What is a Travel Plan?
A Travel Plan is a package of measures designed to encourage
more sustainable modes of transport such as walking, cycling, bus
usage or car sharing.
A travel plan is a long term strategy for improving and managing
access to a site focusing on promoting sustainable modes, and
minimising single occupancy car trips. For the purposes of the
planning process, travel plans must be documented and contain
objectives and targets, the policies and measures to be
implemented, an action plan and the monitoring and review
arrangements.
In recent years travel plans have broadened so that they are not
just about businesses but produced for;
· New
residential developments
· Railway
stations
· Events and
major health institutions.
· Airports as
surface access strategies
Travel plans need to consider all the journeys to and from a
site. Workplace travel plans including office, hospital or visitor
attractions are ‘destination’ based plans, generally designed to
reduce car use to a specific destination. Residential travel plans
focus on the ‘origin’ where journeys are made from.
There should be a process of continual monitoring and review to
reflect changing circumstances and to ensure that agreed outcomes
are met.
What are the Benefits of a Travel Plan?
Travel Plans are important for both existing businesses and new
developments; they can reduce the impact on the surrounding highway
network, nearby residents, benefit new or existing staff or
residents.
Workplace Travel Plans
Workplace travel plans are the most common type of travel plan.
They cover either one site or a series of sites belonging to
one organisation and detail how staff and visitors can travel to
the workplace by sustainable forms of transport. Workplace
travel plans include a survey of how people travel to the site, how
accessible the site is and what incentives and measures can be
implemented to encourage a higher use of sustainable forms of
travel among staff and visitors.
For more information about Workplace Travel Plans and for
guidance information on developing a Workplace Travel Plan document
please the Hampshire County Council website.