Preparing and implementing travel plans

Travel plans should be site specific, taking into account factors such as site location and characteristics, number of staff and their working patterns, visitors' travel requirements and fleet. Therefore all travel plans are likely to be different and there can be no definitive guide. Transport Energy's Travel Plan Resource Pack for Employers is a valuable resource for anyone preparing a travel plan.

Putting together a travel plan
You may want to include the following sections in your travel plan:

Provision of background information
Identifying objectives
Understanding existing travel patterns
Identifying roles and responsibilities
Financing the travel plan
Developing a package of measures
Identifying targets and indicators
Marketing and promotion campaigns

Background information

Number of staff
Description of employees' working hours and job requirements
Number of parking spaces available
Identification of walking and cycling routes, train and bus routes and times
Accessibility of the site by public transport, noting potential improvements
Illustration of employee / visitor catchment area, together with postcode mapping
Company policy relating to travel to and for work
Existing traffic flows on surrounding roads
Accident record in near vicinity

Scope and Objectives

Problems to be addressed
Objectives

Understanding Travel Patterns

Travel survey results and analysis
Site surveys
Audits of car park use etc

Roles, Responsibilities and Financing

Employment of a Travel Plan Co-ordinator to implement the travel plan
Provision of a budget for the Travel Plan Co-ordiantor
Management commitment to the travel plan and inclusion of travel plan in business plan / corporate policy
Creation of steering groups and working groups to guide, inform and support the travel plan

Measures - Walking

Provision of adequate lighting, convenient footpaths and site access points
Emergency ride home service
Exclusion of people living within walking distance from obtaining parking permits
Identification of safe walking routes
Pedestrian priority measures

Measures- Cycling

Provision of suitably lit, convenient cycle paths and site access points
Provision of conveniently located, secure, well-lit cycle parking facilities
Showering and changing facilities, lockers
Interest-free loan to purchase bicycle and safety equipment (or free hire of company bicycles etc)
Display and distribution of cycle route information
Provision of pool bicycles for employee use
Introduction of business mileage rate for cycling
BUG, cycling buddy schemes, Dr Bike, cycle training
Financial incentives e.g. a cycle purchase scheme (taking advantage of tax breaks), free breakfasts

Measures - Public Transport

Display, promote, and distribute public transport information together with information on how to walk and cycle to bus stops and train stations
Interest free loans for season tickets / discounted season tickets
Company shuttle buses to station / employees' homes
Financial incentive for non-car users
Partnership with transport operator / contribution towards improving service / priority to bus access over private car within the site layout

Measures - Car sharing

Car sharing database
Priority parking for car sharers
Free emergency ride home for car sharers

Measures Reducing the need to travel

Relocation policy favouring employees who live close to the site
Home working arrangements
On-site facilities such as: a cash point, a staff restaurant, a gym, a crèche, a dry cleaning collection point, a shop
Flexible working hours
Compressed working weeks
Video conferencing facilities

Measures - Parking

Parking controls and restrictions
Daily charges to encourage daily decisions about how to travel to work
Option to exchange parking permit for bus pass / cash etc
Park and ride / park and cycle

Measures - Business travel

Fuel efficient fleet
Use of alternative fuels for fleet
Review of mileage rates

Targets and monitoring

Targets against which the success of each measure will be monitored in the short, medium and long term · Method for monitoring e.g. annual snap-shot surveys · Modal share targets set · Commitment to review the results of monitoring with council annually

Awareness Raising and Marketing

Branded Travel Plan
Formulation of a marketing campaign
Production of publicity material
Commitment to support national events
Participation in national events
Financial incentives to travel sustainably