in addressing transport poverty. Their products are designed for maximum safety, security, and usability, and they are accessible to all. Manufactured in the UK, they are built to last, using the highest quality components and skill, ensuring the longest possible lifespan and value for money. These products are designed to use fully recyclable materials and adapt to cargo and e-bikes. Grease Monkey adopts a continuous design process, incorporating client feedback through design updates, ensuring that all updates can be integrated into existing products in the marketplace. The evolution of their preceding hangar designs reflects changes to improve accessibility, security, and sustainability over time.

Partnering with Wheatley, one of Scotland’s major housing, care, and property-management groups, Grease Monkey provides secure cycle parking solutions. To date, they have installed 81 Veloboxes (cycle hangars) and additional cycle parking solutions, providing 486 secure cycle spaces to Wheatley’s tenants in areas of high transport poverty. This enables those cycling to work and appointments to park their bikes securely, alleviating concerns about theft. This provision of secure storage outside also allows tenants to avoid storing cycles in halls and stairways, addressing security, health, safety, and rules-based issues and facilitating bike ownership. Grease Monkey’s installation of cycle hangars surpasses Glasgow City Council’s citywide cycle parking scheme in terms of numbers.

A heartening and positive community engagement process underscores the importance of consensus-building when upgrading historic railway assets in conservation areas. The project involved replacing a beautiful Victorian wrought iron footbridge, installed in 1877. It had become necessary due to its inability to accommodate wires below and its failure to meet the required safety clearance for electrification. Network Rail addressed initial community apprehension through pre- and post-condition surveys, providing photographic evidence to allay concerns.

In the summer of 2021, Network Rail invited approximately 5,000 residents and businesses to vote for their preferred footbridge design from three options. The majority (85%) chose a bespoke curve design inspired by the former footbridge, which incorporated heritage characteristics of the existing area. The work programme commenced in March 2023, with the new single-span bridge successfully installed by summer 2023.

In a commendable gesture, an opening ceremony involving residents and stakeholders was organised, with one local resident invited to cut the ribbon, symbolising the opening of the new bridge. Despite initial reluctance regarding the replacement of the bridge, residents were delighted with the outcome.

The old bridge found a new home in early 2023 with Caledonian Railway, a volunteer-run charity that operates a heritage railway in Angus. However, a notable design drawback is the footbridge’s lack of accessibility, with entry and exit via steps at both ends. This limitation is unfortunate, as newly designed and installed infrastructure should ideally be inclusive for all users.

Scotrail’s new livery design exemplifies inclusive design principles, addressing inconsistencies in demarcating wheelchair and cycle positions across their diverse fleet. The previous labelling system, utilised across various fleets, lacked clarity regarding door positions. To rectify this, a new design approach was adopted to provide clear and consistent markings for passengers, facilitating easy navigation to the correct doorway. The initiative aimed to establish a uniform livery style across all fleets, prioritising accessibility, sustainability, and safety. Following consultations with the Stakeholder Equality Group and Active Travel group, a large, clear symbol was chosen to be implemented on all trains, ensuring easy identification of relevant spaces onboard, irrespective of fleet type.

Early data suggests a positive impact, with reduced train dwell delay minutes attributed to fewer customers boarding the wrong carriage. Scotrail’s active travel and accessibility stakeholders, who collaborated on the signage development, have expressed unanimous support and received positive feedback from their member organisations. Frontline staff have highlighted that the new, clear signage facilitates clearer communication with customers, particularly beneficial during peak times or disruptions when staff face increased pressure.

Endorsed by the government and launched by the Minister for Active Travel, Patrick Harvie, the project has garnered interest from the Great British Railway Transition Team (GBRTT), indicating its potential incorporation into best practice design guides for new trains across the UK.

Ayrshire Roads Alliance, Sweco, and Story Contracting collaborated to design and construct a new dedicated pedestrian and cyclist underpass linked to the strategic National Cycle Network, eliminating the need to cross the A719 carriageway. The previous setup was an uncontrolled crossing of a 60mph single-carriageway road, with poor visibility of southbound vehicles and a history of fatal and serious road injury collisions. The construction of the new underpass has opened up the potential of an existing local walking and cycling path from Alloway to Doonfoot, creating a completely traffic-free route. To enhance the community’s benefit, a sensory garden and biodiversity area were established from an underutilised piece of land, providing an environment enjoyable for all.

The community was deeply involved in the project, with Ayrshire Roads Alliance adapting the Burton Underpass and Sensory Garden scheme through engagement with local walking and cycling groups, addressing key barriers to increased active travel use in the area. Sweco was commissioned to develop the design proposals. In a collaborative effort among the client, designer, and contractor, the team took the scheme from inception to construction. A high-quality 3D visualisation was produced, allowing for a video fly-through of the proposals to be created and distributed using an online StoryMap. This innovative approach facilitated clear communication of the designs to key stakeholders, resulting in a greater understanding and buy-in from the local community.

Story Contracting was responsible for bringing the design to life. The project team ensured that sustainable and locally sourced materials were used throughout the construction phase. The new underpass location was once part of a historic railway route (The Maidens and Dunure Light Railway), which was considered in the design and construction. Sustainable materials such as railway buffers and old railway sleepers were used for planters and cycle parking, along with coping stones uncovered during construction from the wingwalls of the old railway crossing structure, which were used as rock features. The sensory area includes a wetland area, pathways, a boardwalk with a sensory route, and planting that stimulates visitors’ senses through touch, sight, scent, taste, and hearing. The local primary school was involved throughout the design and build process, including STEM sessions, site visits, a naming competition, planting, and the official opening ceremony of the underpass and sensory garden.