What monitoring tools do we use?
Sustrans' Research and Monitoring Unit has pioneered the development of monitoring and evaluation of sustainable travel interventions using a variety of tools. Sustrans has over 30 years' experience of developing and delivering practical, cost-effective initiatives that enable many more people to travel by foot, bike or public transport. For more information on how Sustrans can help you click here.
Route User Intercept Surveys
The data from the Route User Intercept Surveys can be used to calculate a range of impacts including:
- factors influencing decision to use the route
- potential impact on CO2 emissions
- economic value of impacts of the intervention as defined by Department for Transport guidance on appraising walking and cycling interventions
- demographic reach of an intervention
- awareness of active travel
- the extent to which severance has been overcome
- change in trip type, length and destination patterns
- people who have changed their travel behaviour due to the scheme.
Counting users
Automatic count data is used by the Research and Monitoring Unit to:
- indicate average numbers of cyclists and/or pedestrians counted at a given point on a route
- indicate changes in numbers of cyclists counted over time and generate rates of growth in cycling activity
- show how volumes of cycle traffic vary during the day, and the times of day when growth in cycle trips is occurring
- link changes in numbers of cyclists to interventions.
Manual count data is used by the Research and Monitoring Unit to:
- indicate the number of cyclist and pedestrians at a given point on a route for a 12 hour period
- validate automatic count data
- provide an indication of the changes in volume of users on the same 12 hour period for sequential years or months.
Surveys with project participants and users
The Research and Monitoring Unit designs and implements a variety of surveys for both online and paper formats:
- behaviour and attitude surveys
- workplace travel surveys
- household travel behaviour surveys and travel diaries
- university bike loan schemes
- event follow-up surveys
- volunteer surveys.
Surveys are designed, implemented and analysed by the Research and Monitoring Unit. Surveys and travel diaries can provide a detailed understanding of how and why people travel. Data collected from behaviour and attitude surveys is used in a variety of projects to:
- aid in local understanding of levels of sustainable travel
- indicate the reasons why people travel the way they do
- help understand the reasons for changes in travel behaviour
- identify barriers which stop a greater uptake of sustainable transport modes
- provide valuable insight into what can be put in place to increase sustainable travel
- provide baseline information to help monitor the success of projects
- establish where there is further potential for modal change
- estimate the economic value of impacts of the intervention
- how a scheme has impacted on access to services and to particular destinations.
Survey data can be used to provide information on:
- travel mode share
- travel purpose
- origin and destination of journeys
- attitudes to walking and cycling
- views on the local environment and infrastructure
- levels of physical activity and health
- awareness of the scheme and other active travel information
- the geographic and demographic relationship to travel behaviour.
Telephone surveys
The Research and Monitoring Unit has a range of experience in delivering and analysing telephone surveys which are either outsourced or undertaken in house depending on the sample size and contact datasets required.
We have used telephone surveys for a variety of projects including:
- project participant follow up surveys,
- post intervention surveys with project stakeholders, and
- more in-depth consultations with volunteers and beneficiaries.
The Travel Actively MIS database captures information on project activities and participants in line with major Sustrans Active Travel projects such as the Sustrans-led Active Travel Consortium and Natural England's Walking for Health Initiative (WfH). It therefore adds to a nationwide evidence base for the effectiveness of moderate physical activity (in particular walking and cycling). The database also has a number of reporting functions allowing projects to output data for reporting. The Research and Monitoring Unit provide guidance and training to projects that use the database.
Activities surrounding interventions
Initially developed for Cycling City and Towns project, the Sustrans online intervention diary provides an easily accessible log of activities surrounding interventions, such as infrastructure, softer measures (cycle training, events etc) and other factors affecting cycling levels. Different levels of access can be provided to project partners to create or view reports. The Research and Monitoring Unit provide guidance and telephone support to project partners at the initiation stage and on an ongoing basis.
Valuing economic benefit
The evaluation of Sustrans projects details the benefits they bring, most importantly in terms of health benefits, carbon benefits and decongestion benefits. This is carried out using Department for Transport WebTag guidance, and uses tools such as the World Health Organisation's HEAT model.
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