Travel plans
A travel plan is a package of actions designed by a business, school or other organisation to encourage active and sustainable travel options.
Types of travel plans
There are 3 main types of travel plans.
Residential: new housing developments
Commercial: existing and new businesses
School: children, parents and staff
Benefits
Travel plans are bespoke to who they serve, provide alternatives to using a private car.
They have a range of benefits including:
- providing people with a range of travel options
- supporting people to try new ways of travel through incentives, offers, events or training
- encouraging active travel options to improve health and fitness
- helping to reduce air pollution, climate change, reduce noise and improve safety
- supporting more connected and liveable communities
- reducing traffic, congestion and delays
- lowering car dependency and potential car parking provision costs
- reducing vehicle trips to and from the site
Our involvement
We are involved in the delivery of travel plans across South Gloucestershire by:
- being appointed by developers or planning applicants to deliver a travel plan for a new development
- working with existing businesses, communities and schools to provide travel planning advice
- supporting Department for Transport funded projects such as the capability fund
- monitoring travel plans to make sure they are delivered efficiently
Effective travel plans
An effective travel plan will:
- be led by a travel plan coordinator to make sure it is implemented effectively
- contain clear aims, objectives and specific targets
- be monitored and revised on an annual basis to check progress towards meeting its targets, reflect current best practice and adjust to make sure it is meeting the needs of the users
Large developments will need a travel plan stakeholder group with representatives from the community who will then continue travel plan work in future with the community. This requirement will be confirmed in the planning process.
What makes an effective travel plan
The list below gives measures that we would expect to see in an effective travel plan. Plans should be bespoke, regularly revised and include innovative solutions.
This list is not exhaustive and not all measures listed below are appropriate for every site.
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Walking
You can find more information on walking on our One You website and on Travelwest.
Travel planning to promote walking could include:
- promotion of Travelwest’s journey planner to help plan walking, cycling or public transport options
- maps of local pedestrian routes
- walkers groups or walking buddy schemes
- lunchtime and after work walks
- staff walking challenges
- walk leader training and champions
- pedestrian signage to or within the site to show destinations, distances and journey times
- regular audits of pedestrians routes to make sure they are safe and accessible
- provide pool umbrellas and personal alarms at work
- hold annual pedometer challenges
- promotion of Walk to Work Week
- promotion and participation of Walk to School Week in May and International Walk to School Month in October
- promotion and participation of Clean Air Day in June
- Smarter Travel Voucher schemes with items available that support walking
- taking part in regional commuter challenges
- promotion of annual regional Travel to Work Survey
- personalised travel planning sessions to help people identify the best route for their journeys
- obtaining Modeshift Stars accreditation in schools
- road safety training in schools
- school street schemes
- travel trials and pledge schemes
- route maps and journey planners that include active travel maps for the local area
Cycling and scooting
You can find more information on cycling on Travelwest’s joy in active travel, cycling around the West of England and e-scooter trial pages.
Travel planning to promote cycling and scooting could include:
- promotion of Travelwest’s journey planner to help plan walking, cycling or public transport options
- signage to or within the site to show destinations, distances and journey times
- bicycle user group clubs and buddy schemes
- bike and scooter security marking sessions
- CCTV covering cycle and scooter parking area
- company showers with changing and drying facilities and lockers
- cycle and scooter training schemes
- cycle maintenance sessions
- cycle to work scheme (tax free loans for staff)
- Dr Bike events and bike mechanic sessions
- e-bike charging facilities
- information on bicycles and electric bikes
- information on cycle charities and bicycle recycle schemes
- information on scooter and cycle loan schemes
- last mile cycle deliveries
- local cycle hubs
- lunchtime, after work and weekend cycle rides
- micromobility hubs
- getting Modeshift Stars accreditation in schools
- on-site cycle pumps and repair kits
- paying cycle mileage rates for staff work journeys
- personalised travel planning sessions to help people to identify the most useful routes for their journeys
- pool bikes and e-bike scheme
- promotion and participation of Sustrans Big Walk and Wheel
- promotion of Cycle to Work Day and Week
- promotion of the annual regional Travel to Work Survey
- promotion of Travelwest’s journey planner to help plan walking, cycling or public transport options
- provision of cycle maps
- regular audits of routes to make sure they are safe and accessible
- route maps and journey planners including active travel maps for the local area
- secure discounts with local cycle shops
- secure, well-lit covered cycle and scooter parking
- signage to or within the site to show destinations, distances and journey times
- Smarter Travel Vouchers with items available that support cycling and scooting
Public transport
You can find more information on public transport on Travelwest’s bus, rail and metrobus pages.
Travel planning to promote public transport could include:
- free 1 month bus pass for new staff and residents
- join a bus company’s corporate travel scheme
- maps and local guides showing local public transport facilities
- personalised travel planning sessions to assist people to identify the most useful routes for their journeys
- promotion of catch the bus week
- promotion of local park and rides
- promotion of the annual regional Travel to Work Survey
- promotion of the Travelwest bus buddy service and how to catch the bus page
- promotion of the Travelwest fares and travelcards page
- promotion of the Travelwest journey planner page (this includes bus stops, park and rides and train station information)
- real-time public transport information on site
- season ticket purchase scheme for bus and rail
- Smarter Travel Vouchers with options available that using public transport
- working with local public transport providers to improve services, negotiate discounts and trial initiatives
- works buses or shuttle buses
Reduction of car use and promotion of car sharing and car clubs
Travel planning to reduce car use and promote car sharing or car clubs could include:
- car share parking spaces at work
- electric vehicle pool cars for the workplace
- enforcement of unauthorised and illegal parking
- incentives for car sharers at work
- information campaigns to raise awareness around the impact of car use (for example, costs of car ownership, idling vehicles, future vehicle technologies)
- installation of electric vehicle charging points
- Park and Stride schemes for schools
- Park and Stride site or zones near schools
- Park Away campaign toolkits for schools
- promoting Travelwest’s electric vehicle information
- promotion of eco-driving and lessons
- promotion of local park and rides
- promotion of national Car Free Day
- promotion of the annual regional Travel to Work Survey
- promotion of the Travelwest journey planner page (this includes car club locations, charge points and taxi rank locations)
- promotion or provision of car club scheme
- review business mileage policies
- set up parking permit system based on staff member’s needs
- support and information for motorcycles
- support organisations in offering more employees to work from home
- taxi-sharing service
Fleet management
Travel planning to support fleet management could include:
- providing driver training
- reviewing company car policy with a focus on grey fleet use
- reviewing mileage rates
- reviewing working practices
- setting up pool cars and bikes
- using electric vehicles or biofuels
Marketing and promotions
Ideas for use of marketing and promotions to promote your travel plan are:
- banners, posters, leaflets, A-Boards, feather flags and promotional items
- joining North Bristol Suscom if located in the North Bristol Fringe or SevernNet if based in the Severnside
- notice boards containing up to date information including co-ordinators contact details, public transport maps, car sharing, car clubs, cycling and walking routes and related information
- participation in national promotional events such as National Bike Week, National Car Free Day, Bike2Work Days, Big Commuting Challenge
- using personalised travel planning with induction sessions and welcome packs for new residents, occupants and staff
- annual regional travel to work survey
- commuter challenges or other travel related competitions
- using Travelwest and Better by Bike websites
- regular events or meetings to promote the options
- regular social media, newsletters, emails, flyers and information in payslips
- information available in sales suites for prospective buyers of new developments
- website or page with regular updates of relevant information
- providing travel information packs to all new members of staff and residents (including include travel information, maps and guides with details about the specific measures)
- visitor travel information for a site and travel packs for new employees
Contact
For more information about a travel plan relating to a planning application email dctransport@southglos.gov.uk.
For general information about travel plans or to find out more about how we can support your organisation email transport.policy@southglos.gov.uk.