Cardiff Council Travel Planning Resources A Guide to Travel Surveys. A Guide to Travel Surveys

Transcription

1 A Guide to Travel Surveys

2 Contents 1. Introduction to Travel Surveys 2. Sample Snapshot Travel Survey 3. Sample Travel Survey 4. Analysing Travel Survey data 5. Using Travel Survey data in developing your Travel Plan 6. Sharing the Travel Survey results Guidance note: A range of Cardiff Council Travel Planning Resources are available to support organisations seeking to promote sustainable travel. Additional travel planning resources, including a travel plan template and travel audit guide, can be found at For more information, please contact Cardiff Council s Travel Plan Officer on travelplans@cardiff.gov.uk or Acknowledgements: This document is based on a guide produced by the North Central Travel-Plan Network (NCTN), a joint initiative between Transport for London and the London boroughs of Camden, Islington and Haringey. The Sample Travel Survey is based on a document developed by South Gloucestershire Council. Photo credits J Bewley, Sustrans

3 1. Introduction to Travel Surveys Carrying out a travel survey is a key part of developing a travel plan. A Travel Survey will provide information about: current travel to a particular site opportunities for promoting sustainable modes of travel barriers to the use of sustainable modes of travel potential measures to support the use of sustainable modes of travel. It will also provide baseline data which will help with setting targets and the ongoing monitoring of the travel plan. Both Sample Travel Surveys in the following sections of this document can be adapted to meet the needs of your own organisation. The Snapshot Travel Survey in Section 2 gives an overview of travel patterns and is useful for monitoring purposes. The longer Sample Travel Survey in Section 3 provides a more detailed picture of travel to a site and gives respondents the opportunity to provide feedback. Guidance note: Cardiff Council can provide bespoke online or paper travel surveys for organisations. For more information on running a Travel Survey, or about Cardiff Council s online survey facility, contact travelplans@cardiff.gov.uk or

4 2. Sample Snapshot Travel Survey 1. Are you: Male Female 2. Age Under How do you normally travel to work? (Select all that apply) Walk Cycle Bus Train Car Other 4. Did you travel to work using more than one mode today? Yes No 5. Which mode did you use to travel to work today? (If you used more than one mode, please select the mode used for the longest part of your journey) Walk Cycle Bus Train Car Other 5a. If you travelled to work by car, how many people (including yourself) were in the vehicle? 5b. If you car shared, did you travel with a colleague? Yes No 5c. Were you a driver or a passenger? Driver Passenger

5 3. Sample Travel Survey 1. Home postcode 2. Are you: Male Female 3. Usual place of work NB Include this question if your organisation operates from several sites 4. Age Under 20 years years years years years 50 years + 5. Do you have a disability which affects your travel arrangements? Yes No 6. What are your normal work starting and finishing times? Start... Finish Is your work: Part time Full time 8. How do you mostly travel to work? Walk Cycle Motorbike Bus Train Car driver Car passenger Other (please specify)

6 9. Which of the following do you occasionally use to get to and from work instead of your usual form of transport? Walk Cycle Motorbike Bus Train Car driver Car passenger Other (please specify)... No alternative used 10. How far do you travel to work? Up to 1 mile Over 1 mile and up to 2 miles Over 2 miles and up to 4 miles Over 4 miles and up to 10 miles Over 10 miles and up to 20 miles Over 20 miles 11. Which of the following changes would encourage you to cycle to work, or, if you already cycle, which would you most like to see? Improved cycle paths on the journey to work Improved cycle parking at workplace Improved cycle changing facilities & lockers at work Arrangements to buy a bicycle at a discount Improved availability of pool cars at work None of these NB Other reasons can be added as required. The question can also be tailored to ask about walking journeys. 12. Which of the following changes would encourage you to use public transport for your journey to work, or, if you already travel by public transport, which would you most like to see? More direct bus routes More frequent bus service Better lighting at bus shelters & on workplace footpaths Discount tickets/passes available at work More convenient bus drop off points Better connection to work from the station Better connection from home to the station

7 Improved public transport information Improved availability of pool cars at work None of the above NB Other reasons can be added as required. The question can also be tailored to ask about bus and train travel separately. Please complete questions 13 to 15 if you use a car to get to work. If you don t use a car to get to work, please go to question What is your main reason for using a car to get to work? Please tick one box only. Car required to perform job Dropping/collecting children Get a lift Health reasons Lack of an alternative Convenience NB Other reasons can be added as required. 14. If you travel to work by car, do you ever use it for work related journeys? Yes No 15. Where do you usually park at your main workplace? At worksite Free parking in nearby car park Free parking in nearby street Paid parking in nearby street Paid parking in nearby car park 16. Would you be prepared to car share, as a driver or a passenger? Yes No If your answer is no, please say why:

8 17. Which of the following encourage you to car share? Help in finding car share partners with similar work patterns Free taxi home if let down by car driver Reserved parking for car sharers Improved availability of pool cars at work None of the above 18. Do you have any further comments regarding commuting and other work related journeys? Thank you for your co-operation. All your answers are confidential. Please return this form to [named contact or job title] by:

9 4. Analysing Travel Survey data Once you have undertaken your travel survey, you will need to analyse and interpret the data contained in the travel survey responses. The sections below outline factors to consider when looking at the results for commonly asked travel survey questions. How respondents travel to work How to use the results Identify the modal split : the proportion of people who travel to work by each type of transport. Information about the modal split can be used to help determine targets for the number of trips by each mode. It also provides important baseline data for the ongoing monitoring of your travel plan. Identify the modal split for different groups within your organisation (sex, age group, type of work, full or part time). This can help to indicate measures that could be aimed at certain groups. Identify the modal split for people travelling different distances to work. This can indicate whether distance travelled affects the choice of mode and if there are corresponding measures which can be introduced. The distance employees travel to the workplace can be a factor in changing their travel choices. For example, can individuals living close by who chose to drive be encouraged to walk, cycle or use public transport? Encouraging respondents to use different modes How to use the results Identify the measures that are most likely to achieve a change in people s travel habits and which measures can be feasibly addressed in your travel plan. The location and transport characteristics of your site will influence the modes that people may change to. For example, if there is not a direct bus service to the site, travelling by bus is unlikely to be a popular mode of travel. The popularity of different options will give you an indication of the types of measures that could be successful. Some disincentives such as limiting on-site parking provision may be less popular, but this does not mean that they should be removed from the travel plan process. Providing a balance of incentives and disincentives can be very effective in changing travel behaviour

10 Car travel to work and during working hours How to use the results Identify whether respondents who travel to work by car use their vehicle during working hours, for either work-related/personal trips. Respondents who travel to work by car but do not require it during the day may be able to consider changing to another mode. Guidance note: Cardiff Council s Travel Audit Guide may also be helpful in identifying the travel options which are available for employees and visitors to your site. Carrying out a Travel Audit can also help with identifying possible measures to promote sustainable travel. The Travel Audit Guide is available from

11 5. Using Travel Survey data in developing your Travel Plan Carrying out a travel survey is a key part of developing a travel plan. This section sets out how the survey results will inform the travel plan. Guidance note: More information about developing a travel plan is available in Cardiff Council s Travel Plan Template. The Template provides an easy to use guide to developing a Travel Plan which can be adapted to the needs of individual organisations. The Travel Plan Template is available from Outlining aims/objectives, measures and targets will provide your plan with focus and direction. These will also allow you to judge the performance of the plan, and help you judge whether it is achieving the things that you want to happen. Identifying measures Measures are the actions which you will put into place to support sustainable travel and promote modal shift. Your survey results may clearly highlight measures which will be popular or effective (for example, a high level demand for cycling facilities such as secure parking or lockers). The results may also provide an overview of the barriers which prevent people from travelling sustainably (for example, having to use their cars during working hours) and can potentially be addressed through the travel plan. When identifying measures, it is also important to keep in mind what can feasibly be achieved. For example, delivering improvements to bus services may not be within the sphere of influence of your organisation, but introducing a salary sacrifice scheme for bus tickets or interest free loans for rail tickets could be. Setting targets Targets are the measurable goals which you will need to set in order to assess whether or not you have achieved the objectives of your plan. Targets need to be realistic, taking into account the existing situation and information gathered through the initial surveys. The action plan An action plan, which sets out measures against a timescale and resources, is an effective way to track progress. It is important to clearly identify the objectives and set measurable, achievable targets and actions for what will be achieved, by whom and when. Your survey and audit results will inform this process

12 Example 1: Your travel survey data indicates that only 1% of your employees currently cycle to work but 10% would consider cycling to work. One of your travel plan targets could be: To increase the percentage of employees cycling to work to X% by mm/yy. Possible measures to support this increase could be: Provide secure cycle storage by mm/yy Introduce a Cycle to Work Salary Sacrifice scheme by mm/yy Set-up a bicycle user group by mm/yy Example 2: Your travel survey data indicates that only 5% of your employees currently car share on their journey to work but 20% would consider car sharing. One of your travel plan targets could be: To increase the percentage of employees car sharing to work to X% by mm/yy. Possible measures to support this increase could be: Provide an employee car share scheme by mm/yy Investigate introducing Car Sharer Only car parking spaces by mm/yy

13 6. Sharing the Travel Survey results After you have run and analysed your travel survey, you will also need to share the results with your colleagues and other stakeholders (for example, visitors or parents). Publicising the results, whether on a noticeboard, intranet pages, posters in staff areas, a newsletter or through , is another important stage in developing and implementing a travel plan. Sharing the results will help to keep staff engaged with the process and is a good way of publicising your travel plan. It can also be an opportunity to highlight your successes in meeting targets or, conversely, to illustrate the need for change

14 For more information on running a travel survey, travel planning or promoting sustainable travel contact: travelplans@cardiff.gov.uk plans