Travel planning – page 1
Travel planning
Introduction
Context
Unlike the traditional approach to addressing transport problems by providing
more capacity, travel plans can be quick, cheap, effective and popular. Travel
plans can address:
•
commuter journeys
•
business travel
•
fleet management
•
visitors and deliveries.
They can be applied to businesses, residential areas and schools.
Types of travel
There are three main types of travel plan – workplace travel plans, school travel
plans
plans and residential travel plans.
This guidance is predominantly aimed at promoting the implementation of
workplace travel plans, although some advice will be provided on school and
residential travel plans.
Objective
A travel plan is a package of measures and initiatives that aims to reduce the
number of car journeys made, by providing people with greater choice regarding
the modes that they use. This can be achieved by providing realistic alternatives
to the car, making alternatives to driving more attractive, providing relevant
information regarding travel options and managing car parking provision.
Workplace travel
Workplace travel plans are generally produced by employers to encourage staff to
plans – what they
use alternatives to single-occupancy cars and to economise in the area of
are
business travel. Workplace travel plans aim to counter car dependency and
improve business efficiency by:
•
increasing travel choice by raising the profile of alternative modes
•
reducing the need to travel.
Most workplace travel plans will be developed by people working within the
workplace, supported by territorial authorities and government agencies.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 2
Benefits
Individual
•
Increased health, fitness and productivity
benefits
•
Greater work–life balance
•
Less stressful options for travel to work
•
Opportunities to build healthy exercise into daily life
•
Reduced journey times to work
•
Lower-cost travel to work
Organisational
•
Greater efficiency leading to cost savings
benefits
•
Improved staff retention and recruitment
•
Improved staff health and reduced absenteeism
•
Improved staff punctuality
•
Fewer problems caused by demand for parking
•
Less money spent on providing parking space
•
Land under car parks can be used more productively
•
Higher occupancy of existing buildings
•
Fewer mileage claims and other business travel costs
•
Less staff downtime spent travelling on business
•
Fewer problems caused by traffic congestion on and around the site
•
Easier site access for customers and deliveries
•
Improved image for the organisation
Community
•
Less dangerous, less noisy and less polluted
benefits
•
Reduced congestion and journey times
•
Less parking overspill into residential roads
•
Enhanced public transport
•
Improved environment and routes available for walking and cycling
•
Fewer negative impacts on the environment, such as air pollution, emissions,
Environmental
benefits
noise and climate change gases
•
Less demand for new roads and car parks
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 3
Tools for travel planning
Elements of a
Travel plans are specific to the location, and will need to take into account the
workplace travel
nature of businesses, existing alternatives and the types of journey that are likely
plan
to be made. They may focus on some or all of the following:
•
travel to and from work
•
travel within the working day
•
the vehicle fleet
•
travel policies.
Workplace travel plans usually combine measures to support walking, cycling,
public transport and carpooling. These are supported by promotions and
incentives and by the management of workplace parking. They also include other
initiatives to reduce the need to travel, such as teleconferencing and working
from home.
Walking to work can be incorporated into Workplace travel plan.
Putting the travel
The following outline of the travel planning process offers guidance in
plan in place
developing, implementing and monitoring a plan. The five stages of a travel plan
project are as follows:
1. set-up
2. data collection
3. action planning
4. implementation
5. monitoring.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 4
Tools for travel planning
Set-up
continued
Early engagement with all staff is essential for the success of the travel plan.
Research has also shown that, if management participate in and actively promote
the travel plan, it is likely to achieve greater uptake by staff.
Stressing the following benefits will help sell the travel plan to management:
Steering group
•
direct cost savings
•
healthier workforce
•
more efficient work practices
•
environmental benefits.
The steering group’s role is to progress the travel plan by providing management
and travel plan
support and making strategic decisions, such as agreeing on funding and setting
coordinator
targets. The group does not need to be large but should include:
•
a senior manager
•
a manager from each department
•
a travel plan coordinator.
Possibly the most important factor in determining the success of a travel plan is
its overall management. Depending on the size of the site, different approaches
can be taken. These include:
•
Appointing a travel plan coordinator – it is recommended that, at a minimum,
a travel plan coordinator is appointed. For small organisations, this may be
an additional duty placed on an existing staff member, or it could be a parttime or full-time position in its own right. The coordinator is the main contact
point for staff, main driver of the travel plan and organiser of events,
responsible for information provision and promotion as well as monitoring
and reporting commitments.
•
Setting up a Travel Management Association (TMA) – this is a more formal
arrangement that coordinates travel initiatives on behalf of a number of
organisations. It is appropriate for larger organisations and where a number
of organisations are located together.
The NZTA encourages, where possible, a member of staff to be allocated the
responsibility of travel plan coordinator as good practice, regardless of the size
of the workplace.
Data collection
Before any measures or initiatives can be put in place, a thorough understanding
of current travel patterns needs to be gained by assessing:
•
existing transport links & facilities serving the site
•
amount of travel generated
•
barriers to non-car use
•
how staff travel.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 5
Tools for travel planning
Site assessment
continued
A site assessment identifies the ease with which a site can be accessed by
different modes of transport, and what on-site facilities are available. It helps to
identify barriers to non-car use and opportunities that will encourage and
improve links by more efficient modes. A site assessment should include:
Policy assessment
•
car parking
•
walking and cycling routes to the site
•
public transport servicing the site
•
cycle and motorcycle parking
•
shower and locker facilities
•
safety and congestion issues.
Travel policies will greatly influence staff travel habits. Some encourage
sustainable travel, while others act as a barrier and undermine the travel plan. It
is important to include initiatives that strengthen the helpful policies and remove
the less helpful ones. Areas to be looked at should include:
•
working practices
•
business travel
•
car parking
•
offers to encourage/discourage car use
•
recruitment and retention.
If your site is part of a larger organisation, consider how much autonomy your
site has. This determines what can and can’t be changed.
Essex River healthcare, Car Share Scheme
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 6
Tools for travel planning
Staff survey
continued
A staff travel survey is the foundation of your travel plan. It identifies:
•
current staff travel patterns
•
why they travel the way they do
•
what needs to be done to help them travel differently
•
baseline data for future monitoring.
The survey should be available to all staff. This also raises awareness among staff
and allows staff an input into formulating the travel plan. A time limit of
2–3 weeks is recommended, with a deadline.
Maximising the response rate is essential to achieve representative results.
Important aspects to be considered are:
•
survey timing
•
covering letter
•
incentives
•
reminders.
Use of the NZTA’s online survey tool is strongly recommended. A paper version of
the survey is available for organisations where staff have limited or no access to
the internet.
Business travel
Business travel can form a large part of an organisation’s overall travel. A
audit
business travel audit is essential to identify current travel expenditure, scope of
potential savings and changes occurring in the following years.
The audit will include:
•
company and fleet vehicles for business trips
•
use of taxis and rental cars
•
travel for business purposes in private motor vehicles
•
use of public transport
•
domestic and international air travel.
The following data should be collected:
•
kilometres travelled
•
costs
•
fuel consumption (where available).
These data can also be used for carbon footprinting.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 7
Tools for travel planning
continued
Compiling a
A travel report should be compiled that details the results of the data collection:
travel report
•
modes of travel to/from work
•
danger spots/key sites
•
business travel kilometres and costs
•
issues
•
potential action points.
The travel report should be used to set targets and develop an action plan. Key
results should be communicated to staff, in particular staff survey results.
Drafting the
The travel plan should provide a strategy that sets out how sustainable travel to
travel plan
the site will be encouraged and supported. It should also include a timeline for
achieving this. While many elements of the travel plan can be fixed at an early
stage, a travel plan is a continually evolving process that requires monitoring,
evaluation and ongoing development to achieve maximum benefit.
Analysis of data will enable the identification of measures to support, promote
and provide more sustainable travel options to the site, based on:
•
the size/type of workplace
•
existing transport infrastructure and services to the site
•
amount and nature of demand for movement to and from site
•
site accessibility
•
likely trip generation and mode split, etc.
The travel plan needs to detail:
•
measures to be implemented
•
targets for business travel (eg percentage reduction in kilometres travelled)
•
targets for mode split to the site (eg percentage travelling by each transport
mode)
•
monitoring and reporting programme.
The travel plan needs to be agreed with the steering group and senior
management.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 8
Tools for travel planning
Setting targets
continued
Targets are an important part of a travel plan. They enable an assessment to be
made of how effective the measures being implemented are over time. Targets
should be challenging but realistic, as there is little point in setting goals that are
unlikely to be achieved.
In setting such targets, careful consideration should be given to how the data will
be collected and the level of resource that will be needed. For mode share targets,
consideration also needs to be given to any local, regional or national travel plan
monitoring processes to ensure the targets set and the monitoring required can
feed into those processes (see the sections on monitoring below).
It is recommended that the targets set are relatively easy to measure. It is also
recommended that the mix of targets should reflect any site-specific travel plan
objectives, eg to reduce the requirement for car park space. The targets should
be agreed with the relevant authority.
Methods to
There are a number of ways in which mode share targets can be determined. In
establish mode
general, it is preferable to use local information to ensure regional, national or
share targets
international variations do not skew information. Where this is not possible, the
following suggestions may be useful:
1. Survey results of workplaces of similar type and scale, in similar types of
location (eg city centre, edge of town) and with similar accessibility
characteristics (eg public transport level of service) to establish their current
mode share and use these figures to set targets.
2. Refer to national/international trip generation databases to establish mode
split figures for similar types of workplaces and use these to set targets.
3. Refer to national household travel survey on data held for mode share by
journey purpose (see www.transport.govt.nz/research/LatestResults/).
Complementary
A number of other targets can be set to complement the mode share targets.
targets
Examples include:
•
the number of vehicles entering a site
•
parking usage
•
the proportion of single-occupancy vehicles entering the site
•
the level of carpooling
•
the amount of travel information provided to staff and customers.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 9
Tools for travel planning
continued
Balance of
The measures chosen should be designed to increase the choice of travel modes
measures
to the site, as well as generally reducing the need to travel, particularly by singleoccupant vehicles. It is important that these measures are consistent with the
approach adopted by the regional and local authorities.
The most effective travel plans use a mixture of measures to encourage use of
carpooling, public transport, cycling and walking, as well as measures to
discourage single-occupancy car use. Examples of the types of measures that
could be included are:
•
working practices, eg teleconferencing, working from home, compressed
hours
•
walking and cycling facilities
•
public transport information and marketing
•
carpooling programmes
•
individualised marketing and journey plans
•
parking management
•
freight delivery/management.
More detail about specific measures that could be included in workplace, school
and residential plans is provided later.
Indoor employee bike parking at NZ Post
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 10
Tools for travel planning
Good practice
continued
The NZTA encourages, where possible, the following as good practice for
inclusion in a workplace travel plan regardless of the size of the workplace
(although the individual circumstances of the workplace will determine the exact
mix of measures used):
•
pedestrian connections to the surrounding footpath network
•
cycle connections to the surrounding road/cycle network
•
cycle parking facilities at a rate of 1 space per 350m2 floor area, with a
minimum of 2 spaces per site
•
showers and lockers for people walking/cycling to work
•
hard copies of timetable information on public transport services serving the
site
•
Other measures
setting of modal share targets for travel to the site.
In addition, the following measures can be included in travel plans for
organisations meeting the thresholds indicated. Again, the final mix will be
determined by individual circumstances.
1. Where there are more than 50 employees on site, a carpooling scheme should
be included. This could be web- or intranet-based or a more informal system
via email, memo or meetings with staff to explain the scheme and invite
participation. To complement this, priority parking could be provided for
carpoolers.
2. For all sites over 25 employees, at least one incentive scheme should be
offered as part of the travel plan package. Examples of such initiatives are
given below (this list is not exhaustive):
•
interest-free loans for public transport tickets
•
interest-free loans for cycle purchase
•
parking cash-out – where employees receive financial incentives for not
using a car
•
holiday time benefit – where employees can accrue leave time for each
day their cars are not used
•
rewards for registering with a carpooling scheme
•
site-specific incentives for staff who travel by non-car modes or carpool.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 11
Tools for travel planning
Business travel
continued
Ways in which business travel can become more efficient and sustainable include:
•
providing fleet/pool cars for staff use while at work, preferably using vehicles
selected for fuel efficiency/environmental performance
•
providing pre-paid public transport tickets if the trips are regularly between
set locations or of a specific length
•
using telephone, video and web conferencing, especially for regular longdistance meetings
•
paying a cycle allowance for work trips
•
encouraging staff to carpool and coordinate travel when attending meetings
away from office
•
providing wet weather equipment or clothing, eg umbrellas.
Parking
The introduction of parking management is an important part of a successful
management
travel plan. The availability of free parking on site will strongly influence whether
or not staff drive to work. Reducing demand for car parking can reduce costs for
parking provision and free up land for more productive use.
There are a number of options for parking management:
•
Limit parking provision on site.
•
Introduce parking charges.
•
Allocate priority spaces or free parking to carpoolers.
•
Gradually reduce parking spaces.
•
Allocate permits to allow parking on-site on a limited or rotational basis.
•
Do not permit those living within 2km of the site a parking space/permit.
•
Implement a parking ‘cash-out’ whereby employees receive a small payment
or a time credit for each day they do not bring their car to work.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 12
Tools for travel planning
Fleet
continued
It is often easier to reduce fleet fuel consumption than overall mileage. A number
management and
of actions can be taken to ensure good practice in this area and reduce running
deliveries
costs:
•
In purchasing fleet vehicles, the fuel efficiency and whole-of-life costing
should be taken into account.
•
New, cleaner technologies should be considered, such as bio-fuel vehicles.
Some suppliers are happy to supply a vehicle on loan for a trial period for no
cost.
•
Fleet operations should be continually monitored to ensure the number and
type of vehicles best meet needs, eg if it is necessary to carry equipment.
•
Use of route planning systems can cut down on unnecessary mileage.
•
Training in fuel-efficient driving techniques can lead to better performance.
•
Regular maintenance of fleet vehicles is essential to ensure they are operating
at their optimum efficiency.
The deliveries associated with a business can often significantly contribute to the
organisation’s environmental footprint. A number of factors can be considered to
minimise this impact:
•
Rationalise deliveries where possible – could fewer trips be made by better
coordination of deliveries?
•
Use local suppliers, where feasible.
•
Include environmental criteria in contracts, eg require supplier to
demonstrate how they will reduce the transport they use.
Walking
The provision of adequate pedestrian facilities is an important factor in
encouraging those trips within a 2–3km radius of the site to be made on foot. The
main provision will be providing connections from the surrounding road network
into and across the site.
Footpath surfacing should be of a high quality, pedestrian desire lines should be
catered for and lighting needs to be adequate to avoid any negative safety
perceptions. Signing can also be provided.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 13
Tools for travel planning
Cycling
continued
Providing good facilities for cyclists is an important factor in encouraging cycling.
Facilities may include convenient cycle route connections into the site from the
surrounding road network. Cycle parking should also be provided.
Showers are also vital as a means of encouraging cycling. They should include a
changing area and lockers for cyclists to store cycle/work clothing and their
helmet. An area for drying wet clothing can also be useful.
To support and encourage cyclists, a number of other initiatives can be
introduced:
•
Cycle buddy schemes match experienced cyclists with novices to ‘buddy up’
on the ride into work until the novice gains confidence.
•
Cycle training schemes can help people who would like to cycle but perhaps
have not cycled on roads for a long time and lack both confidence and
current road experience from a cyclist’s perspective.
•
A Bicycle Users Group (BUG) is a forum that, in collaboration with
management, can organise training and buddy schemes and generally
represent cyclists’ interests within the organisation. It can also give advice on,
or organise, bicycle servicing sessions, as well as providing route information
to the site.
Public transport
•
Interest-free loans could be offered by employers for cycle purchase.
•
Pool cycles could be provided for business travel.
•
Local cycle route maps could be provided.
The provision of public transport services will be outside the scope of any travel
plan. However, the organisation can work with public transport operators and the
local authorities to secure benefits for those travelling to and from the site and so
encourage use of public transport. An example might be site-specific travel
passes providing discounted travel. Interest-free loans could also be offered for
public transport season ticket purchase, with repayments being deducted from
salary.
Another option might be to provide a shuttle bus to link a central location and the
work site.
Carpooling
A carpooling scheme may operate on a web-based or intranet system. If people
are interested in carpooling, they log onto the system to register their details,
including the origin and destination of their trip, the approximate times of travel,
how many days a week they would like to carpool and any other specific
requirements. They are then matched with other suitable carpoolers.
Work-based schemes should include a guaranteed ride home facility. This is
where the organisation covers the cost of an alternative means of travel home, if
there is an emergency or unforeseen event. For more information on carpooling,
see: www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/info/businesses/carpooling.html.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 14
Tools for travel planning
continued
Motorcycles/
The main considerations for motorcyclists/scooter riders involve the provision of
scooters
high-quality secure parking facilities and lockers/storage for motorcycle clothes
and helmets.
Working
Employers can operate working practices that help to reduce the need to travel.
practices and
These could include:
policies
•
flexi-time
•
compressed working weeks (eg 9-day fortnight)
•
teleworking, enabling staff to work from home or another office for all or part
of the day
•
part-time working options.
Employers can also adopt specific recruiting or operational policies that will
support the objectives of their travel plan. Examples are:
•
recruiting staff locally, or along specific bus routes, and offering training to
local people
•
considering home locations when organising work teams – this can help
facilitate carpooling, particularly where shift systems operate
•
providing attractive relocation packages to encourage employees to live close
to the workplace.
Travel plan
Continual promotion and marketing of a travel plan will be vital to its success.
promotion and
The need to encourage and support staff to try alternative travel modes, as well
marketing
as reassuring them that it is not about banning the use of cars, will necessitate a
strong promotional and marketing element in any travel plan.
Promotional activities can take the form of one-off events like car-free days or
ongoing activities such as weekly intranet updates or branding. An example of
the latter would be a ‘one-in-five’ campaign, encouraging staff to travel by a noncar mode one day a week. Identifying a high-profile champion for the travel plan
has also been found to be particularly effective in encouraging participation.
The benefits of alternative modes of transport should be promoted in marketing.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 15
Tools for travel planning
Monitoring
continued
The two main purposes of a monitoring programme are:
•
to allow the organisation to revise the mix of travel plan initiatives in order to
better meet the objectives of the travel plan
•
to provide evidence of the effectiveness of specific measures or packages of
measures in mitigating any potential negative transport-related impacts of
new developments.
Type of
Where local or regional monitoring is taking place, eg by ARTA or the regional
monitoring
council, the monitoring proposals for the travel plan should be designed to
contribute to the wider process. Similarly, when a national monitoring process is
established, any monitoring of the individual travel plan needs to contribute to
the national programme. In the absence of established local, regional or national
monitoring programmes, the following should be considered:
•
what the monitoring will include (eg traffic counts, staff surveys, car park
usage, business travel reporting)
•
frequency of monitoring to be carried out (monthly, quarterly, annually)
•
who is responsible for resourcing the monitoring (eg employer, consultant)
•
the format and frequency of reporting.
Monitoring and
The monitoring requirements should be considered at the outset of the travel
reporting
planning process to ensure data collection is carried out at the appropriate time.
The comparison of baseline and follow-up data will enable assessment of the
effectiveness of the travel plan after 6 months, a year and so on. This will give a
picture of where the travel plan is being effective and where future attention is
needed.
Monitoring should be carried out at regular intervals and reported on at least
annually. This information will then feed into the review process. Monitoring
results should also be reported to the consenting authority as agreed.
Reviewing and
A travel plan should be a living document that takes into account the business
refining travel
needs of the organisation, changing travel patterns, staff preferences and
plan measures
working practices. This means continual review of the mix of measures to best
meet sustainable transport objectives.
The results of the monitoring can be used to modify or extend the travel plan. It
is important to raise awareness of any modifications or new initiatives.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 16
Tools for travel planning
continued
School travel
Currently, more than half of New Zealand primary school children are driven to
plans
and from school – nearly double the number from 10 years ago. This increase in
car use creates traffic congestion during the morning peak, extra vehicle costs for
parents and many adverse environmental effects.
Because of the many potential benefits, local councils in the UK, Australia and
New Zealand are now actively involved in helping schools to develop and
implement school travel plans.
Typical actions in a school travel plan include promoting the health benefits of
walking, providing more or better pedestrian crossings and tighter enforcement
of parking and traffic rules around the school, providing cycle training and
setting up a walking school bus.
The plan brings together a package of measures that aims to reduce the
congestion caused by the school run, reduce traffic danger and support students
already travelling by more sustainable modes. It works by looking in detail at
children’s needs on the school journey. Parents, teachers and children work
together to find the right solutions for their school.
Potential benefits
Schools benefit because school travel plans:
of school travel
•
help make the school more accessible in a safe, healthy and sustainable way
•
reduce traffic congestion and pollution near and around the school
•
give opportunities for sustainable travel to be built into the curriculum
•
improve links with the school’s users and the local community.
plans
Children benefit because school travel plans:
•
improve the health and fitness of children by increasing their levels of
walking and cycling
•
improve highway safety, education and awareness for children through
pedestrian and cycling training
•
improve the environment around the school for children to travel in
•
increase their knowledge of the area surrounding their school
•
can improve behaviour on the school journey with adult supervision in
schemes such as walking buses
•
can give children the opportunity to directly influence their local community
and make important decisions regarding changes.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 17
Tools for travel planning
continued
Potential benefits
Parents benefit because school travel plans:
of school travel
•
plans
•
increase parent and child interaction
may provide more time for parents to spend with their children on the
journey to school
•
reduce driving stress and improve journey quality
•
allow parents to contribute to a school activity and also have an input in what
happens in the school
•
improve community awareness through working together
•
may make parents more aware of sustainable travel and start to use
sustainable modes in more of their journeys
•
can increase parents’ daily activity and so improve their health and fitness.
Measures for
Some of the measures outlined for workplace travel plans will also apply to a
school travel
school travel plan. However, a number of measures are specific to a school travel
plans
plan. These include:
•
walking school buses – designated adults collect a number of children along
a route each day and are responsible for walking them to and from school
•
cycle parking and locker facilities
•
off-road cycle paths connecting residential area to school
•
traffic calming and road safety improvements around school
•
rationalisation of on-street parking around school
•
information on travel plans being included in the induction pack for parents
•
promotional/educational work with children, eg maths lessons calculating the
distance travelled by those walking/cycling to school, Walk to School Week
•
promotional work with parents, encouraging them to walk or cycle with their
child to school rather than drive, or if they drive, encourage them to park
away from school and walk the last 5–10 minutes of journey.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 18
Tools for travel planning
continued
Residential travel
Good accessibility is central to the creation of sustainable communities.
plans
Communities need to be well connected and provide facilities that encourage safe
walking and cycling, good public transport and easy access to high-quality
services. Steps taken now to make new developments more accessible in a
sustainable manner will influence the travel patterns of these communities far
into the future. They should also help reduce pressure of additional traffic on
surrounding roads, while creating more attractive and liveable neighbourhoods.
A residential travel plan is a package of measures designed to reduce car use
originating from new housing areas, by supporting alternative forms of transport
and/or reducing the need to travel in the first place. They are an important tool to
help deliver accessible, sustainable communities and offer clear benefits to all the
parties involved – public, private and the community. They involve meeting the
access needs of residents in a new way and require partnerships between
developers, local authorities, local communities and new residents.
Residential travel plans are tailored to the needs of communities and the people
who live there.
Potential benefits
Developers benefit because residential travel plans potentially:
of residential
•
travel plans
enable higher densities of housing development, and therefore increased
profit margins
•
reduce the need for expenditure on new transport infrastructure.
New occupiers benefit because residential travel plans potentially:
•
provide better access to essential services and jobs
•
improve travel options
•
give the opportunity for a healthier lifestyle
•
lead to more vibrant communities in which to live.
Residential travel plans can help local authorities address a broad range of key
objectives, eg:
•
meeting residents’ needs for access to shops, schools, jobs, health facilities
and recreational activities
•
reducing traffic generated by the development
•
reinforcing the need for good urban design
•
addressing local issues about how to provide good access to and from the
site by walking, cycling and public transport.
For most locations, the onus for implementing a residential travel plan will lie
with the site developer. For maximum impact, it is recommended that the basic
elements of the travel plan should be in place from day one. This means there is
more likelihood of positively influencing and affecting travel behaviour before it is
established and becomes fixed
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 19
Tools for travel planning
continued
Measures for
Key areas for consideration in residential travel plans are:
residential travel
•
plans
ensuring that information on public transport services and walking and
cycling facilities is freely available
•
where the residential development is high density, providing covered,
lockable enclosures for cycle parking; for lower-density housing, this can be
accommodated within garages or sheds
•
building on community passions/interests, eg if there is a particular interest
in cycling
•
establishing community champions to promote the travel plan and encourage
others
•
personal journey planning that works with individual households to suggest
alternative travel options for at least some of their journeys
•
offering introductory promotions, eg free bus passes for a week or for
specific journeys
•
providing travel information packs to all new householders.
Where to apply these tools
Implement a travel
plan
Centre
Urban
Suburban
Rural
Travel plans are appropriate in all settings. A travel plan needs to be specific to
the location and nature of the business.
The Airport Flyer Bus in Wellington provides a high quality connection to the
Airport and is an affordable alternative to using a Taxi service.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 20
Case study – Vodafone
ARTA worked with Vodafone NZ on the development of one of the first TravelWise
Workplace Travel Plans, in early 2004.
The company needed to relocate their 1100 Auckland staff to a new building at
the Auckland viaduct. Car parking at the new site was an issue, so a travel plan
was devised to encourage staff to look at other transport options.
The resulting i-commute programme became a catalyst for staff to reconsider
how they travelled to and from work.
Since its implementation, travel planning has become part of Vodafone’s culture
and fits in strategically with the company’s corporate responsibility programme.
The company provides information and incentives to staff who catch the bus,
train or ferry and to those who walk, run, cycle, carpool and even kayak to work.
Each year, Vodafone develops a calendar of events to promote and incentivise
different ways of travelling to work.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 21
Case study – University of Auckland and AUT University
The University of Auckland and AUT (Auckland University of Technology) had
identified a potential problem with the way students and staff travelled to the
universities, as it was contributing to the city’s transport problems. The two
universities, in partnership with the Auckland Regional Transport Authority
(ARTA), the Auckland City Council and Transit New Zealand, put together a
comprehensive Universities’ Travel Plan.
ARTA commissioned a survey to help the planning process for transport to, from
and around the universities in Auckland’s CBD. Survey responses from more than
6000 staff and students were used to develop a travel plan for the area,
designated by Auckland City Council as the Learning Quarter.
The draft plan sets out ways of more effectively managing the transport modes
and choices of the 45,000 students and staff who travel to the CBD campuses of
both universities and produced a number of wide-ranging recommendations,
including:
•
improvements in pedestrian crossings, priorities and footpaths and changes
to streetscape design
•
a full cycling review of the Learning Quarter
•
the introduction of a ride share matching service
•
a review of student ticketing arrangements
•
a revision of sustainable transport information for staff and students
•
measures to help reduce the need to travel.
Following consultation, the finalised travel plan was produced in July 2007 and
can be accessed from www.travelwise.org.nz/media/pdf/UTP_Travel_Plan.pdf.
A report based on a 2008 student travel survey (‘Student Travel Survey 2008 CBD
Campuses’) showed a substantial shift away from car-based travel patterns
towards more sustainable transport modes, as well as substantial decreases in
vehicle kilometres travelled by car.
Further analysis of the data showed a significant increase in the use of rail
transport, in particular from 8.2 percent in 2006 to 11.5 percent in 2008. In
addition to this, total car use decreased from 22.6 percent in 2006 to
17.3 percent in 2006; total public transport use increased from 56.3 percent in
2006 to 61.6 percent in 2008, and active transport modes (walking, running and
cycling) increased from 17.6 percent in 2006 to 19.5 percent in 2008.
For further information, refer to www.travelwise.org.nz/utp.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 22
Case study – Auckland Airport
In late 2004, Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) began a
comprehensive study into the issue of surface access routes to the airport. From
the findings of the study, a number of initiatives were identified, including
developing a staff travel plan for the airport.
The travel plan, called ‘Lift’, includes staff from AIAL, Air New Zealand, Customs,
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry (MAF) and the Aviation Security Service
(AvSec).
Over 65,000 vehicles travel to and from Auckland Airport every day. This looks
set to increase by around 90 percent by the year 2015, placing pressure on the
roads to and within the airport precinct and causing frustration for airport staff
and passengers alike.
With over 10,000 people working at Auckland Airport, Lift’s aim was to encourage
staff to think about getting to work differently and to provide practical travel
solutions. Initiatives that have been developed by staff who work at the airport
include:
•
carpooling – to enable two or more people to share a car journey to/from
work (car poolers can be matched informally by word of mouth or text
messaging, or through a database)
•
an improved Airbus service, departing every 15 minutes, which was
introduced in June 2008, as well as a new service to Manukau city
•
personalised journey planners – a public transport door-to-door plan focusing
on individual travel needs and providing information on ways to travel.
Newsletters have been produced since July 2006, reporting on progress and/or
news about the travel plan, as well as providing tips for travellers on such areas
as cycling and how to be a more fuel-efficient driver. The latest copy of the Lift
newsletter can be accessed from www.aucklandairport.co.nz/Corporate/Welcometo-Lift/LiftNews.aspx. Previous copies can be accessed from
www.aucklandairport.co.nz/Corporate/Welcome-to-Lift/News-archive.aspx.
A survey carried out in June 2008 showed that single-occupant car use has
decreased from 80 percent in 2007 to 72 percent in 2008. The survey also
reported that carpooling had increased from 5 percent in 2007 to 12 percent by
2008 and, by October 2008, the number of car poolers had passed the 600 mark.
For more information, see www.liftataucklandairport.co.nz.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 23
Case study – Stockley Business Park, UK
Stockley Business Park is situated in Uxbridge, approximately 15 miles west of
central London. It is a large, multipurpose business park, which has over 30
companies and employs over 7000 people. The tenant organisations are leading
blue chip companies and include GlaxoSmithKline, BT and Marks and Spencer.
Each company has parking spaces, totalling 6000 for the whole site.
The travel plan for the business park was established in 1997. It came about out
of concern that congestion would put off future tenants from locating in the park,
and erode the quality of business for existing tenants.
The chief executive of the site, along with senior managers from existing tenants,
set up a site-wide travel plan and established a travel solutions commuter centre.
A dedicated sustainable transport coordinator was appointed in September 1997,
and a travel survey was conducted in December 1997. A working group was
established that comprised tenants, bus and train operators, and associated local
authorities.
The main initiatives included in the travel plan were:
•
regular newsletter
•
carpooling scheme
•
subsidised and branded buses
•
free, twice-weekly shopper bus
•
good bus shelters with real-time information
•
cycle facilities at each company
•
borrow-a-bike scheme
•
annual ‘bike to work’ days
•
interest-free loans to buy bikes
•
cycle training and repair services
•
20 percent off at local cycle dealer
•
internet lunchtime shopping, with Tesco (supermarket) delivering to your
home in the evening
•
‘Getting to Stockley Park’ leaflet for new staff and visitors.
As a result of these initiatives, there was:
•
a 20 percent drop in car use to the business park between 1998 and 2003
•
a 14 percent decrease in the proportion of employees driving alone
•
a 1 percent increase in Underground use
•
a 1.2 percent increase in rail use
•
a 3.4 percent increase in bus use.
The travel plan has helped to alleviate the pressure on individual unit car parking,
and helped raise the profile of the park as a positive workplace for employment.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/work/publications/
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 24
Case study – Addenbrooke’s Hospital, UK
With over 18,000 traffic movements each day, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, part of
the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, is reported to be the
largest single generator of traffic in Cambridgeshire. In order to cope with this
huge volume of traffic, an ‘Access to Addenbrooke’s’ strategy has been
developed to help reduce car parking demand and traffic congestion.
The following measures were introduced to encourage staff to use more
sustainable and healthy methods of transport:
•
at peak times, more than 60 buses stop at Addenbrooke’s per hour
•
bicycle parking has increased to 1300 spaces and is complemented by a
weekly visiting cycle repair service.
As part of their travel plan, the Trust offers:
•
interest-free loans for pedal cycle or motorcycle/scooter purchase
•
16 pool cars
•
a car-share scheme
•
discounted weekly bus tickets.
In conjunction with the travel plan, the Space Programme advertising campaign
was launched to inform people travelling to the site about all the transport
options available to them.
In July 2004, Addenbrooke’s Hospital launched the first public bus service in the
country to be commissioned and managed by the NHS. Two new H1
‘Addenbrooke’s Shuttle’ buses provide a regular service between Addenbrooke’s
Hospital and Trumpington Park and Ride in a move designed to reduce car traffic
in the hospital’s vicinity and thus help improve Cambridge traffic congestion in
general. This service operates like any other public bus service and is fully
accessible to disabled users.
As a result of this, there has been a major shift from car commuting to healthier
and more sustainable modes of transport. Bus use is now at 23 percent (from
12 percent in 1999) and cycling is up to 25 percent (from 21 percent in 1999).
For more information, see:
www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications/downloads/Addenbrookes-Travel-Plan.pdf
www.sdcommission.org.uk/communitiessummit/show_case_study.php/00063.html
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 25
Case study – Manchester Airport, UK
There are approximately 270 companies at Manchester Airport, employing
around 16,500 full-time staff. Daily, over 60,000 vehicle trips are made to and
from the airport, one-third of which are made by airport employees. Manchester
Airport PLC itself currently employs around 350 staff. The site operates 24 hours
a day, every day of the year.
In 1997, Manchester Airport PLC produced the ‘Ground Transport Strategy’ to
promote use of public transport and reduce the impact of car travel to the site.
Following on from the Ground Transport Strategy, the 1998 Green Commuter
Plan was written to encourage employees to use alternatives to driving alone by
car. The targets of the travel plan were:
•
25 percent of all passengers’ and employees’ journeys to be made by
alternative forms of transport by 2005
•
30 percent of all employee journeys to and from Manchester Airport to be
made by alternative forms of transport to the single-occupancy car by 2005.
In order to achieve these targets, a Green Commuter Plan Toolkit was produced,
containing eight types of measure:
•
travelling by rail
•
travelling by bus
•
travelling with others
•
travelling by car
•
travelling on two wheels
•
travelling on foot
•
changing the way we work
•
business travel.
To promote the travel plan, the team:
•
produced posters and leaflets
•
published regular articles for the staff magazine
•
sent group emails promoting new initiatives
•
had Green Commuter noticeboards
•
arranged ‘road shows’ in the main terminals.
A Service Partner Commuting Forum is held quarterly and attended by
approximately 20 of the other companies onsite. This provides a chance to
inform everyone of new initiatives and gives an opportunity for feedback.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 26
Case study – Manchester Airport, UK
continued
Manchester Airport has a very active monitoring system and carries out monthly
staff surveys with the aim of sampling 10 percent of staff each year. This helps
the travel coordinator determine how effective different marketing techniques
and promotions are, and whether staff have changed the way they travel to work.
At present, 23 percent of employee journeys are made using alternatives to
single-occupancy vehicles.
The travel plan team has a number of up and coming projects, including the
following:
•
The Bicycle Users Group will be set up to increase the number of staff who
cycle and a pool bike system will soon be put in place.
•
An 8km orbit cycle route around the airport is near completion, which will
allow cyclists to cycle all the way around the airport on either off-road or onroad cycle-friendly routes.
•
The Ground Transport Interchange is nearing completion.
•
Further promotion of carpooling and demand responsive initiatives is
occurring.
•
Buses are now circulating with more frequency on key routes.
‘Leapfrog’ branding will be used at bus stops and cycle facilities and on other
promotional materials to raise awareness and link all the different initiatives
together. This will link employee and passenger travel.
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 27
Complementary measures
Communication
Travel planning is assisted greatly through good marketing and communication
and marketing
about alternatives to private vehicle usage.
Public transport
To enable effective travel planning, alternatives such as public transport need to be
available.
Cycling
Cycling should be a key compliment to any travel planning programme.
Other policies addressed
Congestion
Introduction of travel planning on a wide scale can have an impact on congestion
levels.
Business
Through business travel planning travel time can be reduced and travel time can
productivity
also be made productive. Both of these outcomes improve business productivity.
Public health
Travel planning assists in the consideration of active mode transport which has
positive health benefits. Travel planning can also reduce stress by reducing time
spent travelling and reducing the complexity of the trip.
Further information
Travel plan
guidance
For further detailed guidance, please refer to the following publications:
AEA Technology; Cleary Hughes Associates; University of Westminster, Transport
Studies Group (2005) A guide on how to set up and run travel plan networks:
transport energy, best practice. London: Department for Transport.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/work/deonhowtosetupandruntrav177
9.pdf (accessed 20 January 2010)
Department for Transport (2008) Building sustainable transport into new
developments: a menu of options for growth points and eco-towns. London:
Department for Transport.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/sustainabletransnew.pdf (accessed 20 January
2010)
Department for Transport (2007) Making residential travel plans work. London:
Department for Transport. www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/rpt/
(accessed 20 January 2010)
Taylor, I (2008) The essential guide to travel planning. London: Department for
Transport. www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/work/ (accessed 20 January
2010)
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010
Travel planning – page 28
Further information
Travel plan
guidance
continued
continued
Department for Education and Skills, Department for Transport (2003) Travelling to
school: a good practice guide. London: Department for Transport.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/schooltravel/travelling/ (accessed 20 January
2010).
Department for Education and Skills, Department for Transport. 2003 Travelling to
school: an action plan [companion to Travelling to school: a good practice guide].
London: Department for Transport.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/schooltravel/travelling/ (Accessed 20 January
2010).
Land Transport New Zealand (2007) School travel plan coordinator’s guide.
Wellington: Land Transport NZ. www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/school-travel-plancoordinators-guide/ (accessed 20 January 2010).
Land Transport New Zealand (2007) Workplace travel plan coordinator’s guide.
Wellington: Land Transport NZ. www.nzta.govt.nz/resources/sustainabletransport/workplace-travel-plan/ (accessed 20 January 2010).
Best practice
websites
NZ Transport Agency. Ways to get around.
www.nzta.govt.nz/traffic/ways/index.html (accessed 20 January 2010)
Department for Transport. Travel plans.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/ (accessed 20 January 2010)
Taylor, I (2008) The essential guide to travel planning. London: Department for
Transport. www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/work/ (accessed 20 January
2010)
National Business Travel Network. Vodafone travel plan toolkit.
www.nbtn.org.uk/downloads/casestudies/nbtn-casestudy-vodafone.pdf (accessed
20 January 2010)
Department for Transport. Making residential travel plans work: guidelines for new
development.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/travelplans/rpt/makingresidentialtravelplans5775
?page=7 (accessed 20 January 2010)
Department for Transport. School travel.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/schooltravel/ (accessed 20 January 2010)
Department for Transport. School travel strategies and plans: a best practice guide
for local authorities.
www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/schooltravel/localauthorities/schooltravelstrategie
sandpla5745 (accessed 20 January 2010)
Sustrans. Sustrans: join the movement. [Sustrans is the UK’s leading sustainable
transport charity]. www.sustrans.org.uk/ (accessed 20 January 2010)
TravelWise. TravelWise: thinking transport. [TravelWise is a programme run by the
Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA) in partnership with Auckland
Regional Council, the NZTA, Ministry of Health, Roadsafe Auckland, and the various
city councils within the Auckland region]. www.travelwise.org.nz/ (accessed
20 January 2010)
The NZ Transport Agency’s Integrated planning toolkit
1 edition, Amendment 0
Effective from February 2010