4 (External) Workplace travel planning intervention PDF 348 KB
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Minutes:
Dr Paul Coleman (Public Health
Registrar and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of
Warwick) noted the work that was undertaken with Dr Nadia Inglis
(Consultant in Public Health) and the air quality monitors as part
of the project. Paul Coleman raised the following
points:
- The scheme took place
over a year with 30 employees from Warwickshire County Council and
Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
- Air pollution was
linked to 28,000-36,000 deaths a year in the UK and was the leading
cause of environmental deaths
- Air pollution was
worse in town centres in Warwickshire, especially during commuting
periods
- Air pollution in
Warwickshire contributed to 1500 deaths in 10 years
- More people in
Warwickshire traveled by car to work then the national
average
- Over the last decade
there was an increase in people using cars for short
journeys
- 63% of people
commuted to work by car in the UK, 67% of these journeys were under
five miles
- Shorter journeys
contributed most to air pollution
- The scheme was done
with the Universities of Coventry and Birmingham
- A baseline
questionnaire was done in May 2019, followed by air pollution
monitors (which contained a GPS giving live information) being worn
by participants for two weeks, then 1-1 planning assessments with
all participants including journey plans and any cycling training
needed
- After four months
another questionnaire was done by participants which showed that
participants were driving less, walking/cycling more and were less
exposed to air pollution
- Reasons as to why the
participants were not walking/cycling before included:
childcare responsibilities, fixed working hours,
transporting work equipment, safety concernswith
walking/cycling and a lack of secure cycling storage facilities at
the workplace
- Suggestions to make
people want to walk/cycle to work included: a park and ride system
(for people who wanted to walk to work but lived too far away),
being able to leave equipment at work, flexible working hours,
financial incentives e.g. council employees getting discounts at
cycling shops when bikes are too expensive for them, improved
workplace facilities for active travel commuters e.g.
showers/changing and clothes drying facilities
- The schemes
recommendations were as follows:
·
All council staff are encouraged to plan alternative walking,
cycling and public transport options for their commute to work
before returning to work in central office locations following the
COVID-19 pandemic. This can be done via WCC’s Active Travel
resource (https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/activetravel),
which needs to be reviewed regularly. It should also be considered
how key elements identified in this study, such as role of air
pollution monitors in educating employees about the impacts of air
pollution and role of travel planning sessions in changing travel
behaviour, can be integrated into future workplace travel
interventions.
·
Steps should be taken to continue to address the barriers
identified in this study that participants reported as reasons for
being unable / unwilling to cycle or walk to work. These include
safety concerns and lack of cycle infrastructure, financial
incentives (such as discounts at local cycle stores) and improved
workplace facilities such as showers, changing ...
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