How do I go about assessing a building’s “travel plan” ?
A Green Travel Plan is a package of measures produced by employers to encourage staff to use sustainable alternatives to single-occupancy car-use. It therefore seeks to encourage a shift in the ‘modal split’ of employees travelling to work, or travelling on work business towards more sustainable forms of transport, e.g. using public transport instead of private car, cycling instead of public transport, reducing the need for air travel.
Such a plan could include: car sharing schemes; cycling schemes such as improving cycling facilities or participating in the government's 'Cycle to Work' scheme; a dedicated bus service or restricted car parking allocations. It might also promote flexible-working practices such as remote access and video conferencing.
The following key characteristics are shared by the most successful Travel Plans:
- Travel plan coordinator – a named person, with clarity about how they engage with decision makers in the company.
- Travel plan document – published and made available to the public.
- Concrete measures – evidence that the measures involve tangible outputs e.g. cycle storage, teleworking, showers, database of car sharers.
- Smart targets – the travel plan contains targets that are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time-bound.
- Committed resources – a specific allocation of resources, financial and non-financial, has been committed for the implementation of the travel plan.
- Baseline data – a staff travel survey and a site audit have been undertaken at the start to establish baseline trip mode data and car parking.
- Monitoring mechanism – evidence of a systematic approach to measuring the performance and thus impact of the travel plan.
Source: The Essential Guide to Travel Planning, Department for Transport
Further information and detailed guidance for developing workplace travel plans is available from the Department of Transport website
authors: Andries van der Walt, UK Head of Sustainability, Cushman & Wakefield
Matt Dickenson, Commercial Director, Corporate Sustainability, BRE
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