West Midlands Streets to Get Safety Upgrades

Survey finds 90% of West Midlands women feel unsafe walking alone at night

West Midlands Women Feel Unsafe Walking After Dark

Nine out of ten women in the West Midlands feel unsafe walking alone at night, according to a recent YouGov survey commissioned by Active Travel England. The figure exceeds the UK-wide average of 88%, highlighting heightened safety concerns in the region. The poll surveyed 1,094 women across the UK, including 90 from the West Midlands, revealing that seven in ten women nationwide have changed their routes to avoid walking in the dark over the past year.

Safety Concerns Drive Route Changes

Women cited inadequate lighting, poorly maintained paths, and fears about antisocial behaviour as their primary concerns when walking after dark, according to the survey. These safety worries have forced many women to alter their daily routines and travel patterns. The findings underscore how infrastructure deficiencies and security concerns directly impact women's mobility and access to public spaces. Transit officials and urban planners increasingly recognize that street design plays a crucial role in whether residents feel safe using walking routes to reach transit stops and other destinations.

New Guidance to Help Councils Design Safer Streets

Active Travel England announced a new plan to provide councils in England with guidance on designing safer streets for women and girls. The guidance will be published this year and will include recommendations for better lighting, improved visibility, enhanced walking routes, and expanded CCTV coverage. Local authorities will have access to part of Active Travel England's £626 million funding pot, announced last year, to implement these safety improvements. The initiative supports the government's Safer Streets mission, which aims to halve violence against women and girls within the next decade.

Ministers Call Issue National Emergency

Lilian Greenwood, local transport minister, emphasized that no one should worry about getting to their destination safely after dark. Jess Phillips, minister for safeguarding and violence against women and girls, described the issue as a 'national emergency' and welcomed efforts to shift responsibility from women to the design of public spaces. Officials said the guidance will be distributed to councils throughout England once published, though a specific release date wasn't provided beyond this year.

Impact on Transit Access and Mobility

The safety concerns directly affect women's ability to access public transit, particularly during evening hours when walking to and from stops requires navigating poorly lit streets. Women who avoid certain routes or times of day face limited transit options and reduced mobility. The new street design guidance aims to make walking routes to transit stops safer and more accessible. Moovit provides real-time transit updates and trip planning to help riders navigate public transportation networks across the UK.