Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire

Transcription

1 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review June, 2014

2 About Sustrans Sustrans makes smarter travel choices possible, desirable and inevitable. We re a leading UK charity enabling people to travel by foot, bike or public transport for more of the journeys we make every day. We work with families, communities, policy-makers and partner organisations so that people are able to choose healthier, cleaner and cheaper journeys, with better places and spaces to move through and live in. It s time we all began making smarter travel choices. Make your move and support Sustrans today. Regional Office: Sustrans 2nd Floor 4-6 Cowgate, Peterborough PE1 1NA Head Office: Sustrans 2 Cathedral Square College Green Bristol BS1 5DD Sustrans Registered Charity No (England and Wales) SC (Scotland) VAT Registration No Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

3 Background: Sustrans continues to lead on the Active Travel element of the Travel Choices programme, which is funded by Central Bedfordshire Council, through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LTSF). The aspiration of the Travel Choices programme is to support the economy of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard, by providing residents and businesses with an improved choice for local journeys, thus, reducing car use, cutting costs and improving health. Sustrans work is focused on running a community engagement programme through the Travel Choices Hub in Ashton Square, Dunstable and the Bike It+ project in schools across Dunstable and Houghton Regis; both of which have now been running for 16 months. Since the last Annual Review, issued in July, 2013, the Active Travel programme has continued to develop, with levels of engagement increasing, both at the Travel Choices Hub, at our community outreach events and through the Bike It+ project. From the start of July, 2013 to the end of May, 2014 the Active Travel element of the Travel Choices programme has achieved the following headline figures: 5,177 visitors to the Travel Choices Hub; 5,790 beneficiaries engaged with at community outreach events; 88 led walks coordinated and delivered; Supported and delivered 16 led cycle rides; Attended 83 external, community focussed events; The Bike It+ project is working intensively with ten schools; Between September, 2013 and April, 2014 the Bike It+ project engaged with 5,784 individuals (pupils, staff, and parents). 1 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

4 The Travel Choices Hub: Since the last Annual Review, completed in July, 2013 the Travel Choices Hub has further established itself as an important service to the wider community, offering a high level of knowledge and expertise on sustainable travel in Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Leighton Buzzard and further afield. In March, 2014 a retrospective survey was circulated to beneficiaries of the Travel Choices Hub and although the number of participants was limited, meaning the extrapolation of the data to the wider population does not meet best practice margins of error; the overall trends are positive and worth noting: 63% of beneficiaries agreed that information received enabled / encouraged them to switch to use sustainable transport more often; 70% of beneficiaries agreed that the information / guidance received was high quality and useful for general day to day travel. The longer term monitoring of individuals who use the Travel Choices Hub is an important aspect of the Active Travel Programme and something that we are keen to develop further, to allow us to fully understand the impact we are having. Over the last year the Travel Choices Hub has averaged 471 visitors each month (based on data from July, 2013 to May, 2014). Whilst it is important to acknowledge the increase in footfall caused 2 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

5 by the opening of the Guided Busway, which saw over 2,000 people visit the Travel Choices Hub in September and October, 2013, there has been noticeable overall growth in visitor numbers. For instance, for the four months from January to the end of April, 2014 there has been a 16% increase in total visitor numbers, compared to the same four months in It is pleasing to see growth in visitor numbers to the Travel Choices Hub, especially in months (January to March) that are generally perceived to be quieter. Conversely, going forward, the key period is between June and August, 2014, as the footfall in this period was lower than expected in 2013 and with improved weather and longer days this is a crucial time for encouraging individuals to consider altering their travel behaviour. When considering how to increase footfall and understanding more about the functionality of the Travel Choices Hub it is important to analyse what people are using the facility for and a detailed breakdown of over 4,000 recorded visitors illustrates some interesting patterns: 3 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

6 The most prominent figures are those around public transport, with 36% of visitors to the Travel Choices Hub requesting information on the local bus network. This figure is compounded further when adding the percentage of people who requested specific information on the Guided Busway (25%). Whilst we would expect the figures to be skewed in favour of the Guided Busway for data collected between July, 2013 and June, 2014, due to the opening of the route, that still represents 61% of visitors to the Travel Choices Hub receiving information on public transport and the Guided Busway; a significant amount. One figure that is slightly surprising is that only 5% of requests are to do with cycling. Bearing in mind the vast improvements to local routes, the creation of the route adjacent to the Guided Busway and a number of positive softer measures: a new cycle map, the Dunstable Cycling Festival, a programme of led rides and Dr Bike sessions etc., this figure does seem low and needs to be addressed. The amount of visitors receiving personal journey planning advice (8%) is positive and represents a considerable number of people. This service is essential, as it is a focussed opportunity to discuss travel behaviour and present preferred, sustainable options, such as cycling to individuals. As the programme progresses it is hoped this figure can increase. Ultimately, a lot of the information we give out is often personal journey planning in a more informal manner, but there is merit in trying to 4 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

7 increase specific personal journey planning sessions a target should be for one in five visitors (20%) to receive a personal journey planning session when they engage with a member of staff at the Travel Choices Hub. Another area worthy of attention is the 17% of visitors to the Travel Choices Hub who are requesting other information, which is generally local information. While these conversations are not always regarding transport, they illustrate an important picture of the Travel Choices Hub becoming embedded into the local community. Over the last year the Travel Choices Hub becoming a trusted part of the local community is a real achievement for the project. This is emphasised by the amount of partners who are now running events and sessions from the Travel Choices Hub, including: Monthly employment sessions with the Job Centre Plus; Weekly sessions from Bromford on support services for the local community; Weekly sessions with UK Active, focussed on encouraging active lifestyles; Monthly meetings of the Luton and Dunstable Cycle Forum; Regular Bus Clinic sessions. The Travel Choices Hub has enjoyed a successful and important year; establishing itself within the local community, learning how to operate as effectively as possible and most importantly delivering a high quality service to thousands of visitors. Nonetheless, there is still extensive potential to grow the influence and awareness of the Travel Choices Hub further. In a Route User Intersect Survey carried out in October and November we found out (from 229 interviews): 51% of respondents were aware of the Travel Choices Hub; of those; 86% knew the Travel Choices Hub offered information on local travel; 50% were aware we offered led walks and cycle rides; 36% knew that we offer a cycle loan scheme; 33% that we provide a personal journey planning service, and; Only 25% that we offer free health checks. The final area worth discussing in terms of the Travel Choices Hub is the role and development of volunteers, who have become essential members of the wider Travel Choices team helping to deliver the Active Travel Programme. 5 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

8 There are currently 33 individuals signed up as Sustrans Volunteers, but it is necessary to note that these 33 volunteers are predominantly assisting us because they feel passionately about the Travel Choices project and sustainable travel in Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard. The volunteers team has helped with staffing the Travel Choices Hub, distributing materials, collecting and collating data, leading walks and rides, but the main area they have assisted with has been at our considerable programme of community outreach events. Community Outreach Events: The Travel Choices Hub is the focal point of the Active Travel Programme; however, a comprehensive package of community outreach events has helped publicise the Travel Choices brand and what we offer to a much larger audience. As aforementioned, from the start of July, 2013 to the end of May, 2014 there have been 83 events in the community, engaging with 5,790 individuals, this does not include individuals who have attended our 88 coordinated led walks or 16 led cycle rides. The table below breaks down the types of events and activities that have been organised and it is not surprising that there has been a fairly even spread. The events held over the last year have allowed us to learn more about what works and what is most effective at engaging people and discussing their travel behaviour. For instance, the large scale festivals are highly effective at increasing brand recognition and speaking to high volumes of people, yet, some of the smaller, community focussed events, which are dealing with much smaller numbers, often allows for more targeted and detailed discussions e.g. personal journey planning. Type of Event / Activity Amount held Large scale festival / carnival e.g. Cycling Festival, Kite Festival, Leighton Buzzard Carnival 25% Medium sized event e.g. Leighton Buzzard Market, Lark 14% 6 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

9 Rise School Fete, Guided Busway promotion in town centre Smaller, community focussed event e.g. Mayfield s Centre / Downside Community Centre Dr Bike, resources & travel planning session 28% Activity held at a workplace or council building e.g. Watling House workplace activity with Dr Bike/PJP with JMP 11% Activity held at the College e.g. Dunstable Campus College Fresher's Fair 14% Focussed, often one off, small scale activity e.g. attendance at Slimming World session, Sandhills Community House evening 8% As the Active Travel Programme develops it is important to understand what events and activities represent the most efficient use of time. There is still a need to maintain our attendance at a variety of events, as this ensures we make the most of opportunities to engage with different and potentially new demographics. Conversely, anecdotally, the most useful events, in terms of quality engagement are at the smaller, community focused events. This approach has been particularly effective when targeting key communities, such as Downside and Tithe Farm; where a simple Dr Bike and security marking session has allowed for personalised journey planning to be facilitated successfully. When planning for the future, a number of well marketed and focussed, smaller, community events seems prudent, with a selection of high profile larger events; such as the Go Dunstable Festival running in tandem. The Family Cycling Festival (September, 2013) and the planned Go Dunstable Festival (June, 2014) are two extremely high profile events that are solely coordinated and delivered through the Active Travel Programme. The Family Cycling Festival, held in September, 2013 was hailed a great success, because despite inclement weather conditions, there were sixteen different stalls / activities and over 1,000 attendees. Furthermore, the event attracted a high proportion of teenagers and young adults; a demographic the project had struggled to engage with. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, event feedback repeatedly mentioned how positive it was to see something like this happening in Dunstable this positive feeling, was directly linked to the Travel Choices brand. Following the completion of the Family Cycling Festival, which was a noticeable use of resources (287 hours of officer time was spent on the preparation and delivery of the Festival); it was decided to plan for another Festival in June, 2014, but to slightly alter the focus (no longer just cycling) and the date was shifted from September to June in the hope of improved weather conditions. How we manage and fund a Festival that is coordinated through the Active Travel Programme, to ensure it meets the objectives of the broader project; is worthy of future discussion. One area for future development is how we ensure our community outreach work continues to offer innovative and imaginative ways of engaging with the people of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and 7 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

10 Leighton Buzzard. The sheer scale of events the Active Travel Programme have delivered over the last twelve months is notable, but it is necessary to guarantee that future events do not become too familiar and new methods for engaging people and getting them to think about how they travel are actively considered. The adoption of monthly Working Group meetings seems to be a useful forum for discussing and developing new ideas for events and activities, but it may also be worthwhile organising a creative workshop every six months for the team to concentrate entirely on discussing imaginative ideas for events and activities. Bike It+ Project: The Bike It+ project is a key component of the Active Travel Programme and the last twelve months has seen the project develop considerably; with a significant increase in the number of pupils, parents and staff at Bike It+ schools travelling sustainably for more of their everyday journeys. School Stage Date of Engagement 8 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

11 Secondary School: All Saints Academy Intensive October, 2013 Middle School: Streetfield Intensive March, 2013 Ashton Intensive March, 2013 Brewers Hill Intensive April, 2014 Primary School: Dunstable Icknield Lower Intensive January, 2013 Lark Rise Academy Intensive February, 2013 Hadrian Academy Intensive February, 2013 St Augustines Academy Intensive October, 2013 Barnfield Vale Academy Intensive April, 2014 Houghton Regis Intensive March, 2014 Ardley Hill N/A In discussion Thornhill Lower N/A In discussion Disengaged Schools: Priory Academy Houghton Regis Academy The Bike It+ project is currently working intensively with ten schools across Dunstable and Houghton Regis, with another two primary schools looking to sign up in the near future. It is important to note, that as per the Bike It+ model, as new schools are recruited to the project, some of the older schools e.g. Icknield, Lark Rise and Hadrian will move to the supported at a distance phase, which is where they will have less contact with the Schools and Communities Officer, but their School Champion will still be supported and have the same opportunities as all Bike It+ Schools e.g. the Big Pedal. Between September, 2013 and April, 2014 the Bike It+ project engaged with 5,784 individuals (pupils, staff, and parents) and the Schools and Communities Officer delivered 38 different activities at the ten engaged schools. One particularly interesting point is that the amount of parents engaging in the project (as a percentage of overall engagement) is increasing, which represents an important shift as the schools and communities work of the Active Travel Programme become increasingly better connected. 9 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

12 Percentage of pupils (%) How do you usually travel to school? Cycle Walk Scoot/Skate Park & Stride/Park & Cycle Bus Train/Other Car Pre Post The data presented above is for the first six schools that registered with Bike It+; as soon as we have information on the other four schools, we will update our tables and graphs. The graph above shows some very positive changes in travel behaviour of pupils to school, with increases in cycling and scooting and a slight decrease in walking. However, the most important shift to recognise is the large reduction (nearly 10%) in pupils arriving at school by car. The data above is produced from pupil hands-up surveys, but this positive performance is backed up by regular bike and scooter counts from our Schools and Communities Officer and also with information received during the Big Pedal the national inter-school cycling and scooting competition, which ran in March, During the Bike Pedal all of the Dunstable and Houghton Regis Bike It+ schools signed up and during the fortnight the modal share of cycling and scooting to school was between 11 and 38%; with many schools recording substantial increases. In total 6,129 journeys were completed by bike or scooter in the ten days of the competition and All Saints Academy came in the top twenty nationally. The challenge now is to harness the momentum gained during the Big Pedal and use it to maintain levels of cycling and scooting to school. 10 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

13 Percentage of pupils (%) It is evident that the last twelve months have been positive for the Bike It+ project, with positive results, excellent feedback from the schools we are working with and a number of other schools eager to join the project. However, there is still vast potential to see even higher numbers of sustainable travel to school, especially in terms of cycling. How often do you ride your bike when not cycling to/from school? Three or more times a week Once or twice a week Once or twice a month A few times a year Never Pre Post The graph above illustrates how pupils at Bike It+ schools use their bikes when not travelling to and from school. The most striking figure is that 34.5% of pupils use their bikes three or more times a week, yet only 8.8% use their bike as their usual mode of transport to school. In addition, nearly half 11 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

14 of pupils use their bike at least once a week how we identify and subsequently remove some of the barriers that are restricting these pupils from cycling to and from school is a key opportunity and challenge of the Bike It+ project. It was also encouraging to see Hadrian Academy become the first school in Central Bedfordshire to receive the Sustrans Bronze School Mark award - awarded to a school that has worked to bring about some organisational, cultural and behavioural changes which help the school community choose to travel in more active and sustainable ways. Conclusion: Sustrans has loved delivering the Active Travel Programme on behalf of Central Bedfordshire Council over the last twelve months and we feel significant steps have been made to allow for an integrated programme of interventions to be successfully delivered. We have found it particularly satisfying to see the Travel Choices brand become widely recognised across the region and for footfall and engagement levels to continue to increase at the Travel Choices Hub and at community engagement events. We also feel the Bike It+ project compliments the wider programme effectively and will increasingly become a more important part of our engagement strategies. Overall, we look forward to innovating where possible and continuing to offer a high level of service to the residents of Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard to help them consider how they make their everyday journeys. Below is a selection of quotes from beneficiaries of the Travel Choices Active Travel Programme: I never realised travelling on a bus could be so much fun. Thank you for organising it. Thank you for helping me to be more confident. I couldn t lift my hand off the handlebar, now I can. I really hope my example will encourage others to see health issues don t always need to stop you cycling. I m delighted that the electric bike gives me the opportunity to continue doing something that s always been an important part of my life. I can t wait to get going! Usually if I go around a busy roundabout, I ll cling to the side to try to avoid other road users. Chris taught me to position myself correctly and indicate, making lots of eye contact so my intentions are clear. 12 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review

15 All the Dunstable schools were winners, increasing the number of pupils who cycle and having lots of fun as well. It s been a pleasure to work with them. I ve really benefitted from volunteering. Working at the Travel Choices Hub involves helping all sorts of people, from teenagers to pensioners. It teaches you to take individual responsibility for a task while working as part of a team. I m keen to offer my clients as much help and assistance as possible. I always direct them to Travel Choices Hub; it s the one-stop-shop for information and advice on travel in the Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Leighton Buzzard areas The Hub is an invaluable part of the Travel Choices project, playing a vital role in engaging with the local community. They have done sterling work in raising awareness among residents of the money savings and health benefits involved in embracing active forms of transport such as walking, cycling and bus travel. Lessons learned now about healthy lifestyles will benefit young people for the rest of their lives. The Travel Choices Smoothie Bike is a great way of getting an important message across in a way that really appeals to young people. The children and their families really enjoyed taking part. The challenge was fun for everyone and crossed all areas of the curriculum, with children studying maps, adding up their miles and thinking about healthy lifestyles. We were delighted with the turn out, particularly as it was quite a cold morning. Learning about healthy lifestyles is a key part of the curriculum and the Bikers Breakfast is a great opportunity to get the message across in a fun, practical way that involves the children and their families. I was really impressed with how quickly we reached Luton and I really enjoyed the journey as I could see out of the windows and take in parts of Luton and Dunstable I didn t even know existed. 13 Travel Choices: Active Travel Programme, Central Bedfordshire Annual Review