Travel Plans

If you are already actively promoting cycling, you are probably aware of its advantages. The next step is to look at other forms of 'alternative' transport by creating a 'Travel Plan'.

A Travel Plan is a strategy aimed at tackling the travel needs of a site, a business, or an organisation by managing travel demand and boosting the practical alternatives to single person car trips.

Benefits of a Travel Plan

Travel Plans have proven benefits for the organisations that produce and support them, as well as for employees, the local area and its residents, and the wider environment.

Many larger employers and more than 100 other organisations in Bristol have implemented Travel Plans either in response to specific issues or as part of their wider business plans. Some even employ full time Travel Plan Co-ordinators to work across their organisation.

Many employers find that they already have in place many of the facilities or practices which Travel Plans usually propose. They can simply bring together existing policies into a single document, helping to identify any outstanding issues, seek solutions, and provide a strategy for change.

Before you start writing a travel plan, you might need to identify the business case for doing so. We've outlined some of the benefits on our Business Case page.

Writing a Travel Plan

A Travel Plan does not need be a large document, but it should provide employees and visitors with a clear choice of travel modes to and from your site.

To create a Travel Plan employers will usually need to: 

• Establish management support and project ownership.
• Run a site audit and survey of employees' current travel habits and desired travel choices.
• Look at realistic changes that can be made at corporate and individual levels, and set targets
• for change.
• Appoint a travel plan co-ordinator - usually an existing employee.
• Implement and monitor the changes set out in the Travel Plan document.

Implementing the Travel Plan

Measures do not need to be expensive or time-consuming, and will vary depending on what has been identified during the planning process. They could include:

• Ensuring employees have access to useful information about travel and transport, such as on a dedicated notice board
• Making sure public transport information is available to visitors before they arrive
• Rationalising car parking or lease vehicles
• Promoting car-sharing schemes
• Providing better cycling facilities
• Encouraging cycling - for example by supporting one-to-one adult cycle training sessions or running regular 'Dr Bike' safety checks
• Introducing mileage allowances for cycling and walking
• Encouraging rail travel to meetings, or teleconferencing to reduce wasted travel and time
• Subsidising public transport season tickets or using the 'City Car Club'

Find out more

All four council's in the area offer practical support and advice to employers wanting to adopt travel plans. This can include grants or other financial assistance.

The following links will take you directly through to the travel plan pages on each council's website:

• Bath and North East Somerset
• Bristol
• North Somerset
• South Gloucestershire