Ian Barrett, South West Regional Director for Sustrans facilitated a workshop at the IEMA & Go Green South West Seminar: Innovation in 2015 European Green Capital. He outlined the stages of behaviour change related to travel that people experience, and what workplaces can do to encourage sustainable travel by their staff.

1. Ian Barrett
South West Regional Director
Workplaces
What are the simple steps to change your
workplace travel culture?

2. Typical Workplace Activities
On-line
Challenges
Route
planning
Cycle
Training
Travel
advice
Led
rides
Information
stands
Bike
buddies
Bike
breakfast
Led
walks
Dr Bike
Facilities
advice
Mapping
Awards
Champions
Travel
action
plans

3. Raising
Awareness
Empowerment
Organisation and Policy
Action
Moving
Forward
Awareness to Action Model

4. Organisation and Policy

5. Organisation and Policy
• Audit and survey the physical
environment
• Audit the current travel policy of the
organisation
• Survey the existing travel habits of
the employees
• Identify areas for improvement and
the scope for improvement
• Identify champions

6. Raising
Awareness

7. Raising
Awareness
• Report on the scope for
improvement
• Deliver a travel action plan to
management
• Hold information events and arrange
individual travel advice sessions
• Highlight local and national events
• Communicate the benefits of active
and sustainable travel to employees

8. Empowerment

9. Empowerment
• Dr Bike sessions
• Mapping sessions
• Facilitating bike buddying
• Bikeability training
• Improving the infrastructure
• Empower champions

10. Action

11. Action
• Bike breakfasts
• Cycle to work day
• On-line Challenges
• Encourage involvement and
celebrate champions

12. Moving
Forward

13. Moving
Forward
• Report on your impact
• Leave an action plan for
organisation to follow
• Offer champions training to
champions
• Stay in contact

14. Five Stages of Behavioural Change

15. Targeting Different Stages
Raising Awareness
Empowerment
Taking Action

16. Benefits of a range of workplace projects where
results extrapolated to per 100 staff engaged in
activities:
•29% increase in activity to above NICE
minimum activity threshold resulting in a potential
24 less sick days per 100 staff
•61% improvement in reported wellbeing and self
reported improvement in productivity
•6 less cars per 100 staff
Typical Benefits

17. Sustrans Workplace Project
South East SME Project
Promoting benefits of:
• Videoconferencing
• Smarter Working incl
homeworking
• Active travel/multi modal
travel
• Smarter driving
• Low emissions/EVs
• Pool cars/car sharing/car
clubs

18. Customer Journey – Intensive engagement – up to 30 hours
Initial
phone
call
Project details
emailed
Champions identified
Intensive
-15+ hours support
- Intensive package
includes support
identified in medium
support package, but
would include
additional elements
such as:
- Advice on flexible
working tools e.g.
Skype, Dropbox, and
Webex embedded
into daily practice
-Feasibility studies
identified e.g.
electric/standard pool
bikes for staff, local
bike based delivery
service
- Sustainable
commuting and
business travel practice
embedded into staff
induction procedures
-Potential funding
routes identified for
infrastructure
improvements e.g.
electric charge points,
cycle parking, shower
facilities.
- Development of a full
Sustainable Mobility
Strategy
Recruitment of SME
- Proactively recruited to
programme by project officers
- SME proactively inquired about
support available through local
business networks, online forums,
advertising and marketing.
Site visitInitial
correspondence
A follow-up phone call to
book a site visit.
- 9 and 15 month follow
up call to maintain
support and assess
progress
-Short evaluation
survey completed at 15
months
- Mini audit to assess
Accreditation criteria
has been met
Follow-up
Sustainable
Mobility Strategy
-Drafted in partnership
with SME
- Adopted by SME at
end of intensive touch
provision
SME Criteria Checklist Travel Actively Database / Business
Proforma / Workplace Travel Survey
Meeting to establish
what type of
engagement would be
of interest
• Light touch
• Medium
• Intensive
Signed
Declaration &
Follow-up
Business
Proforma

19. Travel Planning
What needs to go into a workplace travel plan?
• Current travel patterns / staff survey
• Infrastructure – on site & off
• Facilities
• Local services
• Information Provision
• Policies
• External factors

20. Access to Stations Swindon

21. Foyer Events
• A good way to get a foot in the door
• Having a Dr Bike session
• Success with food (bacon sandwiches!)
Our local Cycle Medic
Network Rail and Research Councils UK employees enjoying some food

22. Bike to Work Day
• 11,000 staff reached
• Local TV coverage from the BBC
• Radio coverage
• Quick win with easy organisation
Full bike racks at workplaces Excellent media coverage

23. Tea Trolley
• Engaging people at their desks and breaking
down barriers
• Doubling engagement numbers vs. foyer events
• Have a specific (seasonal or topical?) offer – e.g.
Winterise your Bike pack
Matt conducts some tea trolley PTP Talking to employees at Swindon Borough Council

24. Changing Travel Behaviour
How do we engage staff in changing travel
behaviour?
Stages of behaviour change
Motivational Interviewing
• open questions on current & possible travel options
• allow people to develop their own recommendations

25. Making It Fun: Travel Challenge

26. © Cog + Wheel
Making It Fun: Unilever
Promoting healthy travel options at Unilever:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5V9XUXB
s-M

27. Tackling Infrastructure Barriers

29. Tips for Success
• High level support
• Travel plan – identifying barriers
• Talking to people
• Make it fun
• Quick wins - information table, new starter info
• Speak to Council about training & support
e.g free bike stands, loans & grants

30. Want to know more?
Check out the Sustrans website for workplace
travel toolkits, case studies and project options
• http://www.sustrans.org.uk/our-services/where-
we-work/workplaces
• http://www.sustrans.org.uk/wales/what-we-
do/workplaces/smarter-journeys-work-toolkit
• http://www.sustrans.org.uk/cycletowork/workpla
ces-in-action/unilever