Canterbury Christ Church University. Travel Plan (Canterbury Campus) INITIAL DRAFT FOR CLIENT REVIEW

Transcription

1 Travel Plan (Canterbury Campus) INITIAL DRAFT FOR CLIENT REVIEW

2 Contents [UPDATE ONCE FINAL PAGINATION CONFIRMED] Canterbury Christ Church University 1 Introduction Introduction 6 Tables Figures Appendices Page 2

3 1 Introduction 1.1 General introduction Urban Flow has been commissioned by Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) to prepare a refresh to their 2009 Travel Plan with the aim of promoting sustainable travel behaviour and reducing car dependency across all of campus locations CCCU has four campuses with the main campus located in the centre of Canterbury. The other three campuses are located in Broadstairs, Medway and Solomans, which is near Tunbridge Wells. This Travel Plan focuses on the Canterbury campus; a separate Travel Plan document deals with the other campuses This travel plan refresh is of particular importance as a comprehensive Travel Plan will be required to support the Transport Assessment being prepared for the detailed planning application to redevelop the prison and backlands site at the North Holmes Campus This development will lead to a consolidation of multiple University sites across Canterbury onto the North Holmes Campus and a loss of parking spaces available in Canterbury overall. Additionally, during periods of construction several car parks across the North Holmes Campus will be removed from use which could lead to a decrease in available parking on the site from 338 spaces down to approximately 90 spaces Therefore there is a clear need for the Travel Plan to deliver a comprehensive programme of prioritised initiatives to promote and encourage responsible and sustainable travel behaviour, both during construction and after development has been completed. 1.2 Definition and scope of a Travel Plan The Department for Transport s (DfT) Good Practice Guidelines: Delivering Travel Plans Through the Planning Process (2009) states that a Travel Plan is a long-term management strategy for an occupier or site that seeks to deliver sustainable transport objectives through positive action, and is articulated in a document that is regularly reviewed A Travel Plan is therefore a living document that sets out ways in which an organisation can reduce the number of vehicle trips to their site by promoting more sustainable travel options. A Travel Plan is site-specific and considers the unique needs and interests of employees, students, visitors and deliveries in the context of the local environment and transport network A Travel Plan involves the development of agreed targets and outcomes which are linked to an appropriate package of measures aimed at: reducing the need to travel, encouraging more sustainable travel, and reducing single occupancy car use, for all trips to and from the University It also provides for continuous monitoring, review, and refinement over time, as travel survey data is collected to determine trends in travel patterns and whether action is required to achieve more sustainable modes of travel to/from the site. The Travel Plan should therefore be frequently updated by the University. Page 3

4 1.2.5 This document will apply to all users of Canterbury Christ Church University s, Canterbury Campus including employees, students and visitors. 1.3 Travel Plan Structure Following this introductory section, the report is therefore structured as follows: Chapter Two outlines the national and local policy context and travel planning best practice; Chapter Three details the aims, objectives, and benefits that the Travel Plan will address and provide; Chapter Four describes the existing conditions, site location and an assessment of different travel modes; Chapter Five describes the existing travel planning activity that the University is currently undertaking; Chapter Six describes the work currently being undertaken by the University to understand travel behaviours and update their existing parking policy; Chapter Seven describes the existing travel patterns; Chapter Eight outlines the overall Travel Plan targets; Chapter Nine describes the measures and incentives that will be implemented at the development in order to achieve the Travel Plan aims and targets; Chapter Ten outlines the Travel Plan s management, marketing, monitoring and review arrangements to ensure its long-term success. It also outlines suggested roles and responsibilities, along with promotion and survey methods to support the Travel Plan; and Chapter Eleven details the action plan for the co-ordination and implementation of the measures and incentives at the University. Page 4

5 2 Policy and best practice 2.1 Introduction This section provides an overview of the current national and local government policies that have, and will continue to, inform the development of this Travel Plan. Reviewing these policies helps to ensure that the Travel Plan is developed and implemented in accordance with established policy aims and objectives. 2.2 National Planning Policy National policy has moved towards securing more sustainable outcomes with emphasis on minimising the need to travel, reducing car use and encouraging more sustainable modes of transport. The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) was adopted in March It is important to note that the while the campuses are spread across four different locations in Kent the workforce and student population are spread over a much wider and fairly rural catchment. As such, the NPPF in paragraph Local Planning Policy recognises that different policies and measures will be required in different communities and opportunities to maximise sustainable transport solutions will vary from urban to rural areas The Local Transport Plan for Kent, published in April 2011, covers the period and sets out Kent County Council s overall transport strategy. The document acknowledges the need to maintain good accessibility by car balanced against the requirement to meet the growing demand for travel by the promotion of attractive and safe sustainable alternatives through travel choice The promotion of businesses and school Travel Plans is identified in the Transport Plan aimed at reducing the number of single occupancy car journeys to tackle congestion and in deliver the wider benefits associated with the provision of smarter choices. It identifies encouraging sustainable transport as being an important means of meeting the increased future demand for travel Kent County Council (KCC) promotes the use of measures to provide improved travel choices to enable people to make more efficient and effective use of their transport systems. KCC promotes car sharing with its and the use of national level schemes including tax breaks for cycle purchase and other green initiatives The Canterbury District Strategy ( ) focusses on the district of Canterbury. The strategy aims to improve access to services, goods and opportunities and tackle the negative impacts of traffic by promoting sustainable modes of transport, achieving reliable vehicle journey times and supporting sustainable development. This will be achieved by: Encouraging sustainable travel as an alternative to a private car; Page 5

6 Managing the availability of car parking to balance the impact of car use with the need to provide access to services and opportunities; Managing the network to achieve reliable journey times; Reduce the number and length of journeys undertaken; Support independence and reduce social exclusion; Stabilise and where possible reduce the adverse effects of transport of air quality and the local communities; and Reduce the number of people killed and injured on the roads The district strategy aims to build on the success that has been seen across the district over the previous period. This includes an increase in bus patronage against a national declining trend and the running of High Speed 1 to Canterbury West in 2009 drastically reducing travel time to London and increasing the number of train passengers. Additionally, there a number of new cycle routes have been opened including The Great Stour Way in May Travel Planning Best Practice Further to the policy documents listed above, a number of key guidance documents and best practice examples have been reflected in preparation of this Travel Plan. These include (but were not limited to) the following: Good Practice Guidelines: Delivering Travel Plans through the Planning Process (DfT and DCLG, 2009); The Essential Guide to Travel Planning (DfT, 2007); Making Personal Travel Planning Work: Research Report (DfT, 2007); The Travel Plan Resources Pack for Employers (DfT, 2006); and Smarter choices Changing the Way We Travel (DfT, 2004) Additional benchmarking against other University s Travel Plans has been undertaken throughout the production of this document. The University have also investigated considerably how other Universities have implemented parking restrictions and policies to aide their own parking policy. 2.5 Influencing Travel Behaviour Travel plans can play a key role in influencing and changing peoples travel behaviour. Figure 2.1 overleaf outlines the seven stages of behaviour change process. Once an employee/student (or visitor) is aware of a problem, for example the costs of private car use, they generally go through five thought processes of: accepting responsibility, acknowledging alternatives, evaluating the alternatives, deciding on an alternative and trying an alternative before they actually make a sustained change to a different mode of travel By understanding this process it is possible to include measures in the Travel Plan which best influence an employee/student at each of the different stages of decision making. In designing measures that are applicable and effective at changing travel behaviour it is essential that this Travel Plan is regularly monitored and reviewed. The timing of monitoring/surveying of staff and students is important so that any unseasonal weather impacts can be avoided which may otherwise conflict with other behavioural changes that are taking place. Page 6

7 Awareness of problem Accepting responsibility Perception of options Evaluation of options Habitual behaviour Experimental behaviour Making a choice Figure The seven stages of behaviour change Through an improved understanding of the behavioural changes processes, it is possible to design measures that best influence employees at each of the different stages of their decision making. Focussing on levels of car use reduction that have been achieved elsewhere, this section provides an indication of the possible success of various measures The Department for Transport 1 have reviewed a number of published studies which examined a range of evidence in order to make estimates of the overall effect of a combination of measures. The DfT s high intensity scenario, which assumes, on a national scale, a significant expansion of activity to a much more widespread implementation of present good practice suggests that: a reduction in peak period urban traffic of about 21% (off peak 13%); a reduction of peak period non-urban traffic of about 14% (off peak 7%); and a nationwide reduction in all traffic of about 11% Although this study is based on investment on a national scale, the specific nature of Canterbury Christ Church University, with an established, motivated and coordinated workforce committed to achieving corporate objectives, means a substantial sustainable travel mode shift is achievable at this more localised level. Chapter 8 outlines the overall Travel Plan Targets. 1 Smarter Choices: Changing the Way We Travel, (DFT, 2004) Page 7

8 3 Travel Plan aims, objectives and benefits 3.1 Aims and objectives This Travel Plan sets out four clear objectives for the University to realise: Establish a sustainable identify for the University; Encourage active travel; Reduce the use of the private car; and Monitor and understand travel behaviours These objectives are closely aligned with the University s sustainable travel principles which have been established to deliver a clear sustainable transport initiative by the University. The principles are to: [cross-check against latest TL version] Support all staff to carry out their roles as effectively, efficiently and sustainably as is reasonably possible; Give priority to those students and staff with mobility impairments and to staff with essential business requirements; Treat all staff and students in a fair and consistent manner in the allocation and monitoring of the use of permits; Promote all forms of sustainable transport to students, staff and visitors to support their attendance at the University; Facilitate the move to more sustainable travel through the use of incentives (for example, park and ride) and realistic charging regimes; Promote Active travel to enhance health and wellbeing; Encourage the exploration, promotion and support of alternative ways of working that enable staff to continue to deliver effective services that support work life balance and meet the challenges of sustainability and travel planning; Work with and operate within the context of local transport arrangements and policies for Kent, Canterbury, Broadstairs, Medway and Tunbridge Wells and adapt campus travel policies accordingly; and Annually review parking availability, policies and eligibility for parking permits In line with University s sustainable travel principles and the DfT s The Essential Guide to Travel Planning (March, 2008), this Travel Plan aims more specifically to: deliver a focused approach to influence the travel behaviour of staff, students and visitors travelling to and from the site; encourage and facilitate the use of safe and viable alternatives to single occupancy car travel by staff, students and visitors travelling to and from the site; increase staff, student and visitor awareness of the potential for, and advantages of, travelling by sustainable modes of travel, including walking, cycling, public transport, and car sharing for all journeys to and from the site; inform staff, students and visitors of the social, environmental, and economic costs of their travel choices; provide practical information on how staff, students and visitors can travel by more sustainable transport modes, with integration between different transport modes for all journeys to and from the site; Page 8

9 provide practical and sustainable travel initiatives based on regular appraisal of staff and student travel patterns; reduce the need for car use, with associated benefits in terms of reduced traffic, congestion, air pollution and accidents; achieve a more attractive environment contributing to wider regeneration and renewal initiatives; and achieve an improved environmental image for the University The Travel Plan will also aim to provide the following wider benefits: improved staff and student health and reduced absenteeism; improved recruitment and retention by making staff journeys to work easier and cheaper; improved student satisfaction, attendance and results with easier and cheaper travel; less stressful options for travel to work and university; reduced business and personal student costs; and reduced staff downtime spent travelling on business. 3.2 Benefits and likely outcomes The Travel Plan will also help to represent good practice and provide an educational tool to help change perceptions about the convenience and benefits (economic, environmental and health) of not using the car where alternatives exist In line with the DfT s Guidance on Transport Assessment, this Travel Plan also acts as part of the University s Prison Development Transport Assessment mitigation strategy, focusing on maximising sustainable access to the development, and facilitating smarter journey choices In doing so, the Travel Plan sets out the aims to reduce the number of car trips generated by the site on a daily basis, and therefore reduce the potential impact of any additional car trips on the local highway network By undertaking this Travel Plan, which includes targets and measures to reduce reliance on the private car and promote sustainable modes of transport to and from the development, the local planning and highway authorities will have sufficient confidence that the requirements for sustainable travel will be met. Page 9

10 4 Existing conditions 4.1 Staff and Student Numbers The current number of staff employed by CCCU in Canterbury is 1,524. Staff are also based at a number of other sites in the city centre; there are aspirations to consolidate the functions of several other buildings into the campus. Currently of the 1,524 staff members 960 are based on North Holmes Campus and a further 564 across other sites in the city CCCU have 16,967 full-time equivalent (FTE) students. This FTE value is the University s official figure for 2015/6 and allows for students who study part-time The University s aspiration is to sustain then grow student numbers. Growth projections confirmed by the university estimates an additional 5,024 FTE students to be enrolled at the University of which 4,484 will be based in Canterbury. 4.2 Canterbury Campus The Canterbury Campus is currently dispersed around the city centre with the main site being on North Holmes Campus. Figure 4.1 shows the current University building locations across the city. Figure 4.1 Canterbury Campus Building Location North Holmes Campus is the main focus of University activity in Canterbury, with the University in the process of submitting a planning application to develop the recently purchased prison site and expand the campus area. The area is bounded to the South by St Augustine s Abbey and The Kings School and by roads on the rest of the sides as shown in Figure 4.2: Page 10

11 north & east by North Holmes Road; south east by Longport; south west by St Augustine s Abbey and The Kings School; and west by Monastery Street. Figure 4.2 North Holmes Campus Site Location 4.3 Local highway network Canterbury represents a key hub within the region for the strategic road network. Key radial routes provide access to many of the towns across the county including: Whitstable, Margate and Herne Bay to the north; Ashford lies to the south; Dover and Folkestone to the east; and Faversham to the west The city s historic core is surrounded by a ring road which is of strategic importance as it links all the key radial routes. Because all the key radial routes converge on the ring road congestion and queuing occurs frequently in peak periods. Notably the District Council s previous transport strategy document was entitled Unlocking the Gridlock which highlights the actual and perceived problems faced by the city Not only is the city s highway network constrained by its historical layout, footway and carriageway widths are often narrow and not to current standards There are three rail level crossings on strategic routes into the city which also leads to congestion and queuing particularly during peak periods. These are on St Dunstans Road, Sturry Road and St Stephens Road. Page 11

12 4.4 Parking Parking Onsite There are currently 659 car parking spaces spread across all of CCCU s Canterbury sites (see Figure 4.4) Of these, 333 are located on the North Holmes Campus including 117 spaces added with the acquisition of the Prison site. Location Total Bays Blue Car Park 89 Maxwell Davies Area 13 Red Car Park 52 Gate 4 4 Gate 5 2 White Car Park 26 Mauve Car Park 30 Green Car Park 34 Black Car Park 83 Canterbury - NHR Totals New Dover Road 21 Hall Place 138 Lady Woottons Green 7 Rochester House 39 St. Pauls 4 Vernon Place 9 St. Martins Priory 38 Augustine House 9 Augustine Arts Centre 8 St. Georges 2 St. Gregorys 41 Sports Centre 10 Canterbury - other Totals 326 Canterbury Total 659 Table 4.1 Number of parking bays per site in Canterbury Currently only staff are allowed to park in all but two of the car parks in Canterbury. The exceptions are the Black and Hall Place car parks where staff and students are allowed to park. All staff are required to have a permit as set out in CCCU s existing Parking Strategy. Page 12

13 4.4.3 CCCU s Parking Strategy outlines the following policies in relation to car parks in Canterbury: Permit holders are not guaranteed a parking space Parking Charges are in operation between 9am 5pm Monday to Friday, staff can buy permits for the car park for a discounted rate Other than the Black car park students cannot park in the car parks at the North Holmes Campus they have to use alternative city centre car parks or travel via alternate means No staff living within 3 miles of the campus can participate in the parking scheme (some exceptions apply e.g. restricted mobility, caring responsibilities). Figure 4.3 North Holmes Campus Car Parks Parking On-street Canterbury is split into different controlled parking zones with the streets around North Holmes Campus lying within two of these, shown in Figure Parking restrictions are in place between 8am pm, with pay and display in operation between these hours for non-permit holders. The maximum stay in both of the zones is 2 hours at a cost of 1.30 per hour The restriction to 2 hours parking means that staff and students cannot normally utilise the free spaces available on North Holmes Road and other nearby streets during the day. Page 13

14 Figure 4.4 Controlled Parking Zones surrounding the North Holmes Campus Parking Off-street Figure 4.5 shows the city centre car parks within the vicinity of the North Holmes Campus and the number of spaces available in each Canterbury City Centre is also served by three park and ride facilities, at Wincheap, Sturry Road and New Dover Road. This provide a further 1,845 parking spaces with direct bus links every 8-10 minutes to the city centre All three of the Park & Ride bus routes end at the city s bus station, however Sturry Road and New Dover Road have bus stops on Broad Street and New Dover Road respectively which are both within close proximity to the North Holmes Campus. Similarly, the Wincheap Park & Ride bus route stops at Canterbury East station which is in very close proximity to Augustine House The cost of the Park & Ride is 3 per car per day, this is heavily subsidised by the University who sell books of tickets working out at 1.90 per day. Page 14

15 Figure 4.5 City Centre Car Parks in the vicinity of CCCU 4.5 Walking The Institution of Highways and Transportation (IHT) publication Guidelines for Providing for Journeys on Foot [2000] provides guidance on how to encourage pedestrian travel. The guidelines note that walking accounts for over a quarter of all journeys and fourfifths of journeys less than one mile (1.6 kilometres) Furthermore, especially in Canterbury, walking is an essential final part of many car and almost all public transport travel, as university buildings are accessed on foot from bus stops, railways stations and car parks The guidelines define acceptable walking distances for pedestrians as: up to 500 metres - desirable distance; up to 1km - acceptable distance; and 2km - preferred maximum Figure 4.6 shows the area that is contained within a 2km walk distance from the main campus location. As shown, this covers the vast majority of the city of Canterbury s residential, employment, leisure, and retail facilities. There are also a number of transport facilities, including taxi ranks, and bus stops, and the city s bus and railway stations, within walking distance of the site. Page 15

16 OpenStreetMap contributors - Map data available under the Open Database License Figure 4.6 Practical maximum (2km) walking distance from the site 4.6 Cycling Survey data 2 suggests that cyclists will typically travel up to five kilometres, although some will cycle considerably further. As shown on Figure 4.7, a five kilometre catchment area centred from the North Holmes Campus would include all of Canterbury as well as some of the surrounding villages including Sturry, Blean, Upper Harbledown, Broad Oak, Tyler Hill and Bridge. 2 National Travel Survey 2012, Tables NTS0306 and NTS0308 Page 16

17 Figure 4.7 Practical maximum (5km) cycle distance from the site Canterbury has a number of national and regional cycle routes running around the edge of the centre of the city. National Cycle route 1 and 16 are on-road routes. Route 16 passes directly by the North Holmes Campus on Longport and offers an alternate access to the University with cyclists allowed to turn into North Holmes Road from Longport Additionally, cycle route 18 is an off-road route which joins National Cycle Route 1 in Canterbury. There are some additional small off road sections in Canterbury which are highlighted in Figure 4.8. One of these links station road west (where Canterbury West Station is located) with National Cycle Route 1. Page 17

18 Figure 4.8 Cycle Routes around Canterbury 4.7 Public transport Bus There is a comprehensive network of bus routes that serve the city centre. Local bus stop locations are shown in Figure 4.9. The closest bus stops to the site are on Longport to the south of the site. There are also bus stops on New Dover Road, Upper Bridge Street, Military Road and the main bus station is located under a mile away from the main campus. Page 18

19 Figure 4.9 Canterbury Bus Stop Locations Rail Canterbury has two railways stations - Canterbury West and Canterbury East Canterbury West station lies to the north west of Canterbury city centre. The station is approximately 1 mile/ 20 minutes walk from North Holmes campus. Served by South Eastern Trains, it offers frequent services to London St Pancras, Charing Cross and Victoria and other regional key destinations including; Ashford, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Maidstone, Ramsgate and Margate The station benefits from having High Speed 1 services which have cut journey times to London from 85 minutes to 56 minutes, helping to increase the number of passengers using Canterbury West station to 350,000 in November 2011 from 176,000 in November Peak hour services include: 1 train per hour to London St Pancras; 1 train per hour to London Charing Cross, via Ashford, Sevenoaks and Tonbridge; 1 train per hour to London Victoria, via Ashford and Maidstone East; and 2 trains per hour to Ramsgate, of which one continues on to Margate Canterbury East is approximately 0.8 miles from North Holmes campus, approximately a 15 minutes walk away. Similarly to Canterbury West, the station is served by Southeastern trains serving destinations such as London Victoria, Faversham and Dover Priory. The typical on-peak services are: Page 19

20 2 trains per hour to Dover Priory; and 2 trains per hour to London Victoria via Faversham and Chatham. 4.8 Summary The Canterbury campus is based in the centre of Canterbury, with all the transport infrastructure of a city centre available. Due to this location the University has to work within the constrained and congested road network of a historic city by exploiting and utilising sustainable travel modes and enhancing staff, students and visitors travel to, from and around the campus. Page 20

21 5 Existing Travel Planning Activity 5.1 Introduction This Travel Plan is a refresh to the University s Travel Plan document published in 2009, thus the University have a number of travel measures in place that are aiding a shift in travel mode from the private car. These existing measures and activities are detailed below by mode. 5.2 Bus Shuttle Bus: free mini-bus with disabled access to serve North Holmes Road, Augustine House, Hall Place and Polo Farm to provide access for all across the University s sites in Canterbury. Fares: salary sacrifice introduced for Stagecoach season tickets with the University subsiding the fares for staff and students. In bus tickets were sold to staff and 62 were sold to students. 5.3 Train Fares: the University has introduced a session ticket loan for rail travel. 5.4 Cycling Bicycle Users Group: the University s has set up a bicycle user group for any staff or students who are interested in cycling or any cycling related issues although this needs reinvigorating. Storage and Facilities: the University provides cycle facilities to match current demand levels and constantly reviews the number of cycle storage spaces available. This additionally includes the provision of showering and changing facilities across many University buildings. Loans: the University set up the cycle to work scheme in 2007 providing staff with tax incentivised loans to purchase bikes and any safety equipment. 5.5 Walking Infrastructure improvements: the university has made improvements to pedestrian links around new development sites such as St Georges in Canterbury. They are also required to consider sustainable infrastructure for any future new and the existing proposed developments/refurbishments. 5.6 Car Parking Policy: the University implemented a chargeable permit system in October 2010 which outlines eligibility criteria for issuing parking permits. Car Share: a car share website 5SHARE was launched in September 2009 and car share use is included as a criteria in the parking permit policy, sharers are also charged the minimum cost for a permit. Emergency Cover: the University provides emergency get you home cover for car sharers. Page 21

22 Pool car: the University has two pool cars available for staff who need to travel on business. This was started in 2015/2016 and will be reviewed regularly to analyse take up and the need for any further vehicles. 5.7 Other Business rates: the University pays an additional 5p/mile for a car passenger and a cycle rate of 20p/mile. Home Working: the University regularly review their home working policy as it is a key part of their transport and estate efficiency requirements. Telephone/Video Conferencing: the University has identified and installed video conference suites at all locations to aid the carbon management plan and efficiency programme in addition to minimising unnecessary travel. Page 22

23 6 Review of current work/research undertaken by CCCU 6.1 Travel Issues & Opportunities The University are committed to meeting their Travel Plan objectives set out in section 2. Over the last six months a series of workshops and research has been undertaken to understand the travel behaviours of staff and students. This includes: 1. A monthly Travel and Sustainability Group workshop; 2. A Task & Finish Group running a series of sessions to formalise and implement a new parking policy; and 3. Surveys by the Student Union and senior staff to understand current travel issues The findings and outcomes of each of these are summarised below. 6.2 Travel and Sustainability Group Workshop Sessions The Travel and Sustainability Group is responsible for sustainable travel and administering the current Travel Plan. It is made up of representatives from a number of different departments to discuss ongoing travel issues and measures to promote sustainable travel During the production of the refreshed Travel Plan the University has run a series of monthly transport and sustainability workshop sessions. These workshops have aided the production of the Travel Plan with members of staff and students participating in discussion relating to travel issues and improvements that could be made to enhance the experience of travelling to the University. Each session covered a particular topic which were: University travel planning; Travel plan survey; Parking; Emerging survey analysis & associated opportunities; Student travel issues; and Walking and cycling These workshops allowed staff and students to contribute to the production of the refreshed travel plan by sharing their observations, opinions, issues and ideas for proposals A summary of the key thoughts from each session is provided below. September 2015 University Travel Planning Due to the student average age being 29 at CCCU, the university does not have a typical university demographic meaning travel patterns will differ when compared to other Universities with a stronger undergraduate mix Travel problems in Canterbury influence staff behaviour with the general consensus being that staff work longer hours to avoid the peak hour traffic congestion. Page 23

24 6.2.7 The idea of the University being marketed as a sustainable campus could promote a powerful positive message although the university cannot afford for it to deter students and staff from coming to the University There is a need to monitor travel behaviour regularly for example with an annual survey, however this has been relatively unsuccessful in the past due to a range of factors including concern over survey fatigue, funding and resourcing There is a perception that cycling in the city is hazardous. There is a general consensus that the cycling routes into the city do not finish at appropriate destinations and there is a lack of cycling infrastructure between key destinations across the city which deters cycling The compactness of the city lends itself to movements on foot therefore particular focus should be given to enhance pedestrian experience given that a high proportion of staff and students last mode to University buildings is on foot. October 2015 Travel Plan Survey The focus of this session was to discuss and review the questions proposed for the Travel Plan survey and the survey method It was decided that the survey would be as succinct as possible with simple questions in order to maximise respondents as there was general concern about survey fatigue A number of key questions were decided upon so that the survey provided a comprehensive amount of data to be analysed, a copy of the survey questions can be seen in Appendix A. This included: Travel mode; Car park used and whether the respondent car share if travel mode was drive; Arrival/Departure times; Reason for mode choice; and And Information on business/placement travel behaviours. November 2015 Parking A review of the use of the Black car park has shown that it is full by 9.15am, with the vast majority of the cars belonging to students rather than staff. Therefore, this could imply that the current number of spaces provided on campus without the black car park is close to meeting the existing staff parking demand A high proportion of unrestricted street parking was identified within close proximity of both Augustine House and the North Holmes Campus. Conversely city car parks were regarded as being expensive, although the proximity of Longport and Queningate to North Holmes Campus means they are likely to be used The University s parking policy is strictly enforced at the Canterbury campus where the number of permits exceeds the number of spaces available. However, it was agreed that the current policy should be improved as part of the Travel Plan refresh. Page 24

25 December 2015 Emerging Survey Analysis & Associated Opportunities A noticeable decrease in car users for members of staff was identified between the modal splits in the 2009 Travel Plan and the survey undertaken in 2015 (see Section 7.1 on survey results) implying a positive impact from the University s Travel Plan actions It was discussed that CCCU should approach Stagecoach with an idea of a new route linking their main Canterbury buildings, this could provide Park & Ride type parking from Polo Farm and Hall Place to the city centre as well as a bus link for staff and students between the buildings. This Park & Ride facility could provide the additional parking required during the re-development of the prison The need for the University to provide electric charging points for vehicles will be investigated in 2016 with a specific ambition for the new car park to be fitted with electric cables to allow for charging capability in the future It was reiterated that the Travel Plan refresh provides an opportunity to update the car park policy which will assist with the current parking situation but additionally, aid the ambitions for limiting car parking provision across the North Holmes Campus and across Canterbury Automated data collection of mode choice should be a specific measure in the Travel Plan to monitor the impact of the Travel Plan measures. January 2015 Student Travel Issues Students make good use of sustainable modes in spite of various actual and perceived difficulties and obstacles to use including convenience, cost and reliability Although not necessarily leading to a substantial increase in sustainable mode choice, further Travel Plan action may well improve the quality of the student learning context and experience Building on the valuable information already made available (but apparently not often accessed/used) students could benefit from improved knowledge and familiarisation regarding their transport choices services, routes, cost saving, benefits etc. A review of the form, content, and in particular, means of delivery of current travel option information will be a valuable step forward It appears that the university would benefit from a greater depth of understanding of student travel needs and behaviour faculty-wide to help improve the student learning experience. February 2015 Walking & Cycling Some of the issues faced by walkers and cyclists which were discussed by the group include: Routes were disjointed and hazardous throughout the city with the ring-road being a significant barrier to cyclists; Street lighting is considered poor especially in Spring Lane; Way-finding & signage is scarce for both pedestrians and cyclist; Lack of a footway to Polo Farm means walking is unsafe; and Page 25

26 Ring-road underpasses are unpleasant for pedestrians to use Additionally opportunities for improvements considered and include: The increase of covered stands, lockers and drying rooms in addition to separating out the shower cubicles from the general toilets; A partnering between the University and Brompton Dock for cycle hire; An increase in publishing safe and convenient walk and cycle routes and the location of facilities; Reinvigorate the bicycle user group and run awareness training and cycle buddy schemes; Set up a student bicycle loan scheme where the bike is returned at the end of the course/year; and Incentives for walking and cycling. 6.3 Staff & Student Travel Issues Summary of Issues raised in surveys & discussions A summarised list of travel issues identified by staff and students at the University is presented below, these were identified by senior staff and the student union actively engaging with staff and students to identify specific issues and concerns: Parking in Canterbury is extremely difficult both on and off site; Staff moving between campuses by car find it particularly difficult to find a parking space when they return while other full time staff are parking on site all day and undertaking little or no intercampus travel; There is a misuse of the current parking permit system that needs to be modified I line with the Travel Plan refresh; Parking is expensive across the city; The use of the car sharing spaces are not effectively monitored; Park & Ride buses finish to early; The restriction of 2 hours parking on North Holmes Road means it is generally unusable by staff/students; Bus journey times for the Park & Ride are thought to be unreliable due to traffic conditions in the city; The prepaid card for the Park & Ride discount is not promoted enough meaning students and staff are paying the full amount and finding it expensive; 6.4 Travel Plan and Car Parking Consultation Task & Finish Group In early 2016 the University up a working group comprising staff and student representatives with a remit to: 1. To review the current transport and car parking issues in the light of: Environment and Sustainability matters; Staff and student needs and current challenges; The updated Travel Plan Requirements; The Estate Master Plan impacting on car parking; Canterbury City Council s Travel Plan; Impact on local residents; Equality and Impact Assessment; and Page 26

27 Business Continuity. 2. To review all transport related matters for all campuses with the intention of reducing the transport impact on the local environment whilst being aware of all the business needs of the higher education role and staff and students personal needs. 3. To identify and review current measures that support the overall objective in paragraph 2 above including: Car parking arrangements Review of the current car parking criteria Public university provided transport Walking and cycling routes on and off sites Facilities to support sustainable modes of transport including walking, cycling and bus use Methods to minimise the need to travel including remote working, communications, timetabling and site location Current subsidy arrangements for bus and other travel 4. To make recommendations for consideration by SMT for short, medium and longer term changes to transport, Parking Policy and arrangements. 5. To ensure implications for local communities and other local residents including other businesses are considered. 6. To identify the cost of income projections and an Investment Plan. 7. To develop a Project Plan including consultation and participation methods to deliver the agreed changes to transport and car parking arrangements As of July 2016 the group has met four times; the remit has broadened to include a wider appreciation of how to best consult with staff and students about forthcoming temporary and permanent losses to campus parking supply, parking policy changes and the implementation of refreshed/new travel planning measures and initiatives Separately from the Travel Plan workshops that have been undertaken the group undertook additional consultation to identify key issues and challenges. From these issues and challenges a number of sustainable travel principles have been identified that underpin the University s travel planning approach. They are: [cross-check against latest TL version] Support all staff to carry out their roles as effectively, efficiently and sustainably as is reasonably possible; Give priority to those students and staff with mobility impairments and to staff with essential business requirements; Treat all staff and students in a fair and consistent manner in the allocation and monitoring of the use of permits; Promote all forms of sustainable transport to students, staff and visitors to support their attendance at the University; Page 27

28 Facilitate the move to more sustainable travel through the use of incentives (for example, park and ride) and realistic charging regimes; Promote Active travel to enhance health and wellbeing; Encourage the exploration, promotion and support of alternative ways of working that enable staff to continue to deliver effective services that support work life balance and meet the challenges of sustainability and travel planning; Work with and operate within the context of local transport arrangements and policies for Kent, Canterbury, Broadstairs, Medway and Tunbridge Wells and adapt campus travel policies accordingly; and Annually review parking availability, policies and eligibility for parking permits It was initially envisaged that the group was to prepare a new parking policy for academic year 2016/7. Following extensive discussion it was instead decide that it will be more appropriate to refresh the existing parking policy for 2016/7 and then implement more substantial changes in academic year 2017/8. This revised parking policy is currently being developed for SMT consideration in autumn Consulting effectively with staff and students is seen as essential for delivering a successful travel plan refresh and to provide alternatives to parking on-site which will be diminished as North Holmes developments begin construction. The consultation strategy being developed for staff and students assumes a start in Autumn 2016 leading to the adoption of a new parking policy in early 2017, ready for September Page 28

29 7 Existing Travel Patterns Survey Analysis The University undertook travel surveys for staff and students in November 2015 and February These surveys are presented in the Appendix A The survey data collected showing modal split, car parking and car share is summarised below with further analysis of the data presented in Appendix B. Mode of Travel Staff Students Walk 12% 52% Bicycle 8% 2% Public Bus 11% 11% Train 8% 10% Park & Ride 4% 11% Car 52% 12% Motorcycle 1% 1% Other 3% 1% TOTAL 100% 100% Table 7.1 Headline Mode Share The mode shares above show that approximately 52% of staff travel to and from the Canterbury campus via car, with public transport accounting for a total of 19% and active modes 20%. Additionally, only 4% of staff use the Park & Ride available in Canterbury Meanwhile 52% of students travel to and from the University on foot with a further 2% using a bicycle. Only 12% of students travel to the University by car while a further 21% use public transport Of the staff who drive, 72% park in a University car park compared to 23% of students. The highest proportion of students, 47% who drive, park in the Park and Ride car parks this compares to only 8% of staff who use the Park and Ride. Car Travel Staff Students CCCU car park 72% 23% Off-street car park 7% 12% On-Street parking space 13% 19% Park & Ride 8% 47% Total 100% 100% Table 7.2 Car Park Location Page 29

30 7.1.6 The survey showed that 21% of staff and 29% of students car share for the journey to/from the University. Car Share Staff Students Yes 21% 29% No 79% 71% Table 7.3 Car Sharing 7.2 Comparison to 2009 Survey The staff travel survey has shown a drop in car usage of around 11% between 2015 and 2009 with an increase of 5% in bus use and 3% in train. Additionally, a further 3% use the park & ride when compared with the 2009 results These results show the positive impact that the Travel Plan measures from the last Travel Plan have had on decreasing car use However, there is also a decrease in the percentage of staff who walk by 4% but a 1% increase in staff who bike to the campus. Mode of Travel Staff (2015) Staff (2009) Difference Walk 12% 16% -4% Bicycle 8% 7% +1% Public Bus 11% 6% +5% Train 8% 5% +3% Park & Ride 4% 1% +3% Car 52% 63% -11% Motorcycle 1% 1% 0% Other 3% 1% +2% Table 7.4 Staff Survey Comparison The previous results for students where based on an environmental survey carried out by the University in 2010 and there is some concern over their reliability. However, the results of both surveys show over 50% of students walk to the University. There has been a slight decrease in walking between 2009 and 2015 however, the same increase is seen in cycling suggesting a possible shift between these modes The surveys suggest that there has been a 2% increase in students using car, however this includes all park & ride users as the previous survey did not split car and park & ride travel modes into separate classes. Therefore, it is difficult to compare the difference between the two surveys. Page 30

31 Mode of Travel Students (2015) Canterbury Christ Church University Student (2010) Difference Walk 52% 55% -3% Bicycle 2% 5% +3% Public Bus 11% 10% -1% Train 10% 9% +1% Car (inc. P & R) 23% 21% +2% Motorcycle 1% 1% 0% Other 1% 0% +1% Table 7.5 Student Survey Comparison 7.3 District Target & Census 2011 Data Comparison Table 7.4 outlines Canterbury District mode share targets 3 and 2011 census data for Canterbury. These show that there are substantial targets for shifting travel modes. Journey to Work Car Passenger in Car Train Bus Bicycle Walk Other Working at home Census % 4.7% 5% 4.9% 2.7% 14.7% 1.5% 11.6% District Target 42.3% 6.5% 6.5% 6.5% 4% 18% 2.2% 14% Table 7.6 District Targets & Census 2011 mode share Comparing the census data with the survey data shows that the University already have a lower percentage of people driving to work by car than the average in 2011 census with 58% if the mode for Park & Ride is included within car compared to 64.4% across Canterbury. Therefore, they are well on their way to meeting the district target of 48.8%. Mode of Travel District Target (excluding work from home) Staff Students Walk 21% 12% 52% Bicycle 5% 8% 2% Public Bus 8% 11% 11% Train 8% 8% 10% Car (inc. P & R) 57% 56% 23% Other (inc. Motorcycle) 3% 4% 2% TOTAL 100% 100% 100% Table 7.7 District Targets & Current CCCU Mode Share 3 Canterbury District Strategy Page 31

32 7.3.3 The University also have a higher percentage of staff travelling by bicycle with 8% of their staff compared to 2.7% shown in the census across Canterbury. This is also above the District s aim of 5% However, walk is slightly lower at CCCU with 12% compared to 14.7% across Canterbury from the census 2011 data This comparison indicates that University s mode shares are already leaning towards sustainable modes when compared to the average across Canterbury and that this Travel Plan refresh will strengthen the University s sustainable mode choice. Page 32

33 8 Targets 8.1 Link between objectives and targets The targets for this Travel Plan are aligned to each of the overall objectives of the Travel Plan for the University. These were to: Establish a sustainable identify for the University Encourage active travel Reduce the use of the private car Monitor and understand travel behaviours 8.2 Establish a sustainable identify for the University Target 1: All staff/students are aware of the Travel Plan. 8.3 Encourage active travel Target 2: Increase the walking mode share for staff to 14% and students to 55% This represents a 17% increase in walking for staff and a 6% increase for students. 8.4 Reduce the use of the private car Target 3: Decrease the car mode share (excluding Park & Ride) for staff to 43% and student to 6% This represents a 18% decrease for staff and approximately a 50% decrease for students. Target 4: Increase the use of the Park & Ride facilities by 200% for staff and 33% for students. Target 5: Introduce a new permit system for the Canterbury campus car parks that reduces the numbers of permits by 25% (from 738 to 554). 8.5 Monitor and understand travel behaviours Target 6: Undertake an annual survey of staff/students to monitor travel behaviour and capture mode shift Sample sizes should be sufficient to provide statistical significance eg 95% confidence level with a +/- 5% confidence interval. For a population of 1,000 staff this gives a required sample in the order of 275; for 9,000 students this gives a required sample in the order of 375. Page 33