What is a travel plan?
A Travel Plan is a long-term travel management strategy which uses a package of practical measures designed to reduce single car occupancy for journeys to and from work and for business travel, and is also aimed to tackle localised congestion.
Travel Plans are put together by employers or developers with the support of the KCC Travel Planning Team and the District Planning Authority, and can be adapted to reflect the particular needs of your organisation and the specific circumstances of your site.
The development of a Travel Plan for your organisation will help to promote and deliver sustainable alternatives to single car occupancy journeys. For the travel plan to be successful it should include a mix of incentives and disincentives, for example, it could include car sharing, promoting the use of public transport, encouraging walking and cycling, managing on-site car parking spaces or electric vehicle charging, and supporting alternative working practices which reduce the need to travel.
Your travel plan
A Travel Plan usually addresses the different modes of travel available to a particular site according to the nature of the development. These can include: travelling to and from the workplace, business travel, visitors, deliveries and fleet vehicles. It is important to identify which elements of travel are appropriate to your own organisation's activities and prioritise them to establish the main ones for inclusion in your Travel Plan.
A successful Travel Plan will address environmental and health issues, and will provide increased travel choices for staff and visitors. It will influence travel behaviour and achieve a shift towards increased use of sustainable modes of transport.
The types of initiative you incorporate into your Travel Plan will depend on these factors:
- the size of your organisation
- the location of your organisation
- the nature of your business
- your reasons for developing a Travel Plan
- staff attitudes towards different travel measures
- available resources
Benefits of a Travel Plan
A Travel Plan offers a number of benefits to employers, staff and the local community, such as:
- healthier, less stressed workforce
- reduced costs and demands on car parking
- reduced on-site congestion and pollution
- improved access for visitors and deliveries
- aiding recruitment, retention and morale of staff through increased travel options
- corporate identity and social responsibility
- cost savings on travel
- healthier lifestyle
- more flexible working patterns
- time savings
- better air quality
- reduced congestion
- improved quality of life
- less noise pollution
- reduced CO2 emissions
