: Travel Plan Pocket Guide
West Dunbartonshire Council
Westbound
Green Travel Plan
www.west-dunbarton.gov.uk
…but its just not practical for
me to use anything other than my
car…………I’ll just let others
change…
Introduction
Increasing numbers of vehicles on
our roads affect us all - the ongoing
damage to our environment and
health through pollution requires
action at local as well as national
level. The West Dunbartonshire Travel
Plan Westbound is about practical
alternatives, making sure that
everyone has a choice of easy,
convenient methods of getting to
work.
Within our Travel Plan we have
considered how we all currently travel
for work-related journeys and we have
explained the travel choices that exist
for all Council employees and
Councillors. In addition we have
outlined what we intend to do over the
next 5 years to encourage everyone to
consider and hopefully change their
travel habits. We have set targets,
which we believe to be attainable.
This Pocket Guide highlights the key
Reducing congestion and encouraging issues from the Plan
green or sustainable travel is a major
Government priority. The Government Before you dismiss the idea of
seeks to achieve a balanced transport changing travel habits with a "but its
system in the UK, and have identified just not practical for me to use
the development of Travel Plans to
anything other than my car" or even
reduce single-occupancy car journeys "I'll just let others change", please
to work, as a key priority. Councils
take a few moments to read on and
have an important role to play in
see what benefits a little change could
leading by example and providing
bring you.
assistance to local employers to
develop their own Travel Plans.
The success of the Plan depends on
your commitment towards it and it is
By changing the way we use our cars now up to all of us to show that
and thinking about why we use them
together we can all start to benefit
and when, we can all begin to make a from Westbound.
difference.
Chief Executive: David McMillan.
June 2007
how you travel affects
…health the economy and the
…environment
Contents
01 What is a Travel Plan?
02 The very important bit…
03 Scope of our Travel Plan
04 Let’s get physical
05 Walking
07 Walking maps
09 Cycling
11 Top ten ways to travel more sustainably
13 Variety is the spice of life…
13 Making it cheaper
15 Public Transport
15 Let someone else do the driving!
17 Ditch the car, its not that far!
19 Two’s company, three’s a crowd…try car sharing!
21 Business as usual?
22 Do you need to travel at all?
01
Westbound
how did you
get to work
today?
What is a Travel Plan?
A Travel Plan is a series of measures • encourage action to change
and initiatives to promote and
behaviour and reduce reliance on
encourage sustainable travel with the
the car
aim of reducing reliance on the car.
• promote wider travel choice.
This Travel Plan is unique to West
Dunbartonshire Council and sets out
measures which will encourage you to
use more sustainable modes of
transport for journeys to and from
work and for business travel.
To help develop the objectives and
targets for the Travel Plan, we used
the staff travel survey findings.
How did we get to work?
We all have to get to work somehow
and the travel to work survey carried
This Travel Plan pocket guide aims to: out in June 2006 highlighted how we
did that.
• promote the findings, targets and
measures identified from staff
Mode of transport to work
Summer % Winter %
consultation
Train
3
3
• raise awareness of the health,
69
71
Lone Car Driver (single occupancy)
economic and environmental
Bus
7
7
benefits of the alternatives to car
Car Driver with Passenger
8
9
travel
Walk
5
2
• make you think more carefully how Car as Passenger
5
6
you use your car
Bicycle
1
1
• promote more sustainable ways of Combination
2
1
travelling
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
Global Warming
The very important bit…
Global warming is the increase of
average world temperatures as a
result of what is known as the
greenhouse effect. Certain gases in
the atmosphere act like glass in a
greenhouse, allowing sunlight
through to heat the earth's surface
but trapping the heat as it radiates
back into space. As the greenhouse
gases build up in the atmosphere the
Earth gets hotter.
02
Environmental Impact
• melting glaciers will increase flood
risk
• rising sea levels could leave 200
million people permanently
displaced.
• up to 40% of species could face
extinction.
• there will be more examples of
extreme weather patterns.
Economic Impact
• extreme weather could reduce
global gross domestic product
(GDP) by up to 1%
• a two to three degrees Celsius rise
in temperatures could reduce
global economic output by 3%
• if temperatures rise by five
degrees Celsius, up to 10% of
global output could be lost. The
poorest countries would lose more
than 10% of their output
• in the worst case scenario global
consumption per head would fall
20%
How does Global Warming affect you?
According to the Stern Report (December 2006) • to stabilise at manageable levels,
emissions would need to stabilise
in the next 20 years and fall
Global Temperature
between 1% and 3% after that. This
• carbon emissions have already
would cost 1% of GDP.
pushed up global temperatures by
half a degree Celsius. If no action
This Travel Plan provides
is taken on emissions, there is
you with information and
more than a 75% chance of global
temperatures rising between two
means by which you can
and three degrees Celsius over
reduce your carbon
the next 50 years. There is a 50%
footprint upon the planet.
chance that average global
For more information visit this website
temperatures could rise by five
www.carbontrust.co.uk
degrees Celsius.
What Causes Global Warming
One of the main greenhouse gases is
carbon dioxide (CO2). Increasing CO2
emissions from traffic and resulting
congestion are now recognised as a
major contributor to global warming.
Latest forecasts suggests Scotland’s
road traffic will grow by around 12%
between 2005 and 2010 and by 22%
between 2005 and 2015 and air travel
is predicted to rise by 150% between
2004 and 2030.
Scotland’s National Transport Strategy December 2006
03
Westbound
Scope of our travel plan
“The success of a Travel Plan is dependent
upon the implementation of a number of
initiatives aimed at changing
individual travel behaviour”
Our Objectives
• to provide greater transport choice
for all Council Staff and visitors
particularly to principal Council
Offices
• to reduce the number of single
occupancy car journeys to and
from Council Offices
• to encourage an efficient use of
car parking at the principal Council
Offices
• to help reduce on-street parking
and improve the local environment
• to encourage staff to choose
‘healthy’ and sustainable travel
choice
• to reduce car use for Council
business trips.
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
By using a more sustainable
mode of transport we can:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
reduce traffic congestion
improve our health and fitness
save money
reduce stress
improve air quality
improve our quality of life
reduce pollution
improve well-being.
30 minutes of
moderate
physical activity
on most days of
the week is
good for you!
For more information visit
this website
www.healthyliving.gov.uk
Catch all website highlighting
the benefits of leading a healthy
lifestyle as well as information
about how to become healthier
and more physically and
mentally active
Let’s get physical
Promote and increase active travel
We aim to increase the number of
staff undertaking healthy travel choice
(walking and cycling) for journeys to
work by 5%, 2 years after the Plan is
implemented.
Physical inactivity has been described
as the ‘silent killer of our time’. Lack
of physical activity is one of the
biggest causes of illness and death in
Scotland and increasing activity levels
is now a priority for many national and
local organisations. People who are
active are more likely to live longer,
healthier lives and remain
independent.
What’s stopping you getting more
active?
In our travel to work survey you told us
that distance was the greatest barrier
to walking or cycling more. Lack of
time, weather and traffic were also
cited.
How far do we actually travel to work?
From the survey we found that 27% of
staff live within two miles of their
workplace; that’s about a 40 minute
walk. 10% of the workforce live within
one mile of their work location, only a
20 minute walk.
It is possible that more of us can be
encouraged to walk or cycle the
NHS Health Scotland recommend that shorter distances to work, or even the
short distances to where we normally
we do a minimum of 30 minutes of
catch the train.
moderate physical activity on most
days of the week. A good guide to the
Did you know?
term ‘moderate activity’ is that the
Showering and changing facilities are
effect should leave us slightly out of
located at Garshake Road and
breath and feeling warmer but still
Rosebery Place.
able to talk. Nearly 60% of the
Scottish population do not meet these
Cycle parking is available at most bus
levels.
and rail stations in the area, so you
don’t even have to cycle the whole
journey. You can cycle part of it, park
your bike and travel by public
transport.
05
Westbound
Walking
Walking is an ideal activity for people
because:
• it’s free and requires no special
equipment
• it’s accessible to all regardless of
age, income, location and ability
• It can easily be incorporated into
our daily lives
• it’s within the physical capabilities
of most people and is a realistic
goal for inactive people
• it combines all the physical
benefits of activity with an
opportunity for social contact
• it can be enjoyed safely and there
is a low risk of injury.
By becoming more active
you bring about a wide
range of benefits such as:
• making you feel good, reducing
stress and helping you to relax
• reduced incidence of diseases
such as strokes, type II diabetes
and Coronary Heart Disease
• weight management and the
prevention of associated illnesses
• positive mental health.
For more information visit these websites
www.pathsforall.org.uk/pathstohealth
great website about health benefits of walking and where local health walks
are taking place
www.pathsforall.org.uk
more information about getting out and about in your local area
www.ramblers.org.uk
useful walking information in the wider countryside
www.walkit.com
find out how many miles you walk in a week, calories you burn or CO2
emissions you save
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
06
1 step to
be taken
10,000
times per
day
We will aim within two years to:
• publicise the health benefits of
walking
• produce maps showing
recommended walking routes from
rail and bus stations to offices,
with distance and time
• publicise local walking routes of
interest for leisure use
• provide free pedometers for
walkers
• provide ‘foot MOTs’ for walkers
• provide an umbrella ‘pool’ in the
reception areas.
What can you do?
There are lots of opportunities in the
West Dunbartonshire Council area to
get out for a walk with family and
friends
• get out and about at the weekend
and once you’re used to walking
more incorporate it into your
journey to work.
Aim for 10,000 steps a day
• get a pedometer to count them
• challenge your friends and family
• start slowly and build up.
Build physical activity into your day
• walk to work or walk part of the
way
• get off the bus a stop earlier
• get out for 30 minutes at lunch
time
• take the stairs.
1 step to be taken
10,000 times per day
07
Westbound
Dalreoch
Station
Garshake Road
Council Offices
Dumbarton
Central
Dumbarton East
Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright.
West Dunbartonshire Council Licence No. 100020790 2007
WDC Council Boundary
Garshake Road Council Offices
Railway Stations
0.5 Mile Radius
1.0 Mile Radius
1.5 Mile Radius
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
08
Dalmuir
Station
Singer
Station
Drumry
Station
Rosebery Place
Council Offices
Clydebank
Station
Ordnance Survey © Crown Copyright.
West Dunbartonshire Council Licence No. 100020790 2007
WDC Council Boundary
Rosebery Place Council Offices
Railway Stations
0.5 Mile Radius
1.0 Mile Radius
1.5 Mile Radius
09
Westbound
Cycling
cycling is
often
twice as
quick as
driving
Cycling is an effective, healthy and
environmentally friendly form of
transport.
• it’s good for you and the
environment
• it’s fast and convenient
• it gives you freedom and
independence
• it takes you from door to door, and
• it is reliable.
Be safe and be seen!
• be bright - day and night - means
being able to be seen by drivers.
Wear brightly coloured clothing
and use lights when cycling at
night
• obey traffic signs - a bicycle is a
In congested urban areas, using your
vehicle and this means that
bike to commute can bring you many
cyclists must stop at red lights.
benefits and in the city, cycling is
• wear protection - cycle helmets
often twice as quick as driving. The
are recommended for safe cycling,
time you take doesn't vary with traffic,
however it must fit the cyclist’s
so you will always arrive on time, or
head, be worn and adjusted
even early.
correctly and replaced after any
impact
• give warning - ride predictably and
indicate to motorists before
changing direction or turning.
more people on bikes
means motorists
will get used to them
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
10
We will aim within two years to:
What can you do?
Find out where the routes are
• improve secure cycling parking
facilities
• improve lockers, showers and
changing rooms
• provide cycle route maps
• provide pool bikes at principal
office locations
• investigate opportunities for a
cycle loan scheme
• start up bicycle user groups
(BUGS) if there is an interest
• promote ‘bike to work’ days
• provide basic cycle maintenance
support
• identify opportunities for use of
cycling for business travel
• provide cycle milometers for staff
to claim mileage in a similar
manner to car drivers at an
appropriate rate.
Gain confidence by cycling socially at
the weekend
Did you know
National Cycle Route No. 7 runs
through West Dunbartonshire and
links all of the main communities.
The main Council offices are located
close to this route – Rosebery Place
(2 mins) and Garshake (5 mins).
For more information visit these websites
• leaflets are available from Council
HQ and Tourist Information
Centres
• many cycling guides exist and can
be picked up in most book retailers
or at the libraries
• check online for routes.
• you may then decide that cycling
all or part of your journey to work
is an option.
Traffic puts a lot of people off cycling
but more people on bikes in urban
areas will make it safer as motorists
will be more used to them.
www.cyclingscotland.org
www.sustrans.org.uk
11
Westbound
Top ten ways to travel more sustainably
_01 Ask yourself: is your journey
really necessary?
_02 Consider walking for all, part
or more of your journey to work.
_03 Beat the congestion, and if
you have the skills, think about
cycling all, part or more of your
journey to work.
_04 Use public transport. If you
don’t know what bus or train to
catch, check the websites, or call
the operators.
_05 To make public transport
cheaper, buy a monthly ticket or
other discount ticket.
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
12
_06 Don’t waste travel time; plan
your journey and start a few
minutes earlier or leave later to
avoid the busiest periods.
_07 Travel differently one day of
the week, this will change your
travel behaviour for 20% of your
journeys.
_08 Car share with someone to
split the costs of motoring as well
as reducing the amount of cars on
the road.
_09 If you drive, consider park and
ride, or car share to the parking
point as well!
_10 Drive more efficiently and
maintain your vehicle.
13
Westbound
Variety is the spice of life…
We aim to increase the number of
public transport journeys made
to/from Rosebery Place and Garshake
Road by 3% per year over the first 5
years.
Making it cheaper…
Multi-modal ticket (ZoneCard)
Purchasing a ZoneCard can cut your
travel costs by 25% (compared to the
cost of a weekly ticket; pay for 40
weeks and get 12 weeks free)
cut your travel costs
by 25%
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
make savings
by using
annual bus
cards
1 year (13 x 4 weeks) 1 year (40 weeks)
14
No of Zones
1 week
4 weeks
Annual saving Monthly cost
(out of 4
weekly wage)
2
£13.20
£47.50
£617.50
£515.00
£102.50
£39.62
3
£17.50
£63.00
£819.00
£680.00
£139.00
£52.31
4
£20.80
£74.50
£968.50
£805.00
£163.50
£61.92
5
£23.40
£84.20
£1,094.60
£915.00
£179.60
£70.38
6
£26.70
£96.20
£1,250.60
£1,045.00
£205.60
£80.38
7
£30.00
£108.00
£1,404.00
£1,169.00
£235.00
£89.92
8
£32.70
£117.90
£1,532.70
£1,276.00
£256.70
£98.15
9
£36.10
£130.00
£1,690.00
£1,402.00
£288.00
£107.85
10
£38.20
£137.50
£1,787.50
£1,486.00
£301.50
£114.31
11
£41.50
£149.20
£1,939.60
£1,615.00
£324.60
£124.23
12
£44.80
£160.00
£2,080.00
£1,735.00
£345.00
£133.46
All*
£47.40
£170.50
£2,216.50
£1,845.00
£371.50
£141.92
Prices correct as of January 2007
Bus travel
Major bus operators offer you the ability to purchase tickets on a daily, weekly
and four-weekly basis, offering up to a third off. Ten weekly passes and annual
bus cards can also be purchased with additional savings. Please contact
individual operators for further information.
15
Westbound
Public Transport
Public transport has the capacity to
move large numbers of people to and
from work. Typically, surveys show
that at least 50% of staff say they
would consider switching to public
transport when and where the
reliability, regularity and comfort of
services could be ensured.
To encourage this:
We will aim within two years to:
• publicise existing local transport
services and travel information for
staff
• encourage general internet access
to public transport information
(e.g. Traveline)
• identify opportunities for modal
change for business travel and
encourage their use
• identify barriers and opportunities
to encourage visitors to travel by
sustainable mode
• start to work with public transport
operators and SPT to improve
services; review routing;
timetabling and information;
investigate opportunities for
negotiating subsidised fares.
Let someone else do the
driving!
Just think of all of the things you can
do on a bus or train that you can’t do
driving a car – read a book, do the
crossword, catch up on paperwork,
use your mobile or simply sit back and
enjoy the view.
travel can take up a lot of our time. What if
you could free up an hour or more a day?
…on public transport you can!!
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
16
sit back
and enjoy
the view
Journey planning and travel
information
If you need to plan your journey to
work or for business purposes then
look at the websites below or call the
numbers.
For more information visit these
websites:
www.jess.spt.co.uk
www.traveline.org.uk
T. 0871 200 22 33
www.transportdirect.co.uk
Did you know?
Both Clydebank and Dumbarton
benefit from a high number of bus and
rail services. In terms of rail services,
there are two east/ west lines running
through West Dunbartonshire with
stations located at key destination
points.
In the case of Rosebery Place, Singer
Station is some 5 minutes walk away
and Clydebank Station some 3
minutes walk away. For Garshake
Road, Dumbarton East Station is
some 15 minutes walk and
Dumbarton Central some 20 minutes
walk.
Bus Services operate at very high
frequency between Clydebank and
Glasgow, Clydebank and Dumbarton
and Clydebank to the south side of the
River Clyde. Dumbarton is served by
lesser frequency of services but there
are buses timetabled for every 10
minutes during the working day.
There are also reasonably frequent
peak period services to the north from
Clydebank (to Faifley, Drumchapel,
Bearsden etc). However, there are few
evening services in this area.
For more information visit these websites
www.nationalrail.co.uk
www.thetrainline.com
www.firstgroup.com/scotrail
www.firstgroup.com/ukbus/scotland
www.arrivabus.co.uk
www.citylink.co.uk
17
Westbound
Ditch the car, its not that far!
Reduce single occupancy vehicle
travel
We aim to reduce the proportion of
single occupancy car travel to
Rosebery Place and Garshake Road,
by 10% at each site, 3 years after the
Plan is implemented and by a further
5% at each site, 5 years after the Plan
is implemented.
We will aim within two years to:
• raise awareness amongst staff of
the environmental impact of using
cars
• improve the environmental
efficiency of the Council’s vehicle
fleet
•
introduce more environmentally
Car Travel
friendly vehicles to our Council
70% of staff currently travel to and
fleet
from work by car, as a single
occupant. Their reasons for doing so • raise awareness of staff to the
true costs of car ownership and
are mainly because it is quicker and
use
reliable. This was also the case for
• investigate and profile how visitors
other colleagues choosing their
access our offices identifying
preferred method of travel. However,
barriers and opportunities for
the majority of single car drivers also
modal shift
had other commitments and personal
•
arrange car exhaust emissions and
circumstances to carry out on their
tyre pressure testing to ensure
journey to work.
staff cars are running efficiently.
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
18
The cost of motoring
Running a car, of any age and type, can be costly but there are a number of
things you can do to keep the overall expense to a minimum.
To add up your total travel costs and compare the alternatives, visit
www.carclubs.org.uk
The real cost of driving ranges from 33p to 52p per mile (AA). However, you
can easily save £1,000 a year by sharing your car journey with others.
Typical car running costs (2005 base)
Petrol Engine Cars
Engine size
Running cost per mile
<1100cc
30.0p
1101 - 1549cc
41.6p
1550 - 2000cc
51.5p
2000 - 3000cc
80.6p
Diesel Engine Cars
New purchase price
Running cost per mile
<£11,000
32.5p
£11,000 - £15,000
42.0p
£15,001 - £20,000
51.4p
>£20,000
68.4p
Average of 10,000 miles per annum
The potential annual savings that could be made from car sharing on the
average car are:
Round trip distance
Annual saving
Figures from liftshare.org
5 miles
£664.33
10 miles
£697.88
25 miles
£851.77
50 miles
£1,030.70
19
Westbound
Two’s company, three’s a crowd…try car sharing!
We recognise that for some, travelling
by car may sometimes be the only
realistic option, especially where there
is no public transport alternative.
Organising car sharing is one way to
reduce the number of cars on the
road. There are some advantages to
car sharing including the ability to
save money and a chance to socialise.
In the Staff travel Survey, 27% of staff
confirmed they would be prepared to
consider car sharing if they had some
more information.
While Travel Plans will include
elements of all modes of transport, it
is worth remembering that people
make almost 80% of commuter
journeys by car driving alone. This
means that car sharing can reduce
congestion and demand for car
parking as well as making a real
difference to the environment.
We will aim within two years to:
• provide and maintain a database of
car sharers (dependent on
development
of a West of Scotland
If more people shared their car
Regional
Scheme)
journeys, the roads would be quieter,
• provide guaranteed parking spaces
the air would be cleaner, journeys
for car sharers
would be quicker and the roads would
•
investigate an emergency ‘get you
be safer.
home’ service
You don’t have to car share every day. • provide practical advice on car
sharing.
Start small if you want to. Even if you
share your car one day in five, you can
reduce your costs by up to 20%.
A recent national survey indicated that
People use a car to get to work for convenience
People use a car to get to work due to cost of travel
People use a car to get to work due to lack of an alternative
People use a car to get to work due to dropping off/collecting a child
People used a car to get to work for health/disability reasons
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
National
34%
19%
17%
!0%
3%
West Dunbartonshire
53%
31%
25%
25%
4%
avoid using
your car for
short
journeys
20
Can’t do without the car?
If you find that you really can’t do
without your car, there are a number
of things you can do:
• avoid using your car for shorter
journeys - walk, cycle or take the
bus - you might even enjoy it. Short
trips use more fuel - especially if
the engine is cold
• care for your car - check tuning,
tyre pressure and fuel
consumption - regular servicing
helps keep your car efficient
• lighten up - roof racks add drag
and other unnecessary weight
increases fuel consumption
• drive gently - racing starts and
sudden stops increase fuel
consumption
• do not run the engine
unnecessarily - drive off soon after
starting. If stuck in traffic or
stopping for more than a minute,
switch off the engine
• air conditioning and other on board
electrical devices increase fuel
consumption - only use them when
really necessary.
For more information visit these websites
www.liftshare.org
www.nationalcarshare.co.uk
www.carshare.com
www.theaa.com/travelwatch/planner_main
www.trafficscotland.org
www.liftshare.org
www.cuttingyourcaruse.co.uk
www.travelcalculator.org
21
Westbound
Business as usual?
Reduce the need for travel
We aim to reduce car use for Council
business trips by 10%, 3 years after
the Plan is implemented.
Business Travel
Many people regularly need to travel
to meetings as part of our work.
Such journeys are often made by car.
Whilst car use is essential for some
business journeys, we want to
encourage more car sharing, the use
of alternative methods of transport,
and better planning of meetings which
could minimise the need to travel.
We will aim within one year to:
• advise visitors about public
transport access to key buildings.
We will aim within two years to:
• develop an effective means of
analysing and monitoring a
reduction in business travel,
including business mileage
We plan to introduce more effective
• advise on changes to travel and
monitoring of staff business travel
subsistence policy to encourage
costs, the travel methods and possible
green travel
alternatives. We wish to encourage
• promote greater use of public
awareness of the impact of travel as
transport for business trips
well as the issues of cost, time and
• promote business trip car sharing
convenience for the organisation.
• issue guidance on business travel
• promote video and audio
conferencing as an alternative to
travel and investigate other
information technology solutions.
Westbound < changing travel behaviour
22
better
planning of
meetings
helps
minimise the
need to travel
Do you need to travel at all?
Does your work require you to be in
the office all day every day?
We will aim within two years to:
• investigate greater variation of
attendance patterns including
There will be occasions when it may
changes to flexi-time systems,
be easier not to travel to meet
‘9
day fortnight’ etc
colleagues; to dodge the weather,
•
investigate
extending the current
save time, or save costs. At these
homeworking
policy, subject to
times it would be advantageous to
business
needs
make more efficient use of technology.
• investigate teleconferencing and
other IT opportunities
• continue with school travel
initiatives.
so…how about it…can you change?
Photography
Cover : 4th row middle & page 10 : left
(generic-Wales)
Credit : Tim Snowdon/Sustrans
Page 15 : left
Glasgow to Dumbarton
Credit: G L Jones/Sustrans
Page 18 : right
Leven valley wooden bridge, National Route 7
Credit: G L Jones/Sustrans
For further information contact :
Cheryl Gallacher
Sustainable Development Officer
t : 01389 73 7855
design : stone circle
: other useful information
www.spt.co.uk
www.tfl.gov.uk
www.multimap.com
www.quickmap.com
www.chooseanotherway.ccom
www.travelwise.org.uk
www.dft.gov.uk
www.transformscotland.org