The Professional Approach to Soft Mobility

A few days ago my fears were confirmed. After a run I had a short talk with one of the people that prepares pedestrian routes during road works. When I spoke of one area he said “I don’t really know that area”, and more. It took professionalism, and empathy of my own not to be too heavy and annoying.

If I was planning pedestrian access for road works that were known to last for two years I would do something very simple. I would go on foot, and walk the routes to see where the friction points would be and I would work to preserve the shortest distance walk I could, to avoid disruption to a maximum.

I would also study heatmaps. I have access to walking, cycling, running and more via Strava, Suunto and more. If I worked in a road networks firm I’d expect to have even more choice of heatmaps.

I would look at the routes people walk most. I would see which parts of the heat map are hottest, and I’d ensure that the hottest walking routes have the safest walking conditions by adding features to actively protect pedestrians.

With these road works that are now a year old there are active measures, but to make it impossible for people to walk, and convenient for cars.

I felt that those that design road work soft mobility don’t walk where they set up road works and this was confirmed on Friday morning. I couldn’t be too direct, because we were at a running event and I didn’t want to ruin the morning for that person. I still have empathy.

What triggered this post is that there are road works that are blocking an essential road for two weeks. We are now into the second week of that road being blocked.

I have three choices. The first choice is to wake up to be at the shops at 08:30 but I would hit rush hour and deal with peak congestion. The second option is to drive via Porte de Nyon and up to Signy Centre but then I find myself stuck in the commuter traffic from France to Nyon, as well as from the Jura to Nyon. In essence I find myself with two directions of congestion.

There is a roundabout. Traffic that is coming from the Jura has a right of way, so if you are unlucky at rush hour, then you might be stuck for minutes by cars that have priority. Add the traffic light further along, and you have perfect congestion conditions.

The third option is to drive towards Arnex-Sur-Nyon or Crassier, up towards Tranche-Pied, to Cheserex and then down to Signy. Instead of driving 3km almost directly you’re stuck with a 10km détour, which, if you’re cycling is fantastic, but, if you’re driving a car, is adding to traffic rather than adding to efficient movements.

This morning I drove a huge détour to the shops because the first route was blocked by road works, and the second is usually congested with traffics, and the roundabout way is quieter, but even on that route I encountered people that should no longer be allowed to drive their cars.

I live just two kilometres from shops if I walk, but that walk crosses a main road, and heavy traffic makes the walk toxic. The shops that are 3km away can’t be reached because there is no safe walking route.

Two years of road works to encourage walking, and cycling, but during their works walking is toxic, and when the road works are finished the same dangers that we had before will be there again.

Switzerland is known for hiking, but if you like walking, then Switzerland is still learning. Those that control projects are not active walkers so they take a “good enough” approach that I find “bad enough” to use the car up to seven days per week, from just two.

Soft Mobility has failed.