TRAVEL PLAN PLUS

Project Results

To go straight to the project reports, please use our quick reference guide. For summaries of TRAVEL PLAN PLUS reports and an introduction to resources please see below.

Communication and Dissemination – Work Package 7
Policy Framework and Implementation Guideline – Work Package 6
Monitoring and Evaluation – Work Package 5
LTPN Implementation – Work Package 4
Planning for Implementation Results – Work Package 3
State of the Art Review – Work Package 2

Communication and Dissemination – Work Package 7

D7.2 How to create and sustain a Local Travel Plan Network
This is the distance learning short course developed through the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS project. This short course is aimed at anyone involved in or interested in learning more about Local Travel Plan Networks. Participants could include:

Individuals and organisations influencing, creating or implementing policy relating to transport, the environment and/or health at the local, regional or national level.
Individuals or organisations that would like to reduce their travel impact and / or would like to improve access for employees, customers and clients.
Students on courses such as transport planning, civil engineering, environmental management, geography, change management, or business management.
Other groups with an interest in sustainability and mobility management.

The objectives of this distance learning short course are:

To increase awareness of LTPNs in order to influence policy
To develop an understanding of contexts which supports LTPN development and the resources required for success
To provide individuals with the tools to initiate and implement a LTPN and then monitor and evaluate the impacts

Click here to register for the short course and to find out what technology is required to make the most of this resource.

D7.3 Local Travel Plan Network Workshop: practical lessons in developing an area-based travel plan, Cambridge UK
This TRAVEL PLAN PLUS event, organised by the consortium and the National Business Travel Network, took place on Tuesday 30 November 2010.

The workshop was open to organisations and individuals with an interest in developing and implementing a Local Travel Plan Network. Participants joined the project partners and the advisory committee of to find out more about the project and to learn from presenters and each other.

This was achieved through a mixture of presentations, workshop sessions and networking opportunities. Further details, including recordings of presentations and outputs of workshops sessions are available here.

A number of participants attended the workshop as a part of a PIMMS-TRANSFER promoting the exchange of good practice between European regions. This transfer will assist with the dissemination of LTPNs across Sweden.

Policy Framework and Implementation Guideline – Work Package 6

D6.1 Local Travel Plan Networks: Recommendations for policy makers
This guide is aimed at policy makers. It is designed to create a policy environment which supports the implementation of LTPNs. Key policy recommendations are that:

The concept of LTPNs should be linked to transport, economy, spatial planning and wider policy ambitions.
For new developments the establishment of a LTPN should be part of the planning process.
LTPN policy champions are able to drive the LTPN agenda and to act as advisors and mentors to travel planners across Europe.
A funding stream (incentive) to help cities and regions with the initial implementation of a LTPN should be established.
There should be support for Europe-wide dissemination of good practice to illustrate the benefits.

This guide is also available in Catalan.

D6.2 Local Travel Plan Networks: A Practical Guide to Implementation
This guide is aimed at LTPN implementers or potential implementers. It takes readers through 6 steps to creating a LTPN.

Based on the experience of the implementation partners and research carried out through TRAVEL PLAN PLUS the key practical recommendations are:

LTPNs are only feasible when there is a clear need for action, so agreeing a motivation (or motivations) to act amongst partner organisation is an essential starting point.
LTPNs are a people orientated approach to mobility management so communication is key.
Listening to the needs of organisations in the area and providing ‘quick wins’ creates awareness and acceptance of the LTPN.
Mapping of postcodes provides a tool to review available transport options and also relevant information for car share or bus services.

This guide is also available in Catalan.

Monitoring and Evaluation – Work Package 5

D5.1 Local Travel Plan Networks: Monitoring Report
A data monitoring and evaluation framework was developed for TRAVEL PLAN PLUS, it outlined the main aims of WP5. These were:

To assess the effectiveness of LTPNs for the stakeholders involved;
To assess the impacts of the LTPNs on transport and energy; and
To provide input for the policy framework to be developed in WP6.

The framework comprised:

An operational assessment which addressed aspects such as awareness and acceptance of the introduced measures.
A financial assessment which identified the costs and benefits to the involved stakeholders, answering the question: 'Does the LTPN bring value for money?'
A political assessment which focused on the management reasons to participate. This activity had a descriptive character.
An energy assessment which focused on the how effective LTPNs are in reducing energy use and facilitating a shift from commuting alone, by car to the LTPN sites, objectives of TRAVEL PLAN PLUS
A socio-economic assessment which included the overall effects on for example congestion and safety aspects. It thus addresses the benefits for society as a whole.

In addition, external factors, including changes to transport supply; the area (economy, employment conditions and the political situation); and other changes, for example the average distance travelled to the site were assessed to understand the true value of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS measures.

For more information on the data monitoring framework see the Local Travel Plan Networks: Monitoring Report.

For further information on the Interim Evaluation Report D5.2, see the combined D4.5 and D5.2 Interim implementation and Evaluation Report.

D4.5 and D5.2 Interim implementation and Evaluation Report
This comprehensive interim reports highlights the progress made at each of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS implementation sites. It focused on the outputs of two different work packages of LTPN development:

The design, implementation and operation of the different LTPNs up until April 2010. (Section 3 – Work Package 4 output)
Interim outcomes of the monitoring and evaluation process, the impact up until April 2010 (Section 4 – Work Package 5 output)

As a result of the interim review preliminary lessons learnt, recommendation and conclusions are also included in this document (Sections 5 and 6).

For further details on any of these aspects see the Interim Implementation and Evaluation Report.

D4.6 and D5.3 Final implementation and Evaluation Report
This final report applied the data monitoring framework details in Local Travel Plan Networks: Monitoring Report to the outputs and outcomes of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS implementations.

Examining the direct impacts, given sufficient time following the launch, LTPNs were capable of influencing mode choice and therefore energy use, as demonstrated in Györ. However external factors also influenced impact. In Cambridge longer commute distances negated the energy savings from a 6% reduction in the number of people commuting to work by car. In fact vehicle miles travelled increased so much that energy use is considerably higher than prior to the LTPN implementation, which leads to the question about what would the situation be without the LTPN? In Bages a reduction in workforce had the greater impact as the LTPN, which was launched towards the end of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS project.
Considering the process of initiating a LTPN, this was more straightforward in Cambridge, where there is already a culture of travel planning and in Györ, where the municipality manages the LTPN network members, i.e. the schools. In Bages and Stockholm initiating the LTPN was more challenging and took a lot longer than initially expected. Since there was no culture of travel planning, creating support from the key stakeholders was the main priority in forming a network.
However, once the LTPN were established and active, they proved to be increasingly popular with organisations in the area and capable of achieving local objectives.

For further details see the Final Implementation and Evaluation Report, which is based on the implementation partner’s monthly records (WP4) and the SUMO-inspired monitoring and evaluation.

Local Travel Plan Networks: Results of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS project
This is a 4-page summary of the main results, it is available in: English, Catalan, Dutch, French, German, Hungarian, Spanish and Swedish.

Local Travel Plan Networks: An Evaluation of Policy Transfer
This report looks at how policy transfer has influenced the outputs and outcomes of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS project by looking at how:

Partners have applied a shared response (LTPN) to a shared problem (traffic and access related issues)
Applied ideas locally which had been used previously in a different place, time or sector
People and personalities have been key to success
Site visits and exchanges have created understanding and interest

It also demonstrates what has been achieved at each of the TRAVEL PLAN PLUS sites, evaluates the LTPN concept and discusses the future for these sites and the concept.

LTPN Implementation – Work Package 4

D4.1 – D4.4 LTPN portfolios
During the LTPN implementation partners kept a record of onsite progress, identifying successes, barriers to success and how they overcome such barriers in their monthly records and creating a log of events and measures implemented through the project. There are online versions of these portfolios for Györ, Bages, Stockholm and Cambridge.

Details of LTPN implementation progress can be found in the D4.6 and D5.3 Final Implementation and Evaluation Report and the D4.5 and D5.2 Interim Implementation and Evaluation Report.

Planning for Implementation Results – Work Package 3

Planning for implementation involved each implementation partner completing a Feasibility Study and Detailed Implementation Plan. To access these and other information about the sites please visit the Implementation Sites page.

State of the Art Review – Work Package 2

The main lessons of the State-of-the-Art review are as follows:

A State of the Art report comprising a Literature Review and reports providing Expert Interview Perspectives
A Policy Transfer framework has been developed to outline how Local Travel Plan Networks (LTPNs) can best be adopted by other countries, and provide the basis for TRAVEL PLAN PLUS

D2.1a Literature Review
The literature identified five types of LTPN: Neighbourhood Transport Forums, Area Travel Plans, Business Improvement Districts, Transportation Management Associations and Local Transportation Districts (see Table). These range dfrom informal networks using minimal resources to more formal and legally defined organisations with access to promotional, regulatory and fiscal tools. They can be transport-focused or more generally aligned. LTPN design is also heavily influenced by contextual factors including: the primary actors, the motivations for group formation, the perceived scope and scale of the problem and the organisational environments, along with geographic, political, and institutional factors. Regarding performance, there is a direct correlation between the type of LTPN (and the resources used) and the contribution the network can make to reducing transport externalities.

	Neighbourhood Transport Forums (NTFs)	Area Travel Plans (ATPs)	Business Improvement Districts (BIDs)	Transportation Management Associations (TMAs)	Local Transportation Districts (LTDs)
Definition	Informal networks in a loosely defined neighbourhood	Local areas developed for specific uses	Local Authority-business partnership to invest within a defined area	Private, non-profit, member-controlled organisations for defined area	Companies in defined area legally required to develop travel plans
Network structure	Organisations all equal	Leading organisation and members	Coordinating organisation created	Coordinating organisation created	Led by Local Authority coordinating organisation
Leader-member relationship	Common interest – informal	Landlord-tenant – formal	Financial (tax) – very formal	Financial (member fee) – fairly formal	Legal requirement – very formal
Power structure	Power shared equally	Landlord in control	Membership in control	Membership in control	Local Authority in control
Transport only issue?	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Primary actor	Local Authority / private companies	Site management / Local Authority	Local Authority initially, then private BID company	Local Authority / private companies	Local Authority
Secondary actors	Private companies / Local Authority	Local Authority / Site management	Private company members	Private company members	Private companies
Role of local authority (voluntary travel plan)	Support	Support	Initiator and facilitator	Support	N/A
Role of local authority (mandatory travel plan)	Support	Regulator	N/A	Regulator	Regulator
Funding	Ad hoc grants, scheme basis	Ad hoc grants, rent	Business levy	Ad hoc	Local authority funded

Table 1: Attributes of the various Local Travel Plan Network Types

D2.1b Expert Interviews
The expert interviews highlighted the need for an action-based approach, to ensure that LTPNs have an impact, with communication being a key to success. Their experience backs up the literature – economies of scale are achieved through working together and greater investment equals greater efficiency gains. Interviewees reinforced the need for a standardised monitoring framework, which also allow for LTPN-focused objectives. They emphasised the need for monitoring and evaluation to asses the cost saving of LTPNs to organisations, and carbon reduction potential.

The interviewee findings of TRAVEL PLAN PLUS supported the physical implementation of four LTPNs.

D2.2 Policy Transfer
Policy transfer relates to the process whereby knowledge relating to policy, administrative arrangements, and institutions present is utilised to benefit policy in another geographical location or period of time. Any relatively new initiative such as LTPN's involves elements of uncertainty so policy transfer makes for an attractive proposition not least since drawing lessons from other locations can clearly result in resource and time savings. Therefore exploring issues surrounding policy transfer assisted in the implementation of LTPNs across the EU.

The most successful policy transfers: have a local champion; draw on a number of sources rather than a single example; adapt the policy to the situation rather than copying directly; and are incorporated into the institutional framework. Policy transfer should be easier between countries that are culturally similar and timing is all important.

For TRAVEL PLAN PLUS, the contextual aspects underpinning the LTPNs were considered. Wherever practicable the LTPN was integrated into existing organisational operations.