THE MORAY COUNCIL. Pool Bike Audit March Halcrow Group Limited

Transcription

1 THE MORAY COUNCIL Pool Bike Audit March 2009 Halcrow Group Limited

2 Contents 1 Introduction Background 1 2 Encouraging Cycling in the Workplace Introduction Bike Pool Schemes Cycle to Work Schemes The Moray Council Bike Pool Scheme 5 3 Audit Summary 6 4 Recommendations Infrastructure Use of the Bike Pool Information Provision Maps Cycle to Work Scheme Cycle Friendly Employer Visitor Cycle Parking 15

3 1 Introduction 1.1 Background In March 2009 The Moray Council (TMC) commissioned Halcrow Group Ltd to carry out an audit of its pool bike fleet. The objectives of the study were to: Create a database of bicycles in The Moray Council Travel Champions Staff Bicycle Loan Scheme that can be updated as necessary; Assess demand for pool bikes within the six Moray Council office locations in Elgin; and to, Suggest an appropriate distribution of pool bikes between Moray Council offices, outlining any additional facilities required at these locations The Moray Council has 6 offices located in Elgin: Headquarters (High Street); Academy Street; Commerce House; 9-11 North Guildry Street; Ashgrove Depot; and, Beechbrae Education Centre The city of Elgin is approximately 2 miles across, providing excellent opportunities for cycling within the town. This is equivalent to no more than a 15 minute bike ride which is a comfortable cycling distance for adults. 1

4 2 Encouraging Cycling in the Workplace 2.1 Introduction Encouraging the use of sustainable modes for short, local journeys supports National, Regional and Local transport strategies and many organisations are actively working to improve sustainable transport options for their employees. Changes in how employees travel to and from work and make journeys during the working day can save time and money for them and their employers as well as providing multiple social and environmental benefits Bicycles are an ideal form of transport for journeys under 5 miles, and benefits may include a healthier, more punctual, more alert workforce with reduced sick leave Methods by which cycling levels amongst employees can be increased include: Installing high quality cycle parking facilities; Provide changing, showering, drying and storage facilities; Implementing a cycle to work scheme providing employees with an interest free loan with which to purchase a bicycle (long-term bicycle loan); Offer a salary sacrifice scheme to allow the purchase of tax free bicycles; and, Setting up a bike pool for employees to use for work related journeys (shortterm bicycle loan). 2.2 Bike Pool Schemes A workplace bike pool provides bicycles for employees to use for any kind of journey, typically for work related trips such as local meetings, travel between office locations and visiting clients. The provision of Council bicycles allows Council staff who live too far to cycle to work, to have access to a bicycle for any short journey during the day, thus reducing the number of car journeys. The pool bikes need to be well-maintained, safe to ride, equipped with mudguards, panniers, a lock, lights, safety equipment should also be available such as helmets and high visibility vests There are numerous benefits of a bike pool schemes, including: Reduced Travel Expenses - savings are made on bus and taxi fares, fuel for company vehicles and the cost associated with providing employee parking spaces. Time Savings and Convenience - in the trial Bikes for Business scheme run by Transport for London, the greatest perceived benefit of using pool bikes was saving time, with 79% of users saying that this was one of the benefits. TfL research also highlights that 38% of respondents said that they avoided 2

5 parking problems and 24% said that using a pool bike meant that they could avoid the inconvenience of driving (Pool Bikes for Businesses, TfL). Health and Fitness Improvements - regular exercise is important for health and fitness, and it is recommended that adults take 30 minutes of moderate exercise, five times a week which is the equivalent of 2 x fifteen minute bike rides a day. Using cycling as a form of transport allows employees to incorporate exercise into their everyday lives. Improved Accessibility - pool bikes effectively fill the gap where no public transport is available for shorter journeys. Environmental Benefits - there are numerous environmental benefits associated with a reduction in car use. Pool bikes allow employees to contribute to: improvements in air quality, reductions in congestion and CO 2 emissions, and reducing the amount of space required for car parking. Enhanced Reputation - corporate social responsibility and environmental policy are important contributing factors to the reputation of an organisation. Establishing a bike pool demonstrates commitment to positive social and environmental management. The employee is given an opportunity to try cycling before committing to a buying a bicycle In order for a bike pool scheme to be successful senior management must to work to eliminate personal concerns that may act as barriers to the scheme. These include: Fears over safety; Lack of interest in cycling; Lack of confidence that the scheme will work; Long established travel habits; Poor health/fitness; Hilly terrain; Perception of sweaty/untidy upon arrival at work; Perception of work clothes as unsuitable for cycling; and, Inconvenience of carrying and storing accessories such as helmet or lights Ideally a bike pool is set up as part of the travel planning process with the aim of complementing other aspects of the travel plan. 3

6 Figure 2-1 Figure 2-1: Recommended approach to setting up a bike pool (Transport for London). 2.3 Cycle to Work Schemes To promote healthier journeys to work and to reduce environmental pollution the 1999 Finance Act introduced an annual tax exemption, which allows employers to loan cycles and cyclists safety equipment to employees as a tax free benefit. This exemption was one of a series of measures introduced under the UK Government s Green Transport Plan The exemption removes the tax that is usually applied to cycles and cyclists safety equipment. However the bicycle and equipment must be used mainly (50% of the time) for journeys between his/her home and workplace, or between one workplace and another in connection with the performance of their duties of employment Employers should consider providing facilities for cyclists at work, including cycle parking, lockers and shower facilities to encourage employees to sign up to the scheme. 4

7 2.3.4 To take advantage of the exemption an employer can buy a cycle and cyclists safety equipment, reclaim the VAT and loan it to an employee for journeys to work. Alternatively an employee can acquire a bicycle through a salary sacrifice scheme when the employee gives up the right to receive part of their cash pay in return for some form of non-cash benefit in this case a loaned cycle and cyclists safety equipment Through salary sacrifice schemes the employer will save Secondary Class 1 NICs on that part of the employee s gross salary sacrificed. Further information can be found at The Moray Council are now offering the Cycle to Work Scheme to employees via Halfords. 2.4 The Moray Council Bike Pool Scheme The Moray Council currently has 30 bikes intended for long-term loan to teachers in both primary and secondary schools within the Moray Council area as part of The Moray Council Travel Champions Staff Bicycle Loan Scheme In addition to this The Moray Council has 12 bicycles in a designated bike pool fleet, comprising 8 full size bicycles (Dawes), 3 Brompton folding bikes and 1 tandem. One trailer and 1 tag-along are also available for council staff use Having successfully completed steps 1 to 6 in Figure 2-1 it is imperative for The Moray Council to consider steps 7 to 10 in order to maximise the success of its bike pool scheme. 5

8 3 Audit Summary This section provides information relating to current cycling infrastructure, problems and barriers for cyclists, opportunities for improving conditions and recommended allocations of TMC pool bikes for each office location. Office Location: Headquarters (High Street) Facilities Summary: Cycle Parking Shower Kitchen New bike lockers installed in the rear car park Sheltered cycle parking provision in concealed back courtyard Existing conditions: The Council Headquarters are located in the centre of Elgin with access from High Street (eastbound), Glover Street and Greyfriars Street. Its town centre location places this office in an ideal position for pool bike use for staff travel to other office locations, or for any client or site visits around Elgin. These offices accommodate approximately 500 staff located in 3 buildings: The Headquarters Building, Greyfriars Street and High Street. The offices have teleconferencing and videoconferencing facilities available. The Council has recently installed 5 new cycle lockers in the staff car park to the rear of Greyfriars St. There is a further covered cycle parking facility for approximately 12 bikes in a concealed courtyard to the rear of the building, however the shelter does not effectively cover the whole cycle rack. There is a single shower located in Greyfriars Street, but this is unlikely to be sufficient to encourage staff based at HQ to cycle. Problems and barriers for cyclists: Lack of information provision Lack of lockers Insufficient shower facility provision Poor quality cycle parking compound Opportunities: Provide additional shower and new cycle lockers appropriate for potential demand Improve existing cycle parking in the courtyard with new cycle racks and weather protection Improve staff awareness of Bike Pool scheme, including how they can book a bike Assign the role of Pool Bike champion to a member of staff within these offices who is responsible for the keys to the designated pool bike lockers, as well as for conducting weekly/fortnightly check of bikes and safety equipment and ensuring smooth operation of the booking system for this office Opportunities for pool bike use: With a high level of travel between TMC offices opportunities exist to promote the use of the pool bike fleet within the HQ. The office Travel Plan highlights that 80% of respondents travel to work by car and of those 59% travel to work as the lone occupant of the vehicle. 37% of respondents reported to travel less than three miles to work and are covering distances that most adults could easily cover by walking or cycling. Recommended allocation of pool bikes: 2 full size bicycles stored in dedicated cycle lockers 6

9 Office Location: Academy Street Facilities Summary: Cycle Parking Shower Kitchen X X Staff member locks bicycle to drainpipe to rear of Academy Street office Locked shed currently used to store pool bikes Suggested area in which cycle lockers can be placed (blue car) Existing conditions: The Academy Street offices currently house approximately 43 members of staff employed in the Transportation and Consultancy Department. The office has a central location within Elgin. The recent travel plan suggests that staff often have to travel for business, most of whom use their own or company cars for work related travel, and the office has no videoconferencing facilities. Kitchen facilities are, however, available within the site. There is currently no official cycle parking here, but the travel plan highlights the fact that a number of staff based at Academy Street currently cycle to work. Staff have resorted to locking bicycles to drainpipes and street furniture in the car park, as well as inside the building in stairwells and vestibule areas, causing problems in terms of health and safety. There are no shower or locker facilities within the building. Problems and barriers for cyclists: Lack of showers and storage lockers presents a significant barrier to staff members wishing to cycle to work or use pool bikes as a mode of transport throughout the day. Lack of secure cycle parking facilities Opportunities: Install cycle lockers in rear car park Investigate the feasibility of providing adequate shower and storage facilities within Academy Street offices Improve staff awareness of Bike Pool scheme, including how they can book a bike. Assign the role of Pool Bike champion to a member of staff within these offices who is responsible for the keys to the designated pool bike lockers, as well as for conducting weekly/fortnightly check of bikes and safety equipment and ensuring smooth operation of the booking system for this office. Opportunities for pool bike use: The travel plan carried out through the Energy Saving Trust indicates that around 22% of staff based in Academy Street make work related trips throughout the day at least 4 days per week, indicating a high potential usage of pool bikes. Since this office houses the Transportation and Consultancy Department, including Environment, there is an excellent opportunity to lead by example. Information should be readily available and this office could be used to champion and influence the travel choices made by other offices. Recommended allocation of pool bikes: 1 Brompton stored with Pool Bike champion 2 full size bicycles stored in dedicated cycle lockers 1 Tandem stored in locked shed 1 Tag-along stored in locked shed 1 Childrens bike stored in locked shed 7

10 Office Location: Commerce House Facilities Summary: Cycle Parking Shower Kitchen X X Cycle lock wrapped around handrail at front entrance to Commerce House Brompton folding bicycle stored in stairwell at Commerce House Suggested location of cycle lockers in car park outside Commerce House entrance Existing conditions: Commerce House office is located on South Street in central Elgin. There were 48 employees based at Commerce House when the Travel Plan was written. The site is also shared with Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants who has 200 employees. The lack of cycle parking facilities at Commerce House means that cyclists tend to store their bikes in stairwells or locked to railings at the front entrance, posing health and safety risks. Problems and barriers for cyclists: Lack of showers and storage lockers presents a significant barrier to staff members wishing to cycle to work or use pool bikes as a mode of transport throughout the day. Lack of secure cycle parking facilities Opportunities: Scope for establishing shared facilities with Johnston Carmichael Chartered Accountants Install cycle locker facilities in car park Investigate the feasibility of providing adequate shower and storage facilities within Commerce House Improve staff awareness of Bike Pool scheme, including how they can go book a bike. Assign the role of Pool Bike champion to a member of staff within these offices who is responsible for the keys to the designated pool bike lockers, as well as for conducting weekly/fortnightly check of bikes and safety equipment and ensuring smooth operation of the booking system for this office. Opportunities for pool bike use: The travel plan carried out through the Energy Saving Trust indicates that around 50% of staff based in Commerce House make work related trips throughout the day at least twice a week, indicating a high potential usage of pool bikes within this office. Whilst 10% of staff currently cycle, 20% say that they would consider cycling as an alternative to driving. Recommended allocation of pool bikes: 1 Brompton stored with Pool Bike champion 2 full size bicycles stored in dedicated cycle lockers 8

11 Office Location: North Guildry Street Facilities Summary: Cycle Parking Shower Kitchen X X Suggested location of 1 cycle locker at North Guildry Street Offices Existing conditions: The North Guildry Street Criminal Justice and Community Support office houses 80 employees. The offices are located next door to each other in Elgin town centre. Due to the nature of their work employees based at no 9-11 North Guildry Street often have to travel for business purposes, and make use of Council vehicles and their own cars. Teleconferencing is available within these offices but there are no videoconferencing facilities available on-site to help employees cut down on business travel. Problems and barriers for cyclists: Lack of showers and storage lockers presents a significant barrier to staff members wishing to cycle to work or use pool bikes as a mode of transport throughout the day. Lack of secure cycle parking facilities Constraints: Very limited space, there is potential space for only 1 cycle locker beside the fire exit to the north of the building. Opportunities: Identify further locations for cycle parking facilities, potentially in the car parks of adjacent buildings. Install a cycle locker in the space outside the fire exit to the north of the building Investigate the feasibility of providing adequate shower and storage facilities within Commerce House Improve staff awareness of Bike Pool scheme, including how they can book a bike. Assign the role of Pool Bike champion to a member of staff within these offices who is responsible for the keys to the designated pool bike lockers, as well as for conducting weekly/fortnightly check of bikes and safety equipment and ensuring smooth operation of the booking system for this office. Opportunities for pool bike use: Whilst demand for pool bikes may be present, space for storage of these bikes is limited at this site. One potential option may be to install a cycle locker outside the fire exit at the north of the building (following consultations with relevant fire safety officers to ensure that access/egress is not affected) and use this for the storage of one pool bike. This may not be popular with people who currently cycle to work for whom there is no cycle parking provision. It is recommended that space is found in nearby car parks for the parking of staff bicycles. A Brompton folding bike could be used as a pool bike and kept with Pool Bike champion within this office to overcome problems relating to lack of space for cycle parking. Recommended allocation of pool bikes: 1 Brompton stored with Pool Bike champion 9

12 Office Location: Ashgrove Depot Facilities Summary: Cycle Parking Shower Kitchen Bikes currently casually parked around the site Newly installed cycle lockers placed at various locations around the site Existing conditions: Ashgrove Depot is located on Ashgrove Road approximately 1.4 km from Elgin town centre. The depot is home to the Direct Labour Organisation (DLO), the Council s Environmental Protection Department, Council fleet vehicles, as well as a fleet testing area and a workshop. In total 164 full time staff are based at the site. There are currently a high number of staff cycling to this site evident by the large number of bicycles parked around the depot. To meet this demand a number of cycle lockers have been installed at various locations around the site. There are also 6 Sheffield type stands available in a sheltered area next to the stores entrance. Showers are provided and are predominantly used by the manual workers, and there is an additional shower which can be used by staff in the disabled toilet on the ground floor of the mess building. There is a further shower in the main office block as identified in the Travel Plan, however this shower is noted as being quite dated and therefore underused. Problems and barriers for cyclists: Limited awareness of bike pool scheme amongst staff at Ashgrove Depot High traffic levels and HGVs along A96 corridor with poor cycling infrastructure for those heading into town Opportunities: Improve staff awareness of Bike Pool scheme, including how they can book a bike Assign the role of Pool Bike champion to a member of staff within these offices who is responsible for the keys to the designated pool bike lockers, as well as for conducting weekly/fortnightly check of bikes and safety equipment and ensuring smooth operation of the booking system for this office Make local cycle route information available to staff Opportunities for pool bike use: The Travel Plan identifies that 9.7% of staff currently cycle to the site, but that 27% of those respondents that typically drive to work alone live within 3 miles from Ashgrove Depot and may be in a position to walk or cycle to work. This presents a good opportunity to encourage more staff to walk or cycle to work more often. Recommended allocation of pool bikes: 1 full size bicycle stored in dedicated cycle locker 10

13 Office Location: Beechbrae Education Centre Facilities Summary: Cycle Parking Shower Kitchen X Potential location for cycle lockers at front of building Potential location for cycle lockers at side entrance to building Existing conditions: The Beechbrae Education Centre is located on Duffus Road approximately 1.5km to the north of Elgin town centre. The site is shared with Elgin Horizon Day Care Centre and approximately 70 staff are based here. The site has a number of rooms that can be booked by council staff from other office locations. Teleconferencing is currently available but there are currently no videoconferencing facilities available. The centre has a kitchen and shower facilities for staff use. Problems and barriers for cyclists: Lack of secure cycle parking facilities Constraints: Location of site at the top of a hill may be off putting to potential cyclists Opportunities: Install cycle lockers in car park Improve staff awareness of Bike Pool scheme, including how they can book a bike. Assign the role of Pool Bike champion to a member of staff within these offices who is responsible for the keys to the designated pool bike lockers, as well as for conducting weekly/fortnightly check of bikes and safety equipment and ensuring smooth operation of the booking system for this office. Opportunities for pool bike use: Since this site has a number of training rooms that can be booked by staff from other Council offices there is a fairly high level of inter-site business travel. This places it in an excellent position to encourage the use of pool bikes. The Travel Plan indicates that a very high proportion of staff currently drive to work (87%), and that there is a very high level of travel within working hours, both for work related trips and for personal business. Recommended allocation of pool bikes: 1 full size bicycle in dedicated cycle locker 11

14 4 Recommendations 4.1 Infrastructure Following audits of the 6 Council office locations in Elgin, the main deficiencies in infrastructure identified were the lack of shower and storage facilities available to staff and the lack of secure cycle parking. Table 4.1 summarises the relevant facilities at each site. It is understood that new cycle lockers are currently on order for Academy Street, and it is recommended that more lockers are purchased to cover the other office locations. TMC Office Cycle Parking Shower Facilities Staff lockers Kitchen HQ Very good provision comprising new cycle lockers and mostly covered cycle racks 1 shower available in Greyfriars St but not sufficient for staff numbers No Yes Academy Street No No No Yes Commerce House North Guildry Street No No No Yes No No No Yes Ashgrove Depot Very good provision comprising new cycle lockers and covered cycle racks Yes Yes Yes Beechbrae Education Centre No Yes No Yes Table 4. 1 Summary of facilities in TMC offices 12

15 4.2 Use of the Bike Pool Use of the bike pool should be regularly monitored to help identify potential improvements to the scheme. This could be carried out by the designated pool bike champion for each office location, who would also be responsible for checking the bikes and monitoring the booking system. The pool bike champion should receive training on how to carry out basic bike checks and remove those bikes from the pool that are not roadworthy The pool bikes allocated to each office location should be assigned to a dedicated locker. Each booking should be made for no longer than 24 hours to prevent long term loan of pool bikes, and the pool bike should be returned to its original location at the end of the hire period Staff wishing to take part in the scheme should read guidance notes on cycling and sign a disclaimer before making use of one of the pool bikes. These guidance notes should be similar to those included in the contract package signed by teachers taking part in The Moray Council Travel Champions Staff Bicycle Loan Scheme. Guidance notes should cover the following topics: Health and safety; Maintenance; Insurance; Equipment checks; Route choice; Cycle training; General cycling advice; and, Incident procedures TMC should consider organising an agreement with a local bike shop to ensure the regular maintenance and servicing of pool bikes. 4.3 Information Provision Potential promotional initiatives to encourage people to walk and cycle have also been considered. The success of the bike pool scheme relies on Council staff knowing that the bikes are there and available for anybody to use at no cost Publicising the bike pool and the forthcoming online booking system on the Council intranet, as well as on notice boards around all office locations will increase staff awareness of the scheme. A launch event to promote the bike pool, such as a lunchtime how to session could be included to raise initial awareness. It is important to send regular reminders to staff by way of promotions, posted items on the intranet, articles in staff newsletters and placing the bike pool on the agenda at team meetings. 13

16 4.3.3 Other events could be organised to encourage cycling more generally such as a cyclist s breakfast (which can now be offered tax free as part of a cycle to work day, or a Dr. Bike maintenance session). Other promotions could include making a donation to charity for every trip an employee makes using a pool bike Promotion is also a way to dispel the myths and perceptions of cycling. On the continent where on average between 15% and 35% of all journeys are by bike, people cycle in normal clothes for short utility journeys and cycle at a pace where they do not break out in a sweat. There is also a perception that cycling is exhausting and takes much longer than driving when in fact, cycling can be the quickest form of transport over short distances in urban areas and can be a gentle, low impact exercise. 4.4 Maps Lack of knowledge of local cycle routes is likely to act as a significant barrier to cycling. A cycle map showing routes in and around Elgin, as well as recommended routes between office locations would increase the likelihood of staff making use of the Bike Pool. 4.5 Cycle to Work Scheme To prevent Pool Bikes being used on a permanent basis, the Council should also continue to use and promote the Cycle to Work scheme. Pool bikes are an excellent way to re-introduce people to cycling, but the scheme should not be designed to be a permanent, free bike loan. 4.6 Cycle Friendly Employer The Moray Council should seek Cycle Friendly Employer accreditation from Cycling Scotland. Cycling Scotland s Cycle Friendly Employer Award is run in conjunction with the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives. The aim of the award is to give employers the incentive to achieve a nationally recognised award for promoting cycling in the workplace which will result in benefits for both employers and staff The award will also contribute towards an enhanced reputation for The Moray Council in terms of the council s corporate social responsibility and environmental policy and proving its commitment to encouraging active travel and reducing its carbon footprint The Council can register for the scheme and find further information on the scheme itself and associated Workplace Grant Awards at 14

17 4.7 Visitor Cycle Parking Short-term cycle parking, as close to the main entrance as possible should be installed at Council buildings, especially those that are visited regularly by the public and other visitors. The installation of Sheffield type stands at the Headquarters should be considered a priority. 4.8 Moray Council Travel Champions Staff Bicycle Loan Scheme An updated database has been prepared containing information relating to the 30 bikes currently on loan to teachers as part of The Moray Council Travel Champions Staff Bike Loan Scheme To ensure that this database is kept up to date, teachers should be required to resign the contract agreement on an annual basis, preferably at the beginning of the academic year Under this contract staff should be required to: Keep a mileage log to be submitted to TMC annually Ensure that the bike is serviced at lease once within the year Report any damage or problems to TMC as soon as possible Keep TMC up to date with any changes to contact details or personal circumstances A waiting list for the scheme should be kept up to date by encouraging fresh applications at the beginning of the academic year. TMC should be informed as soon as the bike is no longer required by its current user so that it can be reallocated. 15