Behaviour Change - Smarter Choices Theory and Practice

Martin Higgitt

JMP Consultants Limited

BEHAVIOUR CHANGE: SMARTER CHOICES THEORY AND PRACTICE

Structure

Policy context: Travel demand management and why smarter

choices have become important

The theory and reasons behind smarter choices

The smarter choices tool kit

Case study of i-Travel York

Where next?

What are ‘smarter choices’?

Promotional measures to encourage the uptake of sustainable travel

options

‘Smarter choices’ or ‘soft measures’ include:

• Marketing and communications

• Public transport information and promotion

• Travel planning with:

• Employers

• Schools / colleges

• Residents (Personal travel planning, PTP)

• Station travel plans

• Shared mobility – ride-sharing, car clubs etc.

• Promoting alternatives to travel

POLICY CONTEXT

A brief history: the end of the road for Predict

and Provide

During 1990s, acknowledged that “Predict and Provide” could not work:

More road capacity encouraged more traffic demand

and worsened conditions for other modes

Also, financially unaffordable, environmentally damaging and politically

untenable

Traffic levels

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

1996 2001 2006 2011 2016 2021 2025

National Traffic Forecasts, 1996

A brief history: Travel Demand Management and Smarter Choices

Travel demand management approach starts to take over in 1990s.

Research project in early 2000’s for Department for Transport shows

potential impact of demand management measures if delivered in

intensive and comprehensive way.

11%

7%

14%

13%

21%

0 20 40 60 80 100

urban peak

urban off-peak

non-urban peak

non-urban off-peak

national

% traffic

Travel Demand Management and

Smarter Choices

Leading to initial

‘Sustainable Travel

Demonstration Towns’

4 year programmes in 3 pilot

towns showed average 9%

reduction in car use in first

and growth in other modes

Darlington Sustainable Travel Demonstration Town, Final Evaluation. Social Data, 2009.

Most trips are short

People’s perceptions of alternatives are often

wrong

Half of car trips could be undertaken by alternative

THE REASONS BEHIND SMARTER CHOICES

The reasons for smarter choices

Not enough simply to

provide alternatives

Everyday travel habitual

Need to make people aware

of alternatives....

and give them a reason for

using them

The role of smarter choices

Not enough just to provide alternatives

Reasons:

• People need awareness of

alternatives

• People need perceptions tackled

• People need motivation to try

alternatives

• People need opportunity to try

alternatives

• People need rewarding for using

alternatives

THE SMARTER CHOICES TOOLKIT

Marketing and communications

Public transport information and

marketing

Employer travel planning

Development of a travel plan

Implementing the travel plan

Promotion

Staff induction and benefits

Parking management

Business travel policies

Challenges

Challenges: Beat the Street

promoting Active travel

School travel planning

Shared mobility

Car clubs and ride sharing

Shared bikes

CASE STUDY OF YORK

Example: i-Travel York programme

Introduction to York

Historic city

Major visitor destination

Regional economic driver

Traditionally good levels of sustainable travel

Constrained road network

Challenge of responding to demand for housing and jobs whilst keeping network moving and preserving special character of city

26

Introduction to York

Pioneering city:

1980s: Footstreets - one of first pedestrianisation schemes in UK

1990s: Park & Ride - one of first places to introduce. Now a ring of 6 P&R sites.

2000s: Cycle demonstration town

2010s: Low emissions strategy

29

The LSTF programme

i-Travel York programme through LSTF from 2011-2016

Bus improvements: congestion pinchpoints, waiting facilities, information enhancements

Cycle improvements: strategic network enhancements; promotional measures: Bike It, Bike Belles, Cycle Challenge, annual festival, Sky Rides

Online information enhancements – website, journey planner, travel apps

Low emissions roll out: bus, taxi and charging infrastructure

Personal travel planning

31

PTP delivery

Recruitment and training of local Travel Advisers

Collation and development of resources

Development of a database with CRM capabilities

Linking PTP with other programmes: Active Leisure health walks and social rides, Bike Belles, Big Challenge

Signing participants up to MyTravel York: online information updates and promotions

33

Residential delivery

Targeted areas based on demographics and transport services

3 attempts at contact, scheduled at different times of day / days of week

Conversational approach

Resources offered – and pack put together for households

Challenge issued with incentives

Engagement offered at community events

34

Workplace delivery

Similar service offer to residential

Incorporate specific information and offers relevant to host organisation: e.g. salary sacrifice, discounted season tickets, company liftshare scheme etc.

Using offer of PTP surgery as way in for engaging organisation more deeply

Brochure laying out wider workplace offer

Preliminary meeting with firm to plan the PTP intervention and to talk through wider offer

35

Results of 2013 / 2014 programme

Residential:

• 13,000 households targeted,

• 4,500 participating

Community events:

• over 2,000 participants

• 1,000 ‘brief contacts’

• 100 events

Workplace:

• 1,400 participants from 30 events

30,000 resources distributed

Over 6,000 challenges issued

36

i-Travel York

Follow-up surveys with 550 participants from 2013/14

Broader monitoring shows walking, cycling & public transport use

growing

37

27% 27%18%

1%

71% 70%78%

75%

2% 2% 4%24%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Walking Cycling Public transport

Car

% increasing % stayed the same % reducing

-4.4

12.6

13.4

20.7

PTP FOR NEW RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENTS

The theory

“Life-change moments” = great time to speak to people

Research shows how people review their travel needs during a move:

• 87% thought about travel issues at some point in relocation

process

• “Search and selection” stage is when most thought given to travel

• “Post-move” stage: lots of consideration once in new location

• 57% reported a change in main mode for at least one regular

household journey

Before After

No PT ticket 18.9% 24.4%

PT ticket 19.0% 46.8%

Copenhagen:

Sample of people given free public transport ticket

Only those who had moved or changed job increased use

Stuttgart

Some new movers to area with good PT given season ticket and

information, others not.

Bauberg, Rolle and Weber (2003)

The evidence

An example from York: Derwenthorpe

New residential estate in York

with 500 homes

1/3 of homes currently occupied

Designed as an ‘eco-

development’

Some households bringing in

more cars: will create problems

when fully developed

Photos (c) Jonathan Pow, courtesy of Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Photos (c) Jonathan Pow, courtesy of Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Photos (c) Jonathan Pow, courtesy of Joseph Rowntree Foundation

Transport facilities

Car-free walk and cycle route through development towards city

centre

High frequency bus route adjacent to development

Car club vehicle in development

Design of PTP programme

Leaflet dropped to all households advertising service and incentives

Travel advisers try visiting 3 times (day time, evening and Saturday)

Engage in conversation:

• Baseline survey about household travel patterns

• Description of the transport facilities available

• Offering vouchers and incentives

• Encouraging households to take up a ‘challenge’

Bespoke resource packs assembled and given to households

Family Fun Day organised as a finale

Offers developed for the initiative

Significant incentives:

• £150 voucher towards bike purchase

• £150 voucher towards public transport

season ticket

• Community bike loan scheme

• Car Club membership, plus £50 drive

time

The Family Fun Day

Community bike loan hand over

Bike try out session

Dr Bike

Travel advice stall

Treasure hunt for families with young

children

Guided bike ride to local nature

reserve

Car Club demonstration

The Results

120 households participated

6 households declined

33 household uncontactable

Participation rate = 75% cf 35%

typical for ‘normal’ PTP

Conversion rate = 95% vs. 60%

typical for ‘normal’ PTP

Before and after surveys show

reported behaviour change of.......

12 people took up community

bike loan

50 people took part in bike try

out session

A dozen families took part in

Treasure Hunt

8 people got bike serviced

1 person on guided bike ride

Some families from

neighbouring area

FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR SMARTER CHOICES

Some top tips

Particularly effective when done in association with service or

infrastructure improvements

Life-events

Travel demand management

Nudge: making sustainable travel options the default.

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Integrate with service improvements

Target Life-events

Habits interrupted

• New movers,

• New job,

• New students,

• Retirement,

• Changing school,

• Starting a family

Focusing on disruption

Nudge

[email protected]

www.jmp.co.uk