Local Travel Plan Groups : are these the way forward for travel plans?

Travel plans are attractive to local government because they are quick and cheap to introduce and are politically uncontroversial. They are thus an ‘easy win’, in marked contrast to most other transport improvement schemes. But, travel plans are dependent on other organisations being motivated to participate in helping to solve something that ‘is not their problem’ – a major obstacle to their widespread adoption. One possible way of overcoming some of the barriers eg company self interest, internal organisational barriers, poor quality alternatives to the car etc, is to form some kind of ‘Local Travel Plan Group’ (LTPG). This paper examines some examples of how such groups operate

Delivering sustainable transport through the planning process in Southwark

Following the explanation of the principles behind approaches designed to elicit planning gain in the main research report, the purpose of this document is to provide more in-depth coverage of the cases discussed. This report presents various types of mechanisms adopted in the UK and other countries. Chapter 2 explains three examples of beneficiary pays mechanisms while Chapter 3 looks at several types of polluter pays systems. Two other mechanisms that do not fit in the categories are presented in Chapter 4

Travel plans

Travel plan

Unlocking the potential of site based mobility management through Local Travel Plan Groups

Travel Plans are potentially an important means by which excessive car use can be addressed. They involve traffic generators such as retail parks, hospitals and local authorities and are seen as a relatively cheap and uncontroversial measure that can be introduced in a targeted and site-specific manner. They are however predicated on these organisations being motivated embrace travel plans in helping to address a problem, for example congestion, which they may not see themselves as being the major cause of. One way of addressing the resistance of organisations to meaningfully adopt travel plans is for local authorities to set up some form of ‘Local Travel Plan Group’ (LTPG) or ‘Network’ offering organisations more influence as to how local transport decisions are enacted. The aim of this paper is to detail the reasons why the widespread adoption of travel plans has failed to materialise and whether establishing LTPG’s is likely to aid the situation. The paper classifies LTPG’s, explores how they might be implemented and what type is appropriate in what circumstances. The paper is based on a review of existing LTPG’s and their potential for effective policy transfer. The paper draws on research undertaken for the European Commission North West Europe Interreg IIIB programme OPTIMUM2

Organisational structures for implementing travel plans : a review

Organisational structures for implementing travel plans : a revie

Setting up local travel plan groups : the future of workplace travel planning in urban conurbations? Examples from London, UK.

Any group of organisations that comes together to share resources and ideas for developing and implementing a travel plan (site based Transportation Demand Management plan, known as a Travel Plan in the UK) in their local area could be described as a local travel plan group. Whilst the concept is not new for workplace travel planning in North America, recently several new variants have been established in the UK. This paper reviews and sets out a typology of local travel plan groups, including development zones, area based groups, Transportation Management Associations and Business Improvement Districts. It then highlights the case of London, where, perhaps uniquely, at least one example of each type of group is present. One new example is then examined in more detail to illustrate some of the challenges in setting up a local travel plan group and the way in which they may develop in the future to providing a framework for involving businesses in local transport improvement decisions. Finally, the main characteristics of the London groups and how they differ from their North American predecessors are briefly explored

Local travel plan groups : a practical guide to setting up an effective group

Shortly after becoming Mayor of London in July 2000, Ken Livingstone noted that “the single biggest problem for London and Londoners is the gridlock of our transport system” and that “remedying this will be my first priority”. Although predominantly concerned with the inadequacy of public transport in the capital, the Mayor added that “traffic speeds in central London are now just 10 miles per hour, while congestion costs London business £5 billion per year. Residents and commuters alike suffer from delays, stress, discomfort and the overall poor urban environment.”i To help address these problems,Transport for London (TfL) is encouraging businesses and other organisations to develop workplace travel plans. Developing and implementing a workplace travel plan requires resources and expertise, so it can be easier for businesses located in the same area to get together and form a local travel plan group. This good practice guide sets out the process of establishing a local travel plan group, based on research conducted for the Optimum2 project in the London Borough of Southwark, in which the Better Bankside Travel Plan Group was established (see Acknowledgments for further information)

Evaluation study of demand responsive transport services in Wiltshire. Final report.

Introduction: Wiltshire has one of the most established DRT networks in Britain with the first ‘Wigglybus’ scheme being introduced in 1998 under the first tranche of Rural Bus Challenge funding from the then Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Subsequently, the network has developed such that it now has eight routes made up of ‘Wigglybus’, ‘Hopper’ and taxi-based DRT services. Consequently the County is seen as being a leader in the field of DRT. The Council is, however facing significant financial pressures. In particular, costs in the bus industry are rising at a rate significantly higher than inflation while the available sources of subsidy are either under threat due to a significant reduction in the County’s overall funding through the Annual Settlement Grant, or else disappearing altogether (e.g. Rural Bus Challenge, finance from NHS PCT Trusts). As a result, in March 2006, Wiltshire County Council employed a research team from Loughborough University to evaluate Demand Responsive Transport services in the County and make recommendations as to how the County Council should proceed regarding its DRT services in the future

Behavior of heavy metals during fluidized bed combustion of poultry litter

In this study, we have examined the behavior of heavy metals during fluidized bed combustion of poultry litter. Heavy metals examined include As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn. Solid and gaseous streams were analyzed and compared with relevant guidelines to determine the potential environmental impact of combustion and subsequent land spreading or landfill of the resulting ash. The majority of heavy metals were associated with the solid ash fraction, with low gaseous emissions. Pb and As were concentrated in the fine baghouse ash (160 °C) due to their volatility. The remaining heavy metals, excluding Cd, were enriched in the heat exchangers and cyclone, where flue gas temperatures ranged from 580 to 220 °C. Under the waste acceptance criteria, all samples of process ash, excluding bed ash, exceeded the limits for nonhazardous landfill waste, as a result of high levels of water-soluble Cr. Water-soluble Cr indicated the presence of Cr(VI), and its presence was confirmed using X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy (18.4% to 38.3%). The source of Cr was identified as the bedding material (wood shavings), and its conversion to Cr(VI) was temperature-dependent and could be facilitated by the high alkali content found in poultry litter

Flow chart for identification and inclusion of trials for this meta-analysis.

<p>Flow chart for identification and inclusion of trials for this meta-analysis.</p