Road planning stuck in a time warp (1)

For about 150 years, Malta has continued to build urban roads in exactly the same way, namely a tarmac roadway for traffic and a pavement on either side. As the number of cars on our roads increased over time, so pavements got narrower to provide more space for cars to move and park.

Most of our pavements are nowadays less than a metre wide so people out walking are forced to walk in single file. Mothers pushing infants in prams often have to use the roadway. Cycling remains a frightening experience for all.

In most European towns and cities a revolution has taken place. Roads evolved into attractive pedestrian- and cycle-friendly spaces which encourage people to walk or use a bicycle. Transit roads and commuting routes now mostly include cycleways so as to encourage people to cycle, thus helping to relieve traffic congestion.

But back in Malta we remain stuck in the 1950s with no concessions to pedestrians. This in spite of pious intentions in so many past government reports about encouraging “a modal shift from private transport to public transport, walking and cycling” and “encouragement of more sustainable modes of transport as an alternative to the private car” which included “focusing on the promotion of walking and cycling for short distance trips”.

Against this background, it is disheartening to read in the caption story (January 14), appropriately titled Drive-Through, that €750,000 is being uselessly spent on “reorganising” a huge expanse of tarmac by replacing it with another identical expanse of tarmac. The appalling lack of imagination of this antiquated approach merely replicates the age-old pattern which encourages more motor traffic and ignores the needs of other road users. The accompanying artist’s impression tells all, it is a perfect reflection of the dreary situation in pedestrian-unfriendly Malta; it shows a featureless expanse of tarmac (exactly the same as it is now) with narrow pavements which take up a minute fraction of the total width. Of course, there is no sign whatsoever of a cycle track or lane. Typically there are more cars than people in this picture.

This project represents another example of hopelessly backward thinking. So much is being spent to reproduce something based on the ancient formula of many decades ago. It ignores the crucial fact that this part of Ta’ Xbiex/Msida, which adjoins a crowded and densely built-up area, has the potential to be a prime recreation area. Given the right conditions, local people would be tempted to enjoy leisure walking, recreation and even cycling – rather than getting in their cars to drive elsewhere. But outdated attitudes continue to dictate that priority needs to be given to traffic at the expense of other users – an approach which is no longer acceptable, both on health and social grounds.

This raises the question as to why Malta remains so stubbornly stuck in a mind-set where as much tarmac as possible is given over to vehicles – an approach which has made us so car dependent while attitudes have radically changed in other countries where such valuable spaces are now beautifully transformed into attractive places which encourage people to walk and would-be cyclists to bring out their bicycles.

A recent EU paper, ADONIS (Analysis and Development of New Insights into Substitution of Short Car Trips by Cycling and Walking), in which the interests and health of road users are now being emphasised, aims to provide guidelines “for providing an environment which will stimulate cycling and walking, thus reducing the number of short trips by car”. The report starts by looking at new and promising measures being taken in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Copenhagen and Brussels. The philosophy behind this report is that people will use means other than the car for short trips only when they have good facilities. Malta is still hopelessly far away from this ideal.