No sign of Smart Travel Towns in Census

The Census records journeys to work by car falling in the country as a whole between 2001 and 2011 but car commuting actually increased in the DfT’s three Sustainable Travel Demonstration Towns. Steve Melia looks at the data and suggests a new method to monitor the impact of travel behaviour change interventions

Steve Melia is a senior lecturer in planning and transport at the University of the West of England

19 April 2013

Steve Melia is a senior lecturer in planning and transport at the University of the West of England.

Amongst the surprises contained in the 2011 Census statistics on travel to work are some encouraging and some challenging findings for supporters of ‘smarter choices’ and sustainable transport more generally.

First some good news: across the country as a whole, the share of commuting by car has fallen, slightly. London continues to show the rest of England how modal shift from driving to public transport can be achieved. Apologists for bus deregulation used to argue that...