STEP Summer Seminar 2017 - Jill Muirie, Glasgow Centre for Population Health - What Do We Know About How to Increase Active Travel?

1. What do we know about
how to increase active travel?
Jill Muirie
Glasgow Centre for Population Health

2. For the next 15 minutes…
• Transport and health
• Trends in transport and active travel
• Influences on transport choices
• How to increase active/sustainable travel

3. Scotland’s health in a European context

4. ‘Active travel’
Walking, cycling or using some other form of
physical activity for all or part of a journey
instead of using motorised transport.

5. Climate
change
Physical
activity Casualties
Air
quality/pollution
Social
benefits
Physical
health
Mental health
Local
economy
Congestion

6. Travel to work trends, 1966 - 2011

7. Travel to work trends, 1966 - 2011Out of 100 commuters…
21 travelled by car in 1966, by 2011 this had risen to 69

8. • But the pattern is different across the
population…

9. Travel to work (excluding those who work at/from home)
shown by annual net income of household, 2015.
Source: Scottish Household Survey

11. Changing modes of transport: Edinburgh

12. 2776
2438
2957
2664
2905
2680
3597
3208
3615
3234
4812
4444
4794
4280
5225
4461
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
To City From City
Glasgow cycle counts from cordon sites around the city, 2009-2016
Source: Land & Environmental Services, Glasgow City Council
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Glasgow City Council
City Centre Cycle Counts, 2009-201

13. Rise in adult cyclist casualty rate

14. Child pedestrian casualties remain higher than adult casualties
Despite reductions in casualties, child
pedestrian casualty rates remain 2.5
times higher than for adults

15. Child pedestrian casualty trends by
deprivation
Child pedestrian casualties 3 times higher
in most deprived areas

16. What influences transport
choices?
• Safety
• Traffic speed
• The built environment
• Culture and social norms
• Convenience, time efficiency and cost

17. Safety
• Safety concerns discourage walking and cycling
(and use of some public transport)
• Heavy, fast road traffic, unsafe routes, poorly
maintained routes, darkness, potholes, broken
glass…
• Greater sense of safety encourages use of new
(segregated) cycle and walking routes

19. Traffic speed
• Slower speeds = fewer & less severe casualties
• 20mph limits associated with reduced casualties
• Slower speeds encourage more people to walk
and cycle, and to let children walk/cycle to
school and play outdoors

21. Good Infrastructure
• “build it and they will come”
• New cycle/walking routes associated with
increased cycling and walking
• Cycle hire scheme encourages more cyclists
• Importance of attractive places/spaces

22. Culture and social norms
• Individual’s choices influenced what is ‘normal’.
• For most, cycling is not considered a transport
option.
• Freedom and independence are important and
associated with cars.
• Public transport appears to be increasingly a
service for those who can’t afford a car

23. Convenience, time and cost
• Public transport:
– Takes too long; no direct route; too costly;
no or limited service.
• Inadequate public and active travel infrastructure
can be a barrier to employment and other
connections/opportunities.
• Car travel considered convenient, flexible, easy
and affordable, particularly for those with
complex journeys. Often “essential”

24. Transport needs of more
disadvantaged communities?
• Likely to be relatively low-paid, self-employed,
part-time or contract workers
• Most likely to have transport needs outside of
‘working hours’
• Likely to have long term health conditions
• Less likely to have access to a car

25. • Decoupling of car ownership and financial
difficulties
• Indicative of ‘forced car ownership’ in financially
distressed households?
• Why?
GoWell Poverty, Welfare & Inclusion Seminar 2017
Curl, A., Clark, J. and Kearns, A. (2017)
Household car adoption and financial
difficulties: a case of ‘forced car
ownership’? Transport Policy (early online
publication).

26. How to increase active travel?
• Strong leadership, policy co-ordination and a
shift in investment
• Progressive urban planning
• Integrated infrastructure
• Culture and behaviour change

27. Thank you.
Jill Muirie - Jill.Muirie@glasgow.ac.uk
Glasgow Centre for Population Health
– www.gcph.co.uk