9.2 - Travel impacts
9.2 - Travel impacts
Introduction
Overseas experience shows that the most effective (and lowest cost) way to encourage people to change their travel behaviour is to provide them with customised information about what is available locally. Travel plans targeting workplaces, schools, or households and communities are one type of programme for doing this.
The impact on travel is dependent on factors such as:
- actual features of the plan
- commitment of the target population
- availability of material that assists people's understanding of the implications of different forms of travel behaviour
- availability of suitably trained and experienced people to establish and manage the project.
Cost efficiencies and effectiveness are enhanced when school, business, household and community initiatives are implemented simultaneously rather than separately in an area. These programmes should, therefore, be implemented by geographic area rather than by type.
Target population for travel plans
The target population is the total population of the workplace, school, or community in which the programme is being implemented. It includes the people who do not participate in the programme and those who participate but do not change their behaviour.
| Type of programme | Definition of target population |
|---|---|
| Workplace | The total workforce (number of employees) at the workplace covered by the travel plan. Make appropriate adjustment if a significant proportion of employees work more or less than the standard five days per week. |
| School | The total school roll. If this is expected to vary significantly in the next few years use an appropriate average. |
| Household and community | The total population of the community/suburb/area in which the household or community based initiative is being implemented. |
Diversion rates
Standard diversion rates between modes have been derived for TBhC projects based on experience to date. These are described in the following sections.
When conducting initial indicative evaluations for project development funding for workplace and school travel plans the diversion rate should be selected based on the proponent's knowledge of the organisations involved and the area. For the final evaluation for implementation funding the diversion rate will be based on the actual features of the completed plan.
Workplace travel plans
There are two sets of diversion rates for workplace travel plans: standard - where no passenger transport improvements are proposed and alternative - where there are proposed passenger transport improvements. Within these two sets of diversion rates, a scoring system is used to select the appropriate profile for a given workplace travel plan. The score, out of six, is assigned based on the responses to the questions in the table below.
| Yes | No | |
| Is car-parking availability constrained at the workplace? | 1 | 0 |
| Does the proposed workplace travel plan include: | ||
|
1 | 0 |
|
1 | 0 |
|
1 | 0 |
|
1 | 0 |
|
1 | 0 |
| Total score | ||
*Strategies for managing parking demand include initiatives such as parking charges, reduced supply of parking spaces, parking 'cash-out' scheme, etc.
| Default diversion rates (percentage point change in mode share) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Score | Car as driver | Car as passenger | Passenger transport | Cycling | Walking | |
| Standard - without passenger transport measures | ||||||
| Low | 1 or 2 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Medium | 3 or 4 | -5.0% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 0.6% | 1.8% |
| Alternative - with passenger transport measures or improvements | ||||||
| Low | 1 or 2 | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Medium | 3 or 4 | -5.0% | 1.3% | 2.6% | 0.3% | 0.8% |
| High | 5 or 6 | -12.9% | 3.3% | 7.4% | 1.0% | 1.2% |
The standard diversion rate values are applicable in most situations where no significant public transport measures are included in the workplace travel plan. The alternative 'with public transport service improvements' diversion rate values are applicable when significant public transport service improvements (including company provided transport), subsidy schemes, or other similar measures (covered by the last two questions in the scoring table) are part of the workplace travel plan.
School travel plans
There are two default diversion rate profiles for schools, one for primary and another for intermediate and secondary schools.
| Default diversion rates (percentage point change in mode share) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School type | Car as driver | Car as passenger | Passenger transport | Cycling | Walking |
| Primary | 0.0% | -9.0% | 0.0% | 1.5% | 7.5% |
| Secondary/ intermediate | 0.0% | -9.0% | 5.0% | 0.5% | 3.5% |
Household and community-based initiatives
The standard diversion rate value is applicable for most projects.
The low diversion rate is applicable in situations where:
- the proposal will implement fewer measures than 'usual' household based programmes, eg a community travel awareness campaign on its own would not achieve the standard diversion rate
- public transport services and cycling/walking facilities in the area are poor and no significant changes to these are envisaged as part of the TBhC proposal.
| Default diversion rates (percentage point change in mode share) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Car as driver | Car as passenger | Passenger transport | Cycling | Walking | |
| Low | -1.0% | -0.2% | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| Standard | -3.1% | -0.5% | 1.4% | 0.9% | 1.3% |
