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Two The Travel Planning Process
A step-by-step guide to developing, implementing and promoting a Travel Plan
Travel Planning Process Overview
The development of a Travel Plan divides into seven initial stages, backed up by an ongoing commitment to reviewing and reporting progress and to promoting and marketing the Plan.
The figure below illustrates the main stages of Travel Planning. The time taken to progress through each stage of the process is something that will vary from organisation to organisation.
The Travel Planning Process
Securing senior management support is vital to the success of any Travel Plan, as is a clear identification of roles and responsibilities.
Once a clear picture of the current situation of travel patterns within your organisation, transport links and other facilities has been established, objectives for the Plan can be defined and measurable targets set. A variety of practical measures to encourage a shift to more sustainable transport methods can then be selected and implemented.
Once completed, the success of the plan must be monitored and regularly reviewed against its defined objectives and targets and, where appropriate, adjusted and updated in order for it to remain effective. The measures chosen to encourage more sustainable travel options must also be marketed and promoted to staff, clients and visitors throughout the life of the Travel Plan.
Delivering an effective Travel Plan
No matter how much time you dedicate to developing your Travel Plan, the key is to ensure that it delivers the benefits intended. Travel Plans are site specific and therefore different for each organisation.
However, to be effective a Travel Plan must:
- have support from the highest level of your organisation
- be based on a recent assessment of your organisational travel patterns
- set out clear objectives and targets (or indicators) that arise from those objectives
- identify measures aimed at meeting those objectives
- implement the measures it identifies
- actively promote its chosen measures through awareness-raising and marketing
- outline a clearly defined and consistent monitoring programme
- contain a commitment to future review and renewal and demonstrate a commitment to its continuation
Results are, of course, what matters and the long-term effectiveness of a Travel Plan will ultimately be determined by its ability to deliver results.
Help, advice and the value of partnerships
There is lots of help available to you to help you develop and implement your Travel Plan.
Sources include:
- Energy Saving Trust
- Regional Transport Partnerships
- Local Authorities
- ACT Travelwise
Your neighbours may share many of the same problems with transport and benefit from the same solutions. There is therefore the opportunity to work with each other to deliver more and make your Travel Plan a real success.
For details of helpful organisations, turn to the Further Information section at the end of this guide or visit the Tools and Resources area of our supporting websitewww.chooseanotherway.com
Step 1: Securing Senior Management Support
It is essential that senior management are involved and support the Travel Plan from the outset.
The importance of senior management support
Gaining management support secures leadership for the Travel Plan, can help secure a budget and raise the priority of the Travel Plan within the organisation.
When it comes to making challenging decisions on elements of the Plan, management support will also mean that messages can be communicated from the highest level with Senior Management setting an example for the rest of the organisation to follow. This could be simple things like working from home one day a week and taking public transport to meetings.
Developing the business case
First, identify the most appropriate person to approach. This could be your Chief Executive, Finance Director or Human Resources Director. In developing the business case, the following questions should be answered:
Why is your organisation introducing a Travel Plan?
Be clear about the potential benefits of a Travel Plan and how it meets your organisations objectives and values. For examples of the benefits a Travel Plan can generate, please refer to 'Why create a Travel Plan?' in section one of this guide.
How much will it cost, and how much staff time is required?
Costs will vary according to the nature and size of your organisation and the measures you choose. Remember that implementation costs may be spread between departments (as may any savings).
The establishment of partnerships with neighbouring organisations may mean that staff time and other resources for developing and implementing the Plan can be pooled. The issue of staff time is discussed in Step 2: Roles and Responsibilities.
What are the aims and objectives of the Travel Plan?
Identify some high-level objectives. These could be to reduce parking costs, promoting your environmental policy or developing a healthier, more productive workforce. Detailed objectives will be worked out at Step 4: Defining Objectives.
What measures will be implemented?
At this stage, it will be enough to give management a flavour of the types of measures that could be introduced. Be realistic and focus on those that have the best chance of being implemented. However, you may want to take account of longer-term aspirations such as participation in Environmental Management and Audit Scheme like ISO 14001 accreditation.
Make it clear that choice of measures to be implemented can only be explored in detail once current travel patterns have been surveyed and analysed at Step 6: Identifying and Implementing Measures.
Step 2: Defining Roles and Responsibilities
The success of any Travel Plan depends on the support of all staff. It is therefore vital to get everyone involved - remember that this can be fun!
This section explores how the allocation of roles and responsibilities underpins the planning process and helps ensure engagement with your Plan's objectives.
The importance of broad engagement with the Travel Planning process
Involving a broad range of people in the planning process at an early stage will help promote a sense of ownership over its aims and objectives and provide a pool of support to draw on throughout the life of the Plan. Doing so will also help stimulate thought and debate around sustainable travel options among employees.
Nominating a Travel Plan Co-ordinator and establishing a Steering Group are fundamental to the process. Meanwhile, fostering partnerships with other organisations will be helpful in many cases.
Another useful step is to establish Transport Mode Groups such as for people who cycle or car-share or who wish to in the future.
Travel Plan Co-ordinator
This person (or persons) will have day-to-day responsibility for running the Travel Plan and provide the overall co-ordination required to deliver and market it. In smaller organisations, the responsibilities of a Travel Plan Co-ordinator could be adopted by an existing member of staff.
A Travel Plan Co-ordinator should be well placed within an organisation to further the aims of the Travel Plan. It is not essential to have significant knowledge of the Travel Planning process, however it is important that they have good communication skills, project management and marketing skill and good contacts with relevant parties.
For training and support in Travel Planning, contact your Local Authority, Regional Transport Partnership or ACT Travelwise (see Further Information for details).
Steering Group
Having a Steering Group will help ensure that wider views are taken into account, and assist the Co-ordinator in developing and implementing the Travel Plan. The Steering Group should have representatives from each department of the organisation and from senior management. Collectively, they should have the range of skills and experience to help the Travel Plan Co-ordinator. Having representatives on the Steering Group will also help departments take ownership.
Partnerships
Working in partnership with other organisations, neighbours and staff is key to delivering a successful Travel Plan. Consider entering into partnership with other organisations in your area that are setting up, or thinking of setting up their own Travel Plan. Your local authority and local bus operators should also be part of the partnership.
Partnerships can assist with the development and implementation of Travel Plans:
- through the sharing of experiences and ideas
- through the pooling of resources
- by enabling a common voice during negotiations with transport providers, local authorities and other relevant suppliers
Transport Mode Groups
Mode Groups enable the Travel Plan Co-ordinator to engage with staff, visitors and suppliers and build partnerships to identify the specific requirements for each mode of transport, as well as providing a mutual support network to share ideas. Members can act as advocates for that mode within the organisation, while the Groups themselves will provide forums in which to discuss and share experience, comment on the Travel Plan, or provide suggestions on how their particular mode could be encouraged within the Travel Plan.
The most common groups are: Bicycle User Groups, Walking Action Groups, Public Transport User Groups, Motorcycle User Groups and Postcode Coffee Clubs.
Union representatives and key departmental staff
Union officials, Human Resources, Payroll/Finance, Estate Manager, Fleet and Car Leasing department staff will have an essential role to play in all stages of the Plan. Getting staff from these areas on board will play a crucial part in the future acceptance and take-up of the Travel Plan.
External supports
Your Local Authority, Regional Transport Partnership and Public Transport Operator(s) will be fully supportive of your Travel Plan and should be contacted early in the planning process to discuss how you can support each other's aims. In some instances, they may be able to provide you with specific assistance in implementing your Plan. At the same time, early engagement with local authorities and transport providers may make it possible for your organisation to inform discussions around improvements to local travel infrastructure and especially new developments.
Step 3: Surveying the Current Situation
To ensure that the measures you choose to encourage more sustainable transport will work, and in order to gauge the success of your Travel Plan in the future, first you must establish a clear picture of how people and materials travel at present and what facilities already exist.
Conducting a site assessment
A site assessment will provide an overview of transport links serving your site and of on-site facilities. It should also tell you how easy it is for staff, visitors and suppliers to access your site by various means.
You may also use this as an opportunity to determine staff opinions on the barriers that prevent them from walking, cycling, car sharing or using public transport. You can also start engaging with visitors and suppliers and begin to raise awareness that your organisation has identified problems and is attempting to tackle them.
The following should be considered:
- The number, condition, signage and directness of walking and cycling routes from residential areas, bus stops, rail stations and car parks as well as local facilities like shops
- The level of storage facilities for cycles, showers and lockers
- The level of existing public transport services and facilities at your site(s), and associated timetable information and ticket costs
- The number, location and land value of car parks
Help in conducting a site assessment
Strathclyde Partnership for Transport has produced range of downloadable site audit and travel survey templates - visit www.spt.co.uk/travelplanning/downloads.html
Your local transport operators will be able to help with queries regarding service routes, ticket costs and frequencies.
Living Streets can provide you with a specialist audit of walking facilities at your site - visit www.livingstreets.org.uk
Cycling Scotland operate a Cycle Friendly Employer Award scheme, the resource pack contains much useful guidance on site assessments for cycling - visit www.cyclingscotland.org
Sustrans can provide maps detailing links to the National Cycle Network - visit www.sustrans.org.uk
Surveying staff travel patterns
A questionnaire-based survey will establish a baseline of the ways in which people currently travel - the 'modal split'. This will then be used to monitor the success of the Travel Plan. Your questionnaire should be based on the information gained from your site assessment and audit. Consider also what information you want to get from your survey.
The core set of questions should cover:
- the starting point for their journey (best captured by postcode)
- the way they travel to and from work (car, bus, cycle etc).
- the different stages in their trip to work
- working patterns and place of work
- age, gender and disability
Tips for conducting a staff travel survey
Be aware that the phrasing of questions can yield different answers - e.g. "How did you travel to work today?" versus "How do you regularly travel to work?".
Keep the questionnaire as short as possible.
Be sure to avoid ambiguity and unnecessary jargon.
Give assurances that you will maintain confidentiality.
Include a named contact for queries - e.g. that of the Travel Plan Coordinator.
Test the questionnaire with a pilot group first to highlight any shortcomings.
Consider the suitability of different distribution methods - e.g. printed or online.
Make the questionnaire as easy to complete as possible.
Consider a covering letter from senior management.
In order to encourage responses, consider a prize draw for respondents.
Give a clear deadline for responses.
You might also want to send out reminders.
Analysing the survey results
You should be able to carry out some basic analysis yourself in-house, such as the percentage travelling to work by car or bike.
More complex analysis can include cross-referencing responses by age, gender, department, or journey start point by postcode. However, you may consider getting a specialist company to analyse your data.
You may also consider postcode mapping. By mapping respondents that are, for example, willing to try using the bus or to share their car, a map can be constructed that can help you determine the demand for new routes, or indicate potential matches for car sharing. Staff home postcodes should be available from your Human Resources department - for this type of mapping you will not need individual names or specific addresses.
Acknowledging existing policies
To develop your Travel Plan, you will need to understand the general conditions of employment for your organisation. There may already be, for example:
- existing policies regarding travel to and from work
- rules for business travel
- initiatives that help cut car usage ( e.g. allowing home working)
- incentives that encourage car usage ( e.g. business mileage allowances)
- relocation packages to encourage staff to live closer to work or to public transport links
You should also take account of any travel advice given to visitors.
Auditing non-commuter travel
There are a number of additional audits that you may wish to carry out, depending on the scope of your Travel Plan:
Business travel audit
Business travel should be audited separately if you are addressing this kind of travel in your Plan. This type of audit involves recording and reviewing all business travel to establish if it is being undertaken in an efficient and environmentally friendly manner or whether it is even necessary at all. You may find that the information you need is already available and will simply need to be re-organised to be compatible with the development of the Travel Plan.
Visitor audit (including customers, deliveries and suppliers)
This type of audit will identify the numbers coming to your site and the modes of travel they are currently using. It should also identify whether there are ways to encourage them to use more environmentally friendly modes. You'll need co-operation from visitors to do this, as you will need to ask them a few simple questions when they arrive. If visitors make up a major element of your organisation's travel, you may want to consider undertaking a more comprehensive survey.
Fleet vehicles audit
Include all the vehicles owned or leased by your organisation such as company cars, vans, lorries and both short and long-term hire vehicles. This audit will generate a lot of information that can be used to review whether vehicles are being used efficiently.
You'll be able to see whether you should increase or reduce your fleet and how to make best use of hired vehicles. You will also discover whether some trips could be made by other modes, or whether trips could be amalgamated or made shorter. It may also recommend providing eco-driving tips to regular drivers.
The Energy Saving Trust offers free 'green fleet reviews', providing advice on lowering running costs, reducing environmental impact and enhancing corporate social responsibility. Operators of small fleets (less than twenty vehicles) can access a free telephone fleet consultancy service.
For further details, visit www.est.org.uk
Existing Information audit
Many organisations will already have maps in brochures or online information that only highlights driving directions to and from their premises.
Review and assess the information that currently exists and make sure to incorporate information on access by all modes.
Sustrans has produced guidance on creating active travel directions. To download a copy, visitwww.sustrans.organd search their publications section for 'How to produce Active Travel directions'
Step 4: Defining Objectives
Once a clear picture of the current situation has been established, you can begin to define the objectives of your Travel Plan.
Why define objectives and set targets?
Having clear objectives, targets and well defined indicators will allow you to monitor change and to amend any elements of your Travel Plan that have not worked as intended.
Matching Corporate and Travel plan objectives
Ideally, your Travel Plan should fit well with your organisation's corporate objectives (the illustration over the page shows their relationship to each other). The objectives you identify will be governed by the circumstances of your site and the motivations behind the development of your Travel Plan.
All objectives should be clear and may relate to your entire workforce or to specific groups such as visitors, deliveries or contractors.
Relationship between Corporate Objectives and Travel Plan Objectives, Targets and Indicators
Examples of Travel Plan objectives
Your objectives could be represented by one or several of those listed here, or you may have your own:
- reduce costs associated with providing staff parking
- reduce business mileage claims
- overcome the loss of car parking provision
- promote a healthier and more productive workforce
- reduce congestion in and around your site
- reduce the impact of your business on the environment
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- promote sustainable ways of working and demonstrate your organisation's commitment to the environment
- increase travel choice for staff retention and recruitment, including provision for those with impaired mobility
Step 5: Setting Targets
By setting targets, you will be able to assess whether your Travel Plan is achieving its objectives.
The targets of your Travel Plan must relate to its objectives and should be based on the results of your surveys and audits to ensure that they are realistic.
If your objective is "to help reduce local road congestion", your targets may include "to reduce the number of single occupant car journeys to work by 10% by 2009" or "increase the proportion of staff commuting to work by active travel or public transport by 20% by 2009".
If you include indicators in your Travel Plan, you will be able to monitor them to identify whether your targets have been met and your objectives achieved.
You could also consider specifying targets for different groups of transport users. This could include targets for staff, for visitors, for deliveries, by department or by mode (such as single occupancy vehicles or cycling).
If your organisation has groups of users with very different needs, you may want to differentiate between groups. For example, an educational establishment might have different targets for undergraduate students, post-graduate students and staff.
However, care is required when setting targets for different groups. For instance, if you favour senior management by setting less stringent targets for them, you are likely to lose the support of more junior staff!
All your targets should be SMART - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-bound.
Both negative and positive targets should be included. For example, 'reduce single occupancy vehicle movements' and 'increase walking'.
Step 6: Identifying and Implementing Measures
With clear objectives and measurable targets set, the next step is to choose which measures you will implement to encourage more sustainable transport choices.
The need for a range of measures
There is no single solution to answer all of your organisation's transport needs and different people will respond to different measures. To give the best chance of changing travel behaviour, a combination of measures should be introduced. This will let people 'pick and mix' according to what suits their day-to-day requirements and lifestyle.
Tax and National Insurance considerations
Some measures, like the introduction of salary sacrifice schemes, will have implications for Tax and National Insurance Contributions. The Tax and National Insurance system encourages employees to develop and implement Travel Plans through exemptions for free or subsidised work buses, bicycles and safety equipment. It is important to understand these implications before prioritising your measures.
Due to the complexity of UK Tax and National Insurance systems, you should consult HM Revenue & Customs ( HMRC) to clarify any issues. Visit the HMRC Pages on Travel Plans at:www.hmrc.gov.uk/green-transport/travel-plans.htm
Step 7: Monitoring
Monitoring how well your Plan works in practice using the Targets set earlier is the only way to test whether your initiatives are successful.
Therefore, you may need to incorporate monitoring costs as part of your Travel Plan.
The need for objectivity
There is little point in setting targets and implementing measures if monitoring is not then undertaken to gauge success or failure. Monitoring processes must be focussed, robust and capable of quantifying progress objectively. If needed, you will then be able to adjust your Travel Plan to improve its effectiveness.
Types of monitoring tools
It is important to develop a range of monitoring tools. Examples include analysing monthly business mileage, other existing financial management information or conducting intermittent snapshot surveys of travel patterns. These surveys will be similar in form to the initial, more extensive travel survey, but will usually be simpler and quicker to complete. It is suggested that surveys be carried out during the spring and autumn, and not during school holidays.
Frequency of monitoring
To ensure the most appropriate and effective measures are being used, monitoring should be carried out every year and then full surveys every 2 to 5 years. Within public sector organisations, especially local authorities, monitoring processes may feed into reporting on progress towards commitments under Scotland's Climate Change Declaration, Best Value and efficiency agendas.
If you are implementing your Travel Plan as part of a planning condition, you may wish to tie-in your monitoring procedures with your annual meeting with the Local Authority.
Step 8: Reviewing and Reporting
Regularly reviewing your Travel Plan and reporting progress as measured against its objectives and targets will provide a more comprehensive picture of its effectiveness than monitoring alone.
A comprehensive review must be undertaken on a regular basis to pull together the various strands of information relating to the various objectives and targets of the Travel Plan. This should take place at least once every two years and should include a fresh Travel Survey to provide an update of figures gathered during the development of the Travel Plan.
The review should comment on how successful (or unsuccessful) the organisation has been in delivering its objectives. Where change isn't happening at the appropriate rate, the review report should make recommendations for new measures or changes to existing measures and provide appropriate justification for the proposed changes.
Travel Plan measures should be assessed as part of the review so that the Travel Plan Co-ordinator may modify targets and measures for the forthcoming years as necessary.
Marketing and Promotion
Maintaining staff involvement and ensuring their continued support are key factors in the success of any Travel Plan.
To do this, you will need to market and promote the initiatives contained in your Travel Plan throughout its lifetime, as well as any progress, achievements and successes.
The need for marketing and promotion
To maintain the commitment and enthusiasm of staff and to keep them involved in its ongoing development, you will need to keep them informed of progress with the Travel Plan. Let them know what they have achieved and consult them about the next steps. The continual involvement and support from staff will be key to your Plan's success.
Therefore, it is vital to draw up a marketing plan for promoting both your Travel Plan and the initiatives it contains. The marketing plan should be drawn up at an early stage but can be revised as your Travel Plan develops.
When to promote your Travel Plan
Milestones for marketing and promotion can include:
Introducing the idea of a Travel Plan to staff
Produce fliers and posters to promote the initial meeting at which your Travel Plan will be introduced. Send out an e-mail well in advance of the meeting - as well as a reminder the day before the meeting.
Undertaking focus groups
These will inform the Staff Travel Survey questionnaire. Make sure that staff know that these are being undertaken, as not everybody will be involved in the groups. Publicity could take the form of a letter, e-mail or poster telling staff they might be invited to take part, and explaining the purpose of the focus groups.
Staff Travel Survey Results
It's essential to let staff know the results of the Travel Survey. It will make them feel more involved and will stimulate discussion among colleagues about travel issues.
Launch of the Travel Plan.
A high profile launch of your Plan could coincide with the introduction of a 'visible' measure that will benefit staff such as the provision of a bike pool or the launch of a car pool club.
Progress Briefings
Keep staff informed of how targets and objectives are being met. Don't forget to publicise your successes!
Introduction of new measures
When new measures are introduced, use the opportunity to promote them to all staff, not just the group you think will be most affected. This will help keep the Travel Plan and alternatives to car use at the forefront of people's minds.
Communicating the purpose of your Travel Plan
Emphasise the positive outcomes your Plan is designed to achieve for everyone. Avoid giving the impression that your Travel Plan is just an 'anti-car' initiative, as this is liable to alienate many people - especially those who may feel they have no alternative. Instead, highlight the benefits of car sharing and promote eco-driving.
You should also be sure to stress the fact that any shift in behaviour or reduction in the number of trips made by car due to forward planning is also part of the Travel Plan.
Branding and other promotional techniques
You could consider "branding" your Travel Plan, perhaps by using a slogan as the banner under which you will take it forward. Naming of the Travel Plan could be done through a staff prize competition - with a prize being awarded for the winning idea. The same name or slogan can be used to brand a family of leaflets, posters, newsletters and any other material produced.
Linking with other events and initiatives
Use national and local events to help publicise your Travel Plan. For instance, you can host "Bikers' Breakfasts" during National Bike Week.
Here are some other national events that you may consider taking part in:
Your Local authority and/or Regional Transport Partnership should be able to provide you with more information about activities and campaigns being carried out in your area.
Informing the wider public
The wider public should also be made aware of the Travel Plan, so that they know that efforts are being made to bring about improvements within their community. For example, they may wish to take advantage of travel promotions or transport service enhancements brought about by the Travel Plan.
Publicise the benefits the Plan can bring to staff, visitors and local community at an individual level. The corporate benefits should also be communicated in order to encourage other businesses to develop their own Travel Plans, as well as to promote your own corporate image.
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