The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Campaigners aim to create greener transport in town
Active travel campaigners in St Andrews have stressed they will “take the community with them” in their bid to transform how people get around the town.
With support from Sustrans, Transition St Andrews is drawing up plans for more walking and cycling spaces.
Members of the community and university are focusing on carbon-reducing projects.
Project manager Alistair Macleod said the plans are at an early “fact-finding” stage, with no routes yet identified.
An online consultation has been launched to canvass residents’ opinions.
Mr Macleod promised to include local people after a backlash from some businesses when Fife Council removed car parking space as part of the Spaces for People scheme.
Business owners claimed there had been a lack of public consultation.
The online consultation will help with initial plans for face-to-face events in the coming months.
Mr Macleod hopes to have a draft of cycle and walking paths to present by early next year.
He said: “St Andrews is a small coastal town with no rail links and few active travel options, but it has a huge amount of visitors.
“We cannot keep piling cars in. We have to make big changes if we are to meet our climate goals.”
He added: “We have to take our time and make sure we get it right.
“That’s what this stage is all about. The consultation is about finding out how people travel around the town and how it can be improved.
“After that we will start asking about where people would like to see things like cycle routes.
“It will be about everyday people making everyday journeys.”
Mr Macleod said evidence from the Netherlands showed when good cycling infrastructure is built, it will be widely used.
He also believes there is scope to create better links to the Madras College campus: “I was speaking to someone who drove to Madras despite it being a five-minute cycle for them.
“When I asked why, they said they didn’t realise it was that short a journey on bike.
“We can do a lot more to make walking and cycling the natural choice for people here. When done right it’s quicker and safer than driving.”
He added: “People say there is nowhere quite like St Andrews, but that’s not quite right.
“There are coastal towns that have made this work. We will look at them as we plan changes.
“With some small tweaks we can make it a really lovely town.
“But everybody needs to feel a part of it.”