2.2 - Strategies providing improved transport options

Introduction

TDM strategies that provide improved transport options include those that increase the number and quality of types of travel. Typical strategies are briefly described in the following sections.

Alternative work schedules

Examples of alternative work schedules (also called variable work hours):

• Flexitime allows employees some flexibility in their daily work schedules. For example, rather than all employees working 8 am to 5 pm, some might work 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, and others 9 am to 6 pm.
• Compressed work week (CWW) is when employees work fewer but longer days, such as four 10−hour days each week (4/40), or nine hour days with one day off every two weeks (9/80).
• Staggered shifts are used to reduce the number of employees arriving and leaving a worksite at one time. For example, some shifts may be 8 am to 5 pm, others 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, and others 9 am to 6 pm. This has a similar effect on traffic as flexitime, but does not give individual employees as much control over their schedules.

Car sharing

Car sharing refers to car rental services intended to substitute for private vehicle ownership. Car sharing is common in Europe and is being developed in some Australian and North American cities. It is considered a cost effective alternative to owning a vehicle driven less than about 10,000 km per year. There are typically 8 to 15 members per vehicle. Some small businesses use car sharing. It makes occasional use of a vehicle affordable, even for low-income households, while providing an incentive to minimize driving and rely on alternative travel options as much as possible.

Cycle infrastructure improvements

Cycle transport is effective at meeting sustainable transport goals. There are many specific ways to improve and encouraging cycling, including:

• roadway improvements
• cycle lanes and paths (particularly if they provide a shortcut or allow cyclists to avoid heavy traffic)
• secure and weather protected cycle parking
• shower facilities at workplaces.

Cycle and walking promotion

This includes a variety of measures and activities that support and promote cycling and walking, such as:

• cycling and walking events and activities, particularly on trails and cycling routes
• cycling and walking commute campaigns. These could involve contests as to which workers and worksites commutes most by non-motorised modes
• education programmes that teach cycling skills
• cycling maps showing recommended cycling routes and facilities, roadway conditions (shoulders, traffic volumes, special barriers to cycling, etc) hills, recreational facilities, and other information helpful to cyclists
• cycles provided by employers and community organizations to rent or loan
• reimbursement of employee cycling expenses
• programmes to encourage provision of secure parking, showers and other cycling-related facilities at workplaces
• programmes to encourage use of cycles for deliveries and other commercial uses
• tourist promotion materials highlighting cycling and walking.

Cycle/ passenger transport integration

Cycling and passenger transport are complementary modes. Cycling is ideal for relatively short (less than five km) trips with multiple stops on lower traffic roads, while passenger transport is most effective when travelling longer distances along busy corridors. Co-ordination can be enhanced by cycle racks and storage lockers near passenger transport stops, racks for carrying cycles on buses and pool vans, and cycle routes to passenger transport stops.

Guaranteed ride home

Guaranteed ride home provide an occasional subsidised ride home to commuters who use alternative modes. For example, guaranteed ride home may provide a taxi ride or use of a company car if an employee must return home in an emergency or stay at work later than expected. This addresses a common objection to the use of alternative modes.

High occupancy vehicle priority

High occupancy vehicles (HOVs) include buses, minibuses, and cars with two, three, four or more passengers depending on the scheme. HOV facilities include dedicated traffic lanes and queue-jumping lanes at highway on-ramps. Recent innovation in traffic light controls allows buses to receive preferential treatment in urban arterial traffic. HOV priority measures are efficient use of road space, an incentive for mode shift, and a way to minimise private vehicle traffic while providing access to areas of intense activity, such as shopping districts and employment centres. HOV facility use depends on its specific location, and how well it integrates with other public transport and rideshare promotion efforts. In general, HOV facilities are considered most effective in attracting additional HOV users where they save more than ten minutes per trip.

Non-motorised transport

Non-motorised transport (also known as active transport and human powered transport) includes walking, cycles, skates, skateboards, scooters and wheelchair use. These modes provide both recreation (they are an end in themselves) and transport (they provide access to goods and activities), although users may consider a particular trip to serve both. For example, some people will choose to walk or cycle rather than drive because they enjoy the activity, although it takes longer. There are many specific ways to improve non-motorised transportation, such as:

• improved footpaths, crosswalks, paths and bike lanes
• correcting specific roadway hazards to non-motorized transport
• improved road, path and footpath maintenance
• universal design (transport systems that accommodate people with disabilities and other special needs)
• develop pedestrian oriented land use and building design
• street furniture (eg benches) and design features (eg human-scale street lights)
• traffic calming, speed reductions and vehicle restrictions
• safety education, law enforcement and encouragement activities
• bike/public transport integration and public transport oriented development
• cycle parking
• addressing security concerns of pedestrians and cyclists.

Park-and-ride facilities

Park-and-ride facilities allow suburban commuters to leave their vehicle while ridesharing or taking public transport. Their effectiveness depends significantly on TDM goals. Car park-and-ride use reduces urban traffic congestion and downtown parking demand, but provides only minor reductions in air pollution and energy consumption since a major portion of car emissions occur during the first few kilometres that a vehicle is driven. In some circumstances, park-and-ride facilities may encourage urban sprawl by reducing the cost of long distance commutes.

Passenger transport service improvements

There are many potential ways to improve passenger transport, including additional routes, bus lanes, park and ride facilities, increased service frequency, express bus service, shuttle services, reduced fares, improved information, more bus pullouts and shelters, and various comfort improvements. Each of these can have a role in encouraging a shift from car to public transport. Various new public transport fare payment methods allow faster boarding and eliminate barriers, particularly the need to have exact change.

Pedestrian infrastructure improvements

Many strategies can help create a more pedestrian-friendly environment, including better footpaths, crosswalks, and other street design features that accommodate pedestrians, and traffic calming strategies to reduce traffic speeds and volumes.

Personal security

Fear of assault, theft and vandalism can discourage walking, cycling and public transport travel. These problems can be addressed through various measures and design strategies such as neighbourhood watch and community policing programmes, special police patrols (including police on foot and cycles), pedestrian escorts, and monitoring of pedestrian, cycle, public transport and park and ride facilities. Public transport agencies can implement special programmes to increase rider security.

Ridesharing

Ridesharing includes car pooling, van pooling, and subscription express bus.  Rideshare programmes typically provide car and van pool matching, and van pool sponsorship. They may be managed at the firm, site or regional level.

Shuttle services

Shuttle services include a variety of transport services that use small buses or vans to provide public mobility. They are a type of public transport.

• Circulating shuttles carry passengers for short trips along busy corridors, including business districts, employment and education campuses, and parks or recreation areas.
• Demand-response para-transit includes various types of flexible route transport service using small buses, vans or shared taxis.
• Special mobility services to provide mobility to people with disabilities.
• Mobility-to-work programmes, often involving special reverse-commute shuttle services between low-income neighbourhoods and suburban employment centres.

Taxi service improvements

Taxi refers to for-hire car travel supplied by private companies. Taxi service can be an important backup option for other alternative forms of public transport, such as allowing pedestrians to carry large loads back from a store, providing an emergency ride home (when a cyclist has a mechanical problem), or carrying non-drivers to destinations not served by public transport. Taxi service can be improved by:

• increasing the quality of taxi vehicles (comfort, carrying capacity, reliability, safety), improving support services (such as radio dispatch), driver skill and courtesy
• improved taxi vehicles, including accommodating people in wheelchairs and/or with large packages
• allowing shared taxi trips (more than one passenger)
• providing taxi stands in appropriate positions, curb access and direct telephone lines.

Telework

Telework includes various activities that substitute telecommunications (telephone, fax, email, websites, video connections, etc) for physical travel.

• Telecommuting refers to employees who work from home or another location (such as a neighbourhood telework office) in order to reduce commute travel.
• Distance learning refers to use of telecommunications by teachers and students as a substitute for physical meetings.
• Tele-shopping (internet shopping) refers to use of telecommunications to facilitate retail purchases and avoid physical visits to a store.
• Tele-banking (internet banking) refers to use of telecommunications to perform banking and bill payment transactions.
• Electronic government (e-government) refers to use of telecommunications by government agencies to provide services that would otherwise require visiting a government office.
• Internet business-to-business (B2B) refers to internet interactions between businesses, such as bidding, sales and planning.

Traffic calming

Traffic calming includes a variety of roadway design features that reduce vehicle traffic speeds and volumes. Traffic calming projects can range from minor modifications of an individual street to comprehensive redesign of a road network. Traffic calming is becoming increasingly accepted by transport professional organisations and urban planners to provide a more liveable environment more conducive to walking and cycling.