Can’t get there from here?
Why people travel the
way they do
2
3
4
 CO2
emissions
 Physical activity
 Air
pollution
 Osteoporosis

Injuries
And by the way…
 Infrastructure costs
 Social 5capital
Healthy living: physical activity
Let’s Make Scotland More Active (2003)
“All children and young people, including children with disabilities, should
take part in at least one hour a day of physical activity. This physical
activity should include physical education, play sports, exercise, dance,
outdoor activities, active travel and support to be active in their daily
tasks at home, at school and in the community.”
Five Year Review of "Let's Make Scotland More Active”
(2009)
“The review group believes the creation and provision of environments that
encourage and support physical activity offers the greatest potential to get the
nation active.”
6
Healthy Planning
Scottish Planning Policy (April 09)
“Opportunities for personal travel should be prioritised by
mode in the following order – walking, cycling, public
transport, car and other motorised vehicles. Buildings and
facilities should be accessible on foot, both within the
development and from the surrounding area. The aim is for
urban areas to be made more attractive and safer for
pedestrians, including people with mobility difficulties.
Cycle routes and, where relevant, cycle parking and
storage should be safeguarded and enhanced wherever
possible.”
7
Progress on active/sustainable travel
• Total vehicle kilometres
still increasing and air
travel also increasing1
• “Active travel is in relative
decline”2
• “It is imperative that
overall emissions from
the transport sector are
driven down”3
1Scottish
Government, 2008 and 2009
Sustainable Development Commission. Review of Progress by the Scottish Government.
November 2008
3 Scottish Government Climate Change Programme 2nd Annual Report, 2007/8
2
8
Progress on active/sustainable travel
Scottish Government Spend in Real Terms (£m)
08/09
09/10
10/11
Motorways & trunk
roads
930
1035
1120
%
change
+10%
Support for active
sustainable travel
11
11
10
-3%
(Source: Scottish Parliament Research Briefing 2008:
Draft Budget 2009-10 - Finance and Sustainable Growth Portfolio )
9
Background
• Collaborative programme of work established in summer
2008
– Moving in the right direction? Building the information
base, developing knowledge and evaluating the
impact of transport policies and programmes on
patterns of active/sustainable travel
• Multi-agency advisory group
• External funding
• Completion spring 2010
10
Main aims of transport and health
programme of work
1. To build the information base around modes of
transport/travel
2. To enhance our understanding of the impacts
of transport related policies and strategies on
active/sustainable travel
3. To explore current attitudes and culture
towards travel
Exploring current attitudes and
culture towards travel
•
Qualitative research (conducted by JMP Consultants
Limited) which aimed to:
– Better understand how and why people currently
travel as they do
– Explore the scope for encouraging growth in
alternatives to car travel
Conducted early 2009
Methodology
• 105 x 2 minute ‘vox pop’ video interviews at 4 locations:
Braehead Shopping Centre; Southern General Hospital;
Glasgow City Centre; Glasgow Fort Shopping Centre
• 6 shared-focus groups:1 in Braehead, 1 in SGH, 2 in City
Centre and 2 in Glasgow Fort
• Participants from spectrum of age and sex
• Examination of travel related attitudes, norms and values
regarding different modes of travel
Main findings
• In general participants used multi-modal travel
• Travel to city centre by public transport
• Travel to other locations generally by car
(although Southern General Hospital exception)
• Lack of time pressure and access to free travel
influenced participants to use modes other than
car
Walking
• Positively regarded
– Awareness of physical and mental health benefits
“I think it’s relaxing and you can go into a world of your own, think
about what you’re doing what you aren’t doing just in another
world”
BUT main underlying motivations were that it was the
only option/quickest/most convenient mode
• Barriers
– Time
“Aye if I have more time I would walk, but when you’re working and
you have a million things to do you just don’t know”
– Weather
“My walk was fine – it was a bit windy. It seems daft that the only
complaint is about the weather.”
– Safety
“I just think I wouldn’t walk out at night anyway.”
Cycling
• Perceived as healthy activity
• Very few cyclists
• Barriers
– Perceived safety on road (biggest barrier)
“They’re telling everyone to get fit, but it’s not safe to take a bike
out. If they had more cycle paths it would be a lot better.”
– Safe cycle facilities/showers and routes
– Fear of theft
“There’s nowhere safe in the town that you could leave a bike. Do
you not come back with your tyres missing? You take off your front
wheel and lock it to the back.”
– Weather
– Lack of storage space at home
Bus travel
• Most discussion about this mode
• Majority had used bus within last year, many regularly
• Bus services perceived as pretty good
“I find I don’t have to run for a bus now. I used to have to, now I’d just
wait because I know it’s only 10 minutes.”
• However, many different positive and negative views and
perceptions
“Driving is stressful sometimes. I find it a bit tiring as well. Although I
have a car I might get the bus down there I think I’d find it relaxing. The
bus is great you just get to sit there and daydream.”
“When the bus gets too busy and it stops at every stop and traffic lights I
get angry.”
Bus travel: barriers
• Journey planning
“…there are so many routes now its just confusing, there are so many
options there are too many options too many times………….”
• Safety
“At night time I would never get a bus, neither would my son or my
daughter it’s too dangerous to travel back late at night.”
• Quality of service provided by bus drivers
“I think that some of the _____ bus drivers are complete ignoramuses”
• Number of different bus providers
• Congestion/competition in city centre
“ Coming down ________ Street, horrendous at busy times, I’m surprised
there’s not more accidents, they don’t give any respect, especially when
the lights change.”
• Lack of bus service to particular sites
Train and subway travel
• Mentioned least
• Not all study sites accessible by train
• Train travel viewed very positively
“ I would get on the train after work, get myself a couple of cans of beer,
get the Independent, and maybe a wee sandwich from M&S, very
civilised, or maybe a bottle of Bucks Fizz if it was pay day and it was
lovely. Apart from once when there were no working toilets on the train
and that was hell. But that’s not a regular occurrence.”
• Some criticisms regarding fares and delays
Car travel (driver/passenger)
• 45% of participants had access to a car and could drive
• Habit plays a part
“ I simply didn’t consider any alternatives for my travel than the car”
• Open acknowledgement of ‘laziness’
“ Driving makes you lazy. Every year I say I’ll do more walking, but if
the weather’s bad 2 steps out the door and you are in the car. It
encourages laziness I’m afraid”
• Economic and social influences
“ I don’t see the point in paying car insurance and tax if I’m going to
walk. I drive even though it takes as long as I walk”
Car travel: convenience, freedom
• Convenience
“ I have no excuse there are plenty of buses at the top of the hill where I
live but I just think its more convenient to drive than to walk to the top
of the hill to get a bus”
• Freedom
“ You can smoke in the car. That’s a good thing”
“You can relax when you are in the car. If talking to your mate can use
language that wouldn’t normally use in front of women and children”
Car travel: aspiration, flexibility
• Aspiration
“ I’m sending away for a driving licence soon. Then I won’t need to get
a taxi everywhere, I will get my Mum to buy me a car. I wouldn’t use
the bus if I had a car, so I don’t need to wait on a bus and would get
there faster”
“If I could drive, I would probably drive absolutely everywhere, so it’s
probably a good thing that I can’t drive”
• Flexibility
“ The only time I’m really glad of the car is when I’m getting the
messages, because there are 6 of us in the house and a lot of bags”
“ It’s easier to get to an appointment on time if you are in your car like
you can just jump in and go to the doctors here or there…………..”
Car travel: disincentives
• Cost
“ I’ve never wanted to drive, the cost has put me off. I’ve got more
things to do with my money than spend it on cars”
“It’s not the buying of the car, it’s the upkeep”
• Parking
“ You wouldn’t take a car into town – parking is far too pricey”
“Sometimes when I come with my friend it can take about half an hour
by the time you go round all the parkng lots to find a space………..”
Conclusions
• Choice of travel mode influenced by
– Convenience
– Time
– Cost
– Sociability
– Habit
– Information
– Personal security
Recommendations
• Prioritise active travel in planning
• Disincentivise car use and incentivise
public transport/active travel
• Maximise convenience
• Walking/cycling routes - connectivity,
appearance, signage, information
• Cycling support
• Car clubs/pool cars
25
Qualitative research outputs
Full report on GCPH website
26
Moving in the right direction?...to be continued
Programme Lead:
Fiona Crawford
Glasgow Centre for Population Health
Phone: 0141 287 6959
fiona.crawford@drs.glasgow.gov.uk
Other contacts:
Bruce Whyte, bruce.whyte@drs.glasgow.gov.uk
Mark Livingston, mark.livingston@drs.glasgow.gov.uk
Pete Seaman, pete.seaman@drs.glasgow.gov.uk
Web: http://www.gcph.co.uk/content/view/115/102/