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Smarter Choices – changing travel behaviour through ‘soft’ policies

ECOMM 2005: 27 th -28 th October 2005, Parma, Italy. Smarter Choices – changing travel behaviour through ‘soft’ policies. Dr Sally Cairns Senior Research Fellow TRL and UCL Email: scairns@trl.co.uk. Measures assessed. Information and marketing Personalised travel planning

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Smarter Choices – changing travel behaviour through ‘soft’ policies

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  1. ECOMM 2005: 27th-28th October 2005, Parma, Italy Smarter Choices –changing travel behaviour through ‘soft’ policies Dr Sally Cairns Senior Research Fellow TRL and UCL Email: scairns@trl.co.uk

  2. Measures assessed Information and marketing • Personalised travel planning • Public transport information and marketing • Travel awareness campaigns More efficient use of cars • Car clubs • Car sharing schemes Travel plans • Workplace travel plans • School travel plans Tele options • Teleworking • Teleconferencing • Home shopping

  3. Study details • Research for the UK Department for Transport, 2003-2004 • Study team: Sally Cairns Lynn Sloman Carey Newson Jillian Anable Alistair Kirkbride Phil Goodwin • Main report published in conjunction with the 2004 UK White Paper on ‘The Future of Transport’

  4. Background • 7 previous UK assessments of the potential impact of such measures • Wide range of results, with both optimistic and pessimistic conclusions • Rapidly developing evidence base

  5. Methodology • Worldwide literature review • 24 case studies of current local authority practice Looked at effectiveness and cost of current schemes, and their potential scale in 10 years time ↓ • Two scenarios: low intensity and high intensity High intensity scenario: assumed a step-change in activity and resources, but within the limits of what would be practically achievable

  6. Results of high intensity scenario:Potential traffic reduction in 10 years Findings consistent with re-interpretation of previous studies

  7. Costs and benefits For every 1000 vehicle kilometres removed: • Average cost = £15 • Average benefit = £150(for congestion relief alone) ↓ • Benefit : cost ratio is at least 10:1 • Higher ratios (up to 30:1) in congested city streets

  8. BUT…. Benefits will only be realised if traffic reduction is ‘locked in’ with restraint measures

  9. Example: Workplace travel plans“a package of measures that an organisation puts in place to encourage and enable staff to travel more sustainably” Support for: • walking • cycling • public transport • car sharing • local recruitment / relocation • teleworking • Car park management

  10. Reductions in car driver trips to work Typical reductions: 10-25%

  11. Local authority role in workplace travel plans • Having advisers who work with businesses • Using the planning processes • Offering grants or other incentives • Having a plan for their own staff Local authorities have promoted workplace travel plans by:

  12. Scale of workplace travel planning Future scale: two urban areas estimated 40-50%; one rural area estimated 15%.

  13. What happens next? • Research has shown the cost-effectiveness of individual Smarter Choice measures • …But they will only deliver major cuts in traffic if they become mainstream • The next stage: large-scale local Smarter Choice Programmes • Now being developed in London, and in three ‘Sustainable Travel Towns’ - Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester.

  14. What an intensive Smarter Choices Programme might involve • Workplace travel plan team • who also consider car-sharing, telework, teleconferencing • over 10 years, reach half the workforce • target larger employers first • School travel plan team • over 10 years, cover every school • Personalised travel planning • over 10 years, reach a third of households • target 5-10,000 people per year Smarter Choices Programme

  15. Marketing of bus and rail increase ridership by 2-3% per year Over-arching travel awareness campaign Innovative projects: car clubs, home shopping (prepare for next phase) Smarter Choices Programme

  16. Cost of an intensive Smarter Choices Programme Smarter Choices Programme • Step-change in priority / resources • Annual revenue spend ~ €8 per person to achieve ‘high intensity’ scenario • Capital funding needed too e.g. safer crossings near schools, cycle route networks etc.

  17. Conclusions • ‘Smarter choice’ measures could reduce traffic by up to 21% in urban peak areas • if they are given more priority • if the benefits are ‘locked in’ with demand restraint measures • Such measures are relatively cheap • £15 to remove 1000 vehicle kilometres • Benefit: cost ratios better than 10:1 • Local authorities have a critical role to play • To achieve their potential, ‘smarter choice’ measures need to be given more priority at national and local level

  18. For the study reports, go to: www.dft.gov.uk then → Sustainable travel then → ‘Smarter choices’

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