Organisation: Department for Transport
Date uploaded: 22nd February 2017
Date published/launched: January 2017
The report draws out through a series of case studies, the lessons learnt from the Local Sustainable Transport Fund 2011-2015 programme and focusses on a number of issues including increasing cycling, encouraging sustainable travel to work, marketing sustainable travel and strategy and leadership.
Among the key lessons outlined is the importance of improving the cycling network on multiple levels, for example creating links to key destinations as well as enhancing connectivity and safety.
When it comes to marketing sustainable travel, the report stresses the importance of researching audiences sufficiently to understand the best channels through which to reach them, as well as being consistent with branding.
The four-year, £540m Local Sustainable Transport Fund involved 77 local authorities, with 12 large projects receiving more than £5m and 84 smaller projects receiving less than £5m. The money was used to support a range of activities including encouraging modal shift, broadening travel horizons, using vehicles more efficiently, public realm enhancement and reducing road casualties.
The report provides an overview of the activities undertaken and gives insights from local authority practitioners on what was successful, what challenges were encountered, how these were overcome and lessons for delivering similar projects and programmes in the future.
Lessons learnt
Increasing cycling
• Take a holistic approach for your offer; where possible, it should involve cycling infrastructure, equipment, training and promotional activity using both capital and revenue for the complementary activities.
• Take a strategic approach for new and improved cycle routes and improve the network on multiple levels by, for example, creating links to key destinations as well as enhancing connectivity, ease of use, safety, and appealing to all levels of cyclists.
Encouraging sustainable travel to work
• Engage employers by building relationships – this can take time so persistence is key, as well as finding ‘trigger’ issues.
• Take a structured approach to workplace travel plans and create an attractive employers’ package promoting health benefits.
• Initiatives effective in engaging employees include workplace ‘challenges’, personalised travel planning best delivered as a roadshow and transport ‘taster’ tickets.
Marketing sustainable travel
• Target marketing by researching audience sufficiently to understand the best channels through which to reach them.
• Be consistent in branding, using a specific brand, and letting people know how they can participate, as well as ensuring messages highlight the benefits.
• Make the best use of digital media and word-of-mouth.
Strategy and leadership
• A trade-off between ambition and deliverability, focussing on what can realistically be delivered is key.
• In the project delivery phase, when moving from planning to reality, take time to do a strategic ‘reality’ check, adapting the project where necessary.
• Keep the core delivery team in-house even if activities are delivered by an arms-length body.
• A one-team approach is vital, including with sub-contractors.
• For project monitoring and evaluation, plan from the outset, keep a record of the scale of activity on a rolling basis and identify any suitable metrics as a result of your interventions.
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