Our barrier removal and redesign work on the Network creates more accessible paths for everyone. This particularly benefits those who use wheelchairs, adapted cycles and mobility scooters. To understand the long-term impacts of barrier changes, Sustrans conducted a research project using a stretch of the Network in York where 30 restrictive barriers were removed.
All path users we spoke to were happy that the path had been rid of restrictive barriers on the Foss Islands path. Credit: David Harrison
In 2016, 30 restrictive barriers on the Foss Islands path were removed to improve accessibility.
The Foss Islands path (Route 658) was chosen as a location for the research project as it uniquely serves both utility and recreational journeys in a suburban and urban setting.
Seven years on from the changes made to the barriers, our Research and Monitoring Unit conducted a research project and spoke to 13 people who use the path regularly.
The team also took counts of path users over two months in two locations.
Improving accessibility
All path users we spoke to were happy that the path had been rid of restrictive barriers, which had been described as a “nuisance”.
Three of the people interviewed have long-term health conditions; two of which use non-standard cycles and one uses a standard cycle as a mobility aid.
Both people who use non-standard cycles said they can now access more of the path and therefore use it more frequently to get to work and to the hospital.
John Skelton, who regularly cycles on the Foss Islands Path
Cycling post-disability using the Network and getting out in the sunshine and nature frankly has had an amazing effect on my mental health.
They’re not just access routes, they’re social spaces - people gather, walk along and chat or stop on benches.
What we found
Our counts of path users over two months in two locations on the path showed that on average, 45 trips a day were made by people using pushchairs, wheelchairs, and cargo bikes.
We know that people using these modes of getting around may have found it difficult to access the path with the restrictive barriers in place.
We also found that the local people we spoke to were not concerned about antisocial behaviour on the path.
Over a two-month period, only two motorbikes and two quadbikes were recorded at each site, representing 0.002% of all trips counted.
For every motorbike or quadbike trip, there were 22,212 trips from legitimate users - which includes all other ways of getting around.
We put a report together on our (2023) findings which include levels of active travel in the area along with what people think about the space and its accessibility following the changes.
What are barriers and why do they exist?
Physical barriers on the Network come in many forms, including gates, A frames and bollards.
Barriers disproportionally impact people who use mobility aids or non-standard cycles.
Many of the barriers on the Network were installed decades ago when the routes were first designed.
In some cases, landowners wanted to make sure that motor vehicles couldn’t get onto their land, so the planning permission or landowner consent was conditional on barriers being installed.
In 2016, 30 restrictive barriers on the Foss Islands path were removed to improve accessibility. Credit: David Harrison
Paths for Everyone
Mike Babbitt, our Head of Network Development in the North of England, said:
"In 2012, we saw that this important greenway could be made so much more inviting and welcoming to local communities.
"Working in partnership with City of York Council and many stakeholders, we produced an Improvement Plan for the whole route and improving access was a key theme.
"It's fantastic that the removal of barriers on this busy route has been such a success and this approach supports our ambition to remove all barriers on the National Cycle Network as laid out in our Paths for Everyone vision."
Gareth and Joe have benefitted from barrier removal on the Foss Islands path. Credit: Peter Cox
Thanks to our funders and supporters
This research project was generously supported by Active Travel England.
With thanks to the City of York Council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund i-Travel York project for funding the barrier removal and redesign work - with the vision to make the path more attractive and to encourage residents to travel actively.
Find out more about our research and the types of barriers that were removed.
