Packaging the Travel Choices : COMMUNITIES
Other approaches, initiatives and developments
Here we briefly consider a range of other approaches, initiatives and developments which are relevant to community based travel behaviour change programs. These have been grouped under the following headings:
- Development and Enhancement of Travel Behaviour Change Tools
- Global Action Plan for the Earth
- Supporting Initiatives for Household-based Travel Behaviour Change Programs
- Travel Behaviour Change and Community Development
Development and Enhancement of Travel Behaviour Change Tools
Australia continues to be fertile ground for the development and enhancement of travel behaviour change programs.
The Australian Capital Territory Department of Urban Services in Canberra piloted a marketing approach called ‘Way to Go’. The campaign was developed and delivered by the Social and Government Department of Taylor Nelson Sofres and relied on ‘Way to Go’ packs, which were sent to a sample of households. The packs included information on bus services in the area, cycleways maps, water bottles, hats, brand reminders like a fridge magnet and a multi-ride bus ticket. The program was evaluated using a series of three two-day travel diaries and the results were positive. A small trial of a similar approach was also undertaken with a focus on workplaces and the results there were also encouraging. The results of the pilot are being considered by the Department of Urban Services in Canberra before a decision is made on the subsequent roll out of a travel behaviour change program.
The Department of Infrastructure in Melbourne (Victoria) is currently trialling an approach that combines elements of both IndiMark® and Travel Blending®. In this program, a wide range of options for behavioural change will be offered to households ranging from the highly detailed level of Travel Blending, specifically customised journey planners for bicycle, walking or public transport, information on local activities for those people who would find it simplest to reduce trip length, rather than trips, and general information where no other information is applicable. Final results will be available in mid-2003.
Global Action Plan for the Earth
Founded in 1989, Global Action Plan for the Earth (www.globalactionplan.org) is a non-profit organization that promotes and supports the development of sustainable lifestyles and liveable neighbourhoods in communities.
Over the past twelve years Global Action Plan has developed a highly effective set of tools for behaviour change and neighbourhood-based community organizing. These empowerment tools have produced measurable results defined as behaviour change and neighbour-to-neighbour recruitment in a wide diversity of communities — small, medium and large, urban, suburban and rural in over 30 states with 30,000 people. The tools have been continually refined and at this point could be considered state-of-the-art in community empowerment.
While the Global Action Plan offers programs in saving energy and reducing waste, there is also a component for reducing the negative impacts of the car. It uses what is termed The Household EcoTeam Program that is simple and strategic. Five or six neighbourhood households—an EcoTeam—meet eight times over a four-month period, with the help of a step-by-step workbook and trained volunteer coach. Choosing from a series of practical actions, the team supports one another to reduce waste, use less water and energy, buy “eco-wise” products, reduce air and water pollution, and encourage other neighbours to get involved. More than increasing awareness, the EcoTeam Program enables people to change the way they live—measurably. The Household EcoTeam Program has achieved reductions of between 16% and 20% in fuel use (the measure of change in this case).
Supporting Initiatives for Household-based Travel Behaviour Change Programs
There are a number of activities which can be initiated at the local or state government level that can encourage the adoption of a TravelSmart culture.
IndiMark® is linked to the TravelSmart initiative which forms part of The Metropolitan Transport Strategy (MTS) for the Perth Metropolitan Region in Western Australia. The MTS has set a range of targets for modal shift and TravelSmart has a key role to play in achieving those targets for reducing vehicle use while increasing use of public transport, walk and bike modes. Some of the key features of TravelSmart include:
- Local travel surveys are used as a form of feedback to inform local communities about their own travel behaviour and, via community learning, stimulate cultural change processes within the community. The results from these surveys can highlight the current use of the car to access local activities and services and the potential for the local community to make greater use of alternatives. Survey results can be featured in articles in council newsletters and community newspapers.
- Transport access options can be emphasised, under a TravelSmart banner, as part of the promotion of local events such as fetes, festivals and exhibitions. Providing details on publicity material about public transport services to the venue, availability of bike parking etc. can help to alert people to their travel options and reinforce the TravelSmart message.
Travel Behaviour Change and Community Development
In a project completed in Adelaide, a household-based travel behaviour change tool played a key part in a broader community development program known as a ‘Living Neighbourhood®’. In the trial ‘Living Neighbourhood®’ everyone who lived, worked, played and went to school in the area was offered a way to save time, money and create a healthier, more vibrant community (Steer Davies Gleave, 1999). This was done by presenting the opportunity for everyone in the neighbourhood to take part in Travel Blending®.
The Travel Blending® program was applied in the Living Neighbourhood® project along with other complementary measures that were aimed at enabling and facilitating travel related and other community development changes in the neighbourhood. A common form of 'additional measure' was to employ a person to work in the area to act as a broker, or facilitator of change – very much the role played by current TravelSmart officers. The idea behind this was that many barriers may exist to people changing their behaviour, and many of these may be overcome by changes within the neighbourhood, such as re-routing of bus routes (or any other number of changes).
In addition to responding to resident suggestions other measures may be introduced – depending on the initiatives of the residents. These range from "green prescriptions" where local GPs will advise using walk or cycle to improve fitness and health for those for whom it is suitable, to quite major initiatives such as the community raising money and building a community playground (initially to avoid travelling to suitable ones) and the community raising money and converting a church hall to a medical centre to allow local access to a key necessity.
The concept of Living Neighbourhoods® provides one example of the value which travel behaviour change programs can add to community development.