‘The case for active travel is getting stronger’ says Atkins team

There is a large body of evidence that LSTF projects have successfully brought about travel behavioural change, say Rachel Evans and Chris Hanley 

Much anticipation surrounded the recent Autumn Statement and Spending Review announcements as many of us in the transport sector remained infused with uncertainty and the looming possibility of a further fiscal squeeze. 

For the Travel Demand Management team at Atkins, a clear ongoing commitment for sustainable transport was key.

The Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) has been instrumental in building strong local economies and facilitating the delivery of sustainable travel solutions geared at promoting healthy lifestyles, improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions. For the last five years, Atkins has worked in collaboration with local authorities and their partners to successfully implement a wide-range of LSTF programmes. Although some may argue that the per capita walking and cycling settlement could have been much more ambitious in the Chancellor’s recent announcement, we have reasons to be optimistic. 

The vast majority of LSTF interventions in workplaces, schools and communities demonstrate clear evidence on travel behavioural change. We have delivered travel training for jobseekers in Hampshire, Cycle-friendly initiatives in Peterborough and Station Travel Planning in Gloucestershire,  to name just a few. These examples and many others have shown that the integrated, collaborative approach with local delivery suppliers and not-for-profit organisations in meeting local challenges has worked.

Smarter Travel LIVE, which takes place at ArenaMK on 17-18 March, offers the first and most timely opportunity to bring together like-minded and knowledgeable sustainable travel practitioners to debate and shape smarter travel solutions for the period to 2020 and beyond. 

We look forward to exploring new sector developments including the prospect of future successful funding bids and there’s no better forum to debate the key challenges coming up next year. Whether it’s a question around match funding, gaining a better understanding of how authorities will prioritise and support walking and cycling schemes or how existing LSTF programmes will be maintained with limited revenue budgets, Smarter Travel LIVE provides a platform for discussion and a catalyst for change. It’s also going to be a great opportunity to understand and showcase technological developments and find out what’s on the digital horizon.

So, why does being at the forefront of Smarter Travel LIVE excite us? There is no better time or audience to help us understand our clients’ priorities and to ensure we are delivering solutions that effectively meet the needs of local communities. We’re proud to be part of one of the UK’s largest thought leadership events dedicated to smarter travel choices. We welcome the opportunity to learn from our colleagues and peers and to share our experiences and best practices.

Chris Hanley and Rachel Evans are travel demand management practice managers at the design, engineering and project management consultancy Atkins