4.1.2
Original Document
This historic emphasis in Birmingham on enabling and accommodating movement by private vehicles has led to an urban form that is not conducive to movement by other means. For pedestrians, this means that, although the city centre is relatively compact, conditions for walking are adversely affected by numerous physical barriers and the disconnection of different parts of the central area, and some areas have poor public realm and legibility. For cyclists, dis-incentives include poor provision of cycle lanes and facilities, the severance of cycling networks by major highway and railway corridors and road danger. So although improvements have been made over recent years for both pedestrians and cyclists, much more is needed if walking and cycling are to become genuinely attractive modes of transport in the city centre.
Plain English Translation
Birmingham has a tradition of making it easy for people to get around in cars and that means the city is tricky for walking and cycling. Even though the city centre is compact it’s difficlut to walk. Cyclists also have problems. Some of their key cycle lanes are cut off by roads or railways. Yes we’ve improved things in recent years but still we need to work much harder to make the city good for cycling or walking.