‘Long term benefits of travel plans must be clearly illustrated’

The government’s spending review has highlighted the importance of evaluating sustainable transport programmes in a transparent and independent way, believes Jon Parker at consultant Integrated Transport Planning (ITP). It is also vital to clearly set out how a legacy will be delivered beyond the lifetime of any funded project, he adds. 

“One of the areas where there is often scope for improvement relates to the implementation of travel plans,” Parker explains. “The delivery of a travel plan typically falls on the occupiers of a new development, or individuals within a business for whom the delivery of travel behaviour change is seldom core to their ‘day job’ or aligned with their skill-sets. At a time when local authority budgets available for supporting and monitoring the effective implementation of travel plans are being placed under pressure, this can be critical.”

Parker says that a useful tool for illustrating the legacy of a project is TravelPlans365, a website developed by ITP with the support of Swindon Borough Council. This online programme, designed to train the next generation of sustainable transport planners, will offer a stable long-term legacy to sustrainable transport investment or travel plans secured through the planning process, says Parker. 

ITP has converted its travel plan masterclass into short, easily digestible, on-line video modules and supporting materials, says Parker. “TravelPlans365 offers business travel plan coordinators the opportunity to train at their own pace without the need to take time out for formal training courses, which is often stated as a barrier to participation.

“It is easy and cost-effective for local authorities seeking to stimulate knowledge sharing to bulk-purchase ‘annual licences’ that can be freely distributed to travel plan networks as part of a wider package of supporting travel plan measures.”

Jon Parker will be discussing TravelPlans365 at Smarter Travel LIVE, which takes place at ArenaMK, Milton Keynes, on 17/18 March.