BEHAVIOUR CHANGE: SMARTER CHOICES THEORY AND PRACTICE Martin Higgitt JMP Consultants Limited Structure  Policy context: Travel demand management and why smarter choices have become important  The theory and reasons behind smarter choices  The smarter choices tool kit  Case study of i-Travel York  Where next? What are ‘smarter choices’?  Promotional measures to encourage the uptake of sustainable travel options  ‘Smarter choices’ or ‘soft measures’ include: • Marketing and communications • Public transport information and promotion • Travel planning with: • Employers • Schools / colleges • Residents (Personal travel planning, PTP) • Station travel plans • Shared mobility – ride-sharing, car clubs etc • Promoting alternatives to travel POLICY CONTEXT A brief history: the end of the road for Predict and Provide     During 1990s, acknowledged that “Predict and Provide” could not work: More road capacity encouraged more traffic demand and worsened conditions for other modes Also, financially unaffordable, environmentally damaging and politically untenable Traffic levels 180 170 160 150 140 130 120 110 100 1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2025 National Traffic Forecasts, 1996 A brief history: Travel Demand Management and Smarter Choices  Travel demand management approach starts to take over in 1990s  Research project in early 2000’s for Department for Transport shows potential impact of demand management measures if delivered in intensive and comprehensive way national 11% non-urban off-peak 7% non-urban peak 14% urban off-peak 13% 21% urban peak 20 40 60 % traffic 80 100 Travel Demand Management and Smarter Choices  Leading to initial ‘Sustainable Travel Demonstration Towns’  year programmes in pilot towns showed average 9% reduction in car use in first and growth in other modes Darlington Sustainable Travel Demonstration Town, Final Evaluation Social Data, 2009 Most trips are short People’s perceptions of alternatives are often wrong Half of car trips could be undertaken by alternative Design of PTP programme  Leaflet dropped to all households advertising service and incentives  Travel advisers try visiting times (day time, evening and Saturday)  Engage in conversation: • Baseline survey about household travel patterns • Description of the transport facilities available • Offering vouchers and incentives • Encouraging households to take up a ‘challenge’  Bespoke resource packs assembled and given to households  Family Fun Day organised as a finale Offers developed for the initiative  Significant incentives: • £150 voucher towards bike purchase • £150 voucher towards public transport season ticket • Community bike loan scheme • Car Club membership, plus £50 drive time The Family Fun Day      Community bike loan hand over Bike try out session Dr Bike Travel advice stall Treasure hunt for families with young children  Guided bike ride to local nature reserve  Car Club demonstration The Results     120 households participated households declined 33 household uncontactable Participation rate = 75% cf 35% typical for ‘normal’ PTP  Conversion rate = 95% vs 60% typical for ‘normal’ PTP  Before and after surveys show reported behaviour change of  12 people took up community bike loan  50 people took part in bike try out session  A dozen families took part in Treasure Hunt  people got bike serviced  person on guided bike ride  Some families from neighbouring area FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR SMARTER CHOICES Some top tips  Particularly effective when done in association with service or infrastructure improvements  Life-events  Travel demand management  Nudge: making sustainable travel options the default Integrate with service improvements 58 Target Life-events  Habits interrupted • New movers, • New job, • New students, • Retirement, • Changing school, • Starting a family Focusing on disruption Nudge martin.higgitt@jmp.co.uk www.jmp.co.uk [...]...THE REASONS BEHIND SMARTER CHOICES The reasons for smarter choices  Not enough simply to provide alternatives  Everyday travel habitual  Need to make people aware of alternatives  and give them a reason for using them The role of smarter choices  Not enough just to provide alternatives  Reasons: • People need awareness of alternatives... alternatives THE SMARTER CHOICES TOOLKIT Marketing and communications Public transport information and marketing Employer travel planning       Development of a travel plan Implementing the travel plan Promotion Staff induction and benefits Parking management Business travel policies Challenges Challenges: Beat the Street promoting Active travel School travel planning Shared mobility  Car clubs and ride... taxi and charging infrastructure  Personal travel planning 31 PTP delivery  Recruitment and training of local Travel Advisers  Collation and development of resources  Development of a database with CRM capabilities  Linking PTP with other programmes: Active Leisure health walks and social rides, Bike Belles, Big Challenge  Signing participants up to MyTravel York: online information updates and. ..  Historic city Major visitor destination Regional economic driver Traditionally good levels of sustainable travel  Constrained road network  Challenge of responding to demand for housing and jobs whilst keeping network moving and preserving special character of city 26 Introduction to York  Pioneering city:  1980s: Footstreets - one of first pedestrianisation schemes in UK  1990s: Park & Ride... based on demographics and transport services  3 attempts at contact, scheduled at different times of day / days of week  Conversational approach  Resources offered – and pack put together for households  Challenge issued with incentives  Engagement offered at community events 34 Workplace delivery  Similar service offer to residential  Incorporate specific information and offers relevant to... liftshare scheme etc  Using offer of PTP surgery as way in for engaging organisation more deeply  Brochure laying out wider workplace offer  Preliminary meeting with firm to plan the PTP intervention and to talk through wider offer 35 Results of 2013 / 2014 programme  Residential: • 13,000 households targeted, • 4,500 participating  Community events: • over 2,000 participants • 1,000 ‘brief contacts’ ...Structure  Policy context: Travel demand management and why smarter choices have become important  The theory and reasons behind smarter choices  The smarter choices tool kit  Case study of i-Travel... Where next? What are smarter choices ?  Promotional measures to encourage the uptake of sustainable travel options  Smarter choices or ‘soft measures’ include: • Marketing and communications... intensive and comprehensive way national 11% non-urban off-peak 7% non-urban peak 14% urban off-peak 13% 21% urban peak 20 40 60 % traffic 80 100 Travel Demand Management and Smarter Choices 