Promoting sustainable travel
Active Travel
Sustrans' Research and Monitoring Unit are responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the ten Travel Actively consortium funded Sustrans' Active Travel projects. Sustrans' Research and Monitoring Unit has shown that the Active Travel projects are successful in increasing levels of walking and cycling for leisure and for active travel among participants.
The monitoring and evaluation of the Active Travel projects consists of:
- a short registration survey
- in-depth follow-up surveys and interim surveys specific for different project activities
- qualitative feedback from participants through focus groups and one to one interviews.
The projects are successful in increasing the number of participants who travel actively for at least 10 minutes on five or more days a week. This increased from 40% of participants at registration to 45% at follow up. The number of respondents travelling actively for more than one hour a week also increased from 78% to 84% for walking and from 20% to 29% for cycling. Projects are helping to reduce participants' reliance on cars where 33% of respondents reduced the distance they travel by car by at least 1-5 miles per day.
Active Travel projects increase participants' walking and cycling both for travel and overall:
- 40% reported an increase in the amount of walking they do for travel
- 29% said the amount of cycling they do for travel had increased
- 55% of participants in cycling activities increased the time they spent cycling
- 56% of respondents that took part in walking activities increased the amount of walking they do.
Active travel in Higher and Further education: the Ucycle Nottingham project
Since September 2009, the Ucycle Nottingham project has increased cycling and awareness of the benefits of and opportunities for cycling though engagement with staff and students at Nottingham University Hospitals, Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham. This was achieved through infrastructure improvements, sharing of information, training and community activities, as well as a cycle hire scheme. Evaluation was carried out by Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit to monitor the impacts of the Ucycle project, and showed that it has achieved its targets. Phase one of the project has now ended, and this report summaries its impacts. Click here for more information about the project.
Ucycle Nottingham phase one monitoring and evaluation report
Impacts and Outcomes in 2010
Sustrans' Active Travel Impacts and Outcomes in 2010 report is an overview of the monitoring of Sustrans' 10 Active Travel projects that are funded by the Active Travel Consortium. The purpose of this follow up report was to highlight the impacts the Sustrans' Active Travel projects have had on participants' physical activity and active travel levels, based on monitoring carried out by Sustrans Research and Monitoring Unit.
Greener Living Fund
Defra launched the Greener Living Fund in 2008 to promote greener living across England. Sustrans' 'Broadening the reach of TravelSmart' project aims to bring about sustained reductions in car use for short trips and to support modal shift to walking, cycling and public transport use across England. Evaluation of the impact of the iTravelSmart aspect of the project is managed by Sustrans' Research and Monitoring Unit.
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