Whatever next? SD-scene newsletter Sept / Oct 2007 feature

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Way to go

In the recent Government survey of public attitudes and behaviours toward the environment, over half the people questioned agreed that they “would like to reduce their car use but find that there are no practical alternatives”. The Government’s aim is to help us make better, more sustainable travel choices, for instance by encouraging more people to walk to the shops, making cycling to school safer, and the commute to work easier by public transport.

Government policy to promote better travel choices is designed in line with the behaviour change model introduced in Securing the Future, the UK Sustainable Development Strategy. This model focuses on the need to enable, encourage and engage people and communities to move toward more sustainable choices. It also underlines the need for the Government to lead by example. Here we explore just some of the ways the Government and others are helping us to really go green.

In the main feature:

• On your bike
• What Car?
• The travel plan
• Smarter travel

On your bike

Cycling is undergoing a surge of interest in the UK. In July, an estimated four million people turned out in London and Kent to watch the 'Grand Départ’ of the Tour de France, the first time the capital’s played host in the race’s 104-year history. Bike Week, the nationwide celebration of cycling, despite July’s wet weather saw more than 1,500 local bike events and rides take place around the country. And for one Sunday this month, cyclists were encouraged to take over parts of central London during London Freewheel, as a 9 mile circuit of roads was closed to traffic. The Day of the Bicycles, as it’s being called, allowed less experienced cyclists to ride around some of the capital’s best sights – including St Paul’s Cathedral, the London Eye, and Buckingham Palace – at their leisure.

The health benefits from cycling are well known, but just as important are the real benefits to the environment. According to a recent report by Cycling England, the expert advisory body coordinating the development of cycling across England, huge carbon savings could be made if commuters switched from four wheels to two. Some 6.6 million people in the country travel less than 5 miles to work (a manageable distance for most by bike). If each of these commuters made the switch to pedal power, it would save an enormous 44 million tonnes of carbon dioxide – equivalent to the emissions from heating 16,700 homes for a whole year. Opting to cycle could also save each commuter on average £500 a year.

An estimated £35m is being spent on cycling funding to local authorities and Cycling England’s budget has recently been doubled by the Department for Transport to £10m a year. Funding has also been given to six Cycling Demonstration Towns in England -Aylesbury, Brighton and Hove, Darlington, Derby, Exeter, and Lancaster with Morecambe – with the aim of delivering a step-change in cycling levels. The six local highway authorities are working with Cycling England to develop an excellent physical environment for cycling as well as a range of 'soft' measures to encourage more people to cycle. The results from the pilot towns are encouraging. Darlington, for instance, has seen an increase in bike journeys of 57 per cent.

Other Government measures to promote cycling include a proposal in July’s Delivering a Sustainable Railway White Paper for a task force on cycling. It’s intended the group would represent cyclists in rail franchise agreements; improve cycle access to and within stations; and find ways to increase the numbers of people who combine cycling with rail travel.

What Car?

For many journeys though, the car remains the most practical and favoured option. Here too the Government is working to encourage better choices, for example, by incentivising lower emission vehicles. Measures to achieve this include linking the Graduated Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) and the Company Car Tax to vehicles' carbon emissions. Reforms to VED mean that for cars with the very lowest carbon emissions the rate today is zero. Some of these greener vehicles went on display at this year’s Labour Party Conference courtesy of the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, a group of some 250 organisations driving the shift to low carbon vehicles and fuels in the UK.

The benefits of greener motoring are also being communicated through the Government’s ambitious Act on CO2 campaign. For its part, the Department for Transport (DfT) is encouraging people to think not just about the car they buy but also the way that they drive. Online tips and advice include information on the colour-coded fuel efficiency rating label and how to drive smarter by keeping tyres pumped up and keeping the weight in the car down. The Department has also teamed up with What Car? to create a Low CO2 Top Ten, which makes it easy for people to find out which new cars have the lowest emissions in their class.

Many urban drivers now also have access to car share schemes. Reducing car ownership means fewer cars in urban streets, less pressure on parking spaces and more efficient travel. These car clubs provide the flexibility of using a car when you really need one, without the costs of ownership and maintenance. Cars are parked in reserved parking spaces, close to homes or workplaces and can be booked on-line or by telephone. Scores of these pay-as-you-drive schemes have sprung up around the country like the CityCarClub, which now offers hybrid cars in a few cities.

The travel plan

The switch to greener travel is also getting a boost from the National Business Travel Network, a business-to-business knowledge-sharing network launched in February. Its aim is to encourage businesses - particularly UK FTSE 100 companies - to adopt travel planning as a way to reduce their reliance on cars. A travel plan is a package of measures produced by employers to encourage staff to use alternatives to single-occupancy car-use. This could include car sharing schemes; improved cycling facilities; a dedicated bus service; restricted car parking allocations; or more use of video conferencing.

The Network can provide your business with the opportunity to find out from others further down the road about the many benefits of travel planning. These include financial rewards and improved staff recruitment and retention. Regional events to promote the Network kicked off in June this year and in just a few months it has attracted 150 members. Look out for the national conference taking place in November and a new guide, the Essential Guide to Travel Planning, which will be launched later this month (details will be available through the Government’s business advice service, Business Link).

Recognising the benefits from greater resource efficiency - as well as the need to lead by example - the Government is also committed to improving its own operations. In June 2006, it announced new targets for sustainable operations on the Government estate (SOGE), which include a target to reduce carbon emissions from road vehicles used for Government administrative operations by 15 per cent by 2010/11 (relative to 2005/2006 levels). Each Department is responsible for coming up with a strategy to achieve this target. Key to any strategy is implementation of the UK Government Sustainable Procurement Action Plan as well as behaviour change programmes to encourage more travel by public transport and the use of technologies such as video conferencing.

Smarter travel

The Government’s approach to sustainable travel is about enabling people to make smarter travel choices. This means bringing together a number of different elements including encouraging more walking and cycling, increased travel planning and better public transport provision. It also sees the introduction of innovative solutions like Individualised Travel Marketing, which tailors travel information to the needs of individual households.

Since April 2004, three Sustainable Travel Towns in England - Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester - have been given a share of £10m of DfT funding over 5 years to test what impact a sustained programme of smarter choices can achieve. At the same time, each town has worked to improve the existing travel infrastructure and facilities in the area.

The results from the three towns so far have been spectacular. After conducting an initial phase of Individualised Travel Marketing, all three towns saw a 10 per cent reduction in car trips in the area targeted. This was accompanied by an average 20 per cent increase in walking, cycling and bus use.  What’s more, it appears that the changes people make to the way they travel tend to stick, according to recent research carried out for the DfT. Once a person experiences cycling to work, and realises for themselves the benefits to their health, pocket and often time, it seems they think twice before jumping in the car.