European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Congestion & Road Safety Christopher Deakins Team Leader - Network Management & Administration 9 July 2008 Target Setting for New Development Travel Plans Introduction and Context for the WSP Study into Setting Effective Travel Plan Targets Mark Frost (LB Hounslow and WestTrans) ECOMM 2009

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 The Problem >As a result of successive government policies most new developments in London are now required to develop a travel plan encouraging sustainable transport to the site. >However, for officers responsible for implementing this policy key questions remain: 1.What is an appropriate target for a travel plan for a new development? 2.What are the appropriate courses of action available to the authority in the event that the development does not achieve this target?

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Recent Practice >Up until recently most DC travel plans provided targets based around generic best practice documents (e.g. Making Smarter Choices Work, DfT, 2005) quoting approximate goals of such as We will achieve a 10% reduction in car use over 5 years. >In most cases these targets were not generally tailored to relate to the specifics of the site or nature of operations. >What they were actually measuring was also vague – 10% reduction in car use – total car movements onto and off of the site/day? staff commute trips/day? just single occupancy vehicles or all car trips? How would it be measured? >Regardless, the way in which plans were secured meant that the targets were effectively unenforceable.

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 New Guidance >TfLs new Best Practice Guidance for Development Related Travel Plans (March 2008) recommends the use of various planning obligation mechanisms to ensure successful implementation of travel plans and the reaching of travel plan targets. These include: 1.Implementation of works expected to remedy the failure to achieve agreed outcomes 2.A specified change or series of changes to the way the site is used 3.Specified payments to the borough to meet the cost of undertaking action to achieve the agreed outcomes 4.Payments to the borough to implement certain measures that have been identified previously

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Implementing this Guidance >However, under planning law, it is essential to be able to prove that a development has not achieved a target before these can be enforced. >In 2008 WestTrans & LB Hounslow therefore commissioned WSP to develop further guidance on how best to set targets and secure appropriate remedial measures in the event of travel plan failure. >The focus was on providing a robust, concise and easy to use toolkit for authority transport planners in west London to assist in securing effective travel plans.

TRAVEL PLAN TARGET SETTING AND MONITORING: GETTING IT RIGHT! David Knight Senior Technical Director

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 This presentations target elements… Objectives, Targets and Indicators Case Studies –Mode of School Travel Validation Project for Transport for London – Evaluation of the robustness of hands up surveys. (Data from 50 schools in London); –Development of a Target Setting Toolkit for WestTrans – How to set appropriate targets for development related workplace travel plans; –Northstowe New Town Travel Planning Strategy – Area wide travel planning for a prototype eco-town with a population of 30,000 people.

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 The Development Related Travel Plan Process Develop Travel Plan Strategy Content Budget Based on Figure 2.2 of TfL Guidance for Workplace Travel Planning for Development

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Objectives, Targets and Indicators Objectives –High level aims –Give direction –Provide focus Targets –Measurable goals Indicators –Elements you need to monitor A core travel plan process OBJECTIVES TARGETSINDICATORS 1.MONITOR CHANGE 2.UNDERSTAND LEVEL OF SUCCESS

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Why set targets? Targets drive improvement –Help to define an agreed direction –Focus attention and resources –Motivate the Travel Plan delivery team Put local performance standards into a specific context Help develop a culture of continuous improvement Demonstrates to the public that the travel plan is important and there is a commitment to deliver Blindly setting targets for every activity is unlikely to be productive Need to be fair, legal, honest and ethical

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 About Targets SMART –Specific –Measurable –Achievable –Realistic –Timebound Relationship to Objectives and Indicators Imprecise target setting can lead to confusion and loss of credibility in the travel plan Desired, promised, minimum or aspirational Aim Type To reduce the proportion of single occupancy vehicle trips by 15% by 2011 To appoint a Travel Plan Coordinator by March 2010 Action Type

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Targets within the Travel Plan Document

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 West Trans Target Setting Toolkit

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Setting Core Aim-Type Targets STEP 1 Establish Requirements for Targets (Scoping) STEP 2 Estimate Baseline without Travel Plan STEP 3 Develop targets with reference to influencing factors (including proposed measures) STEP 4 Benchmark targets to ensure robustness STEP 5 Agree and secure targets as necessary STEP 6 Monitor, Evaluate and Review Summarise Development Proposals Travel Plan Requirement Travel Plan Type Identify User Groups Policy Requirements Provision of data in TP database Review Transport Assessment Identify Relevant Data Sources Record Predicted Behaviour Check Baseline Data Isochrone / Accessibility Plots Expected Mode Shift Draft Targets Check against iTRACE PTAL tool Check targets against car parking proposals Check mode shift assumptions against measures Check that targets are smart Submit draft Travel Plan and await feedback Record on iTRACE Convert to full targets after Year 1 Are Targets Met?

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Mode Shift Potential Tool Scoring system for measures contained with a Travel Plan Based on 20 UK Case Studies Most effective measures are: –Significant new or enhanced public transport –Major restrictions on car parking –Financial Incentives for using sustainable transport Linear Regression of Modal Shift versus scores achieved strong correlation Tool indicates a band of values for which targets for car driver mode share should realistically fall within

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Mode Shift Potential Tool

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Target Setting Key Principles A maximum of 6 to 10 targets is recommended for a single Travel Plan Co-ordinator All standard travel plans need to have a target that is set to reduce single occupancy vehicle (SOV) across the site Targets are best expressed in terms of maximum end levels of SOV or car driver arrivals Where applicable the applicant should set separate SOV targets for each target group covered by the scope of the travel plan Levels of parking proposed for the development should be consistent with the proposed targets The target date for achieving targets should be clear and usually linked to a key milestone

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Northstowe New Town Travel Planning Strategy

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 A major development 9,500 new homes 136,000 sqm B1 employment 49,500 sqm Retail town centre 5,000 sqm Local centre retail 22,800 sqm Leisure (Fitness Centre, Hotel, Cinema) 11,000 sqm Community Facilities (Library, Civic Hub, Public Offices) Education Facilities (6 primary schools, 1 Secondary School, 1 FE Campus)

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Comprehensive Travel Planning Northstowe Travel Planning Strategy Overall responsibilities: Residential Travel Plan Town Centre Travel Plan Construction Travel Plan (Separate) Monitoring, Review and Evaluation Workplace TP Strategy Individual School Travel Plans (STPs) for each school Individual Workplace Travel Plans (WTPs) for each organisation School Travel Plan Strategy WTP STP WTP STP TPMO Contractor Individual Developers/ Occupiers

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Monitoring and Evaluation for a whole town Issues –Peak hour trips, weekday trips etc –Internal and External Trips –Through Trips –Measuring modal shares Monitoring methods –Traffic counts –Travel surveys –Automatic Number Plate Recognition? –Radio Frequency Identification? –iTRACE The way forward –A consistent evidence base –A cost effective solution –A national approach is needed

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 The Development Related Travel Plan Budget Implementing the Travel Plan Back-up or Default Measures Monitoring and Evaluation TRAVEL PLAN BUDGET £000s

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Mode of School Travel Data Validation Project for Transport for London WSP supported by Integrated Transport Planning Ltd and MVA Consultancy Ltd

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Purpose and process Understand how robust hands up data is –Identify ways more accurate data could be collected –Provide all stakeholders with clear guidance –Ensure the evaluation of School Travel Plan measures is accurate Our approach –Recruitment of 51 schools with the help of School Transport Advisors –Classroom surveys observed by surveyor –Classroom surveys completed by surveyor –Use of alternative methods –Interviews with sample of pupils –Travel diaries with a sample of pupils –TRAVL survey methodology

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Insert survey methodology diagram

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Survey Response No significant difference between hands up and interview for any mode Significant differences between travel diary and interview for: –Car/van –Train –Underground –Other Confidence interval between methods is 3%

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Study Findings Hands Up Survey is the best way and delivers a high degree of accuracy Guidance written to reduce inaccuracies: –Usual or Today –Multiple modes –Car share confusions –Multiple responses –Different modes on different days –Language –Mis-recording responses

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 Some conclusions A robust Target Setting Toolkit now exists for development related travel plans with widespread application We need a national and consistent standard for target setting and monitoring in new and existing communities Hands Up Surveys provide a high degree of accuracy – Workplace Travel Plans should use high response snapshot surveys for monitoring modal shift

European Conference on Mobility Management 2009 David Knight Senior Technical Director WSP Development and Transportation Bristol, UK Tel: WSP is winner of 2008 Sustainable Consultant of the Year Award WSP is Number 1 Transport Consultancy 2009 (NCE Consultants File)