Staff Travel Survey 2007

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Purpose	The staff travel survey was commissioned by the passenger transport service to enable them to create a staff travel plan for Preston based staff. They were particularly interested in current travel methods and the reasons behind these choices, and what would encourage staff to stop using their cars. The main objectives of the survey were to find out how staff travel to/from work and how they travel for work, the reasons behind the choice of transport, the level of awareness of alternative modes of transport and what would encourage staff to alternative modes of transport other than the car.
Subject	Cycle facilities Public transport
Commissioned by	Passenger Transport Service

Geographic area	All staff
Method	Questionnaire - online
Consultation with	Staff
Date	05/11/2007 - 30/11/2007
Undertaken by	Corporate Research and Intelligence Team, Policy Unit

Results

Number of responses	2272
Key findings	Seven in ten staff normally travel to work in a car (most travelling alone). The most popular alternatives are the bus, walking and the train. Walkers tend to live closer to their workplace; whereas people who travel by train, and car drivers, live further away from Preston. The mean travel distance and time to work are 5.38 miles and 31 minutes. Car users generally park on a workplace car park. People use their cars because it is more convenient, they need it to do their job, it saves time and because they need to use it before/after work. The main reasons for not coming to work in a car were because it is the quickest or cheapest way, and is better for the environment. Only two-thirds of staff are aware of the Shared Wheels website (although this is higher in the Environment Directorate). More than half of staff members don't think they live within cycling distance of work. Of those who said they do live within cycling distance the mean distance they live away from County Hall is 2.23 miles. And a third of these said they would never cycle. The strongest encouragements were to improve cycle paths and facilities at work for cycling. One in six people would never use public transport. However, the biggest incentives for using it were discounts on/cheaper tickets, more frequent and direct services. Further incentives for stopping people using their car were free shuttle buses between offices and stations and improving the flexi system (by broadening the start and finish times). Most jobs (83%) have some form of travel for work. Four-fifths of staff have used their own car for work travel. Public transport isn't used as frequently though it is the next most commonly used method (train more than bus). Three-fifths of staff travel for work in their own car less regularly (a few times a year or month), although two-fifths use their cars regularly (most days or a few times a week). Fewer than one in ten people would use a pool bicycle for work travel if they had the option, although more men would.

Number of responses

2272

Key findings

Seven in ten staff normally travel to work in a car (most travelling alone). The most popular alternatives are the bus, walking and the train. Walkers tend to live closer to their workplace; whereas people who travel by train, and car drivers, live further away from Preston. The mean travel distance and time to work are 5.38 miles and 31 minutes.

Car users generally park on a workplace car park. People use their cars because it is more convenient, they need it to do their job, it saves time and because they need to use it before/after work. The main reasons for not coming to work in a car were because it is the quickest or cheapest way, and is better for the environment.

Only two-thirds of staff are aware of the Shared Wheels website (although this is higher in the Environment Directorate).

More than half of staff members don't think they live within cycling distance of work. Of those who said they do live within cycling distance the mean distance they live away from County Hall is 2.23 miles. And a third of these said they would never cycle. The strongest encouragements were to improve cycle paths and facilities at work for cycling.

One in six people would never use public transport. However, the biggest incentives for using it were discounts on/cheaper tickets, more frequent and direct services. Further incentives for stopping people using their car were free shuttle buses between offices and stations and improving the flexi system (by broadening the start and finish times).

Most jobs (83%) have some form of travel for work. Four-fifths of staff have used their own car for work travel. Public transport isn't used as frequently though it is the next most commonly used method (train more than bus).

Three-fifths of staff travel for work in their own car less regularly (a few times a year or month), although two-fifths use their cars regularly (most days or a few times a week).

Fewer than one in ten people would use a pool bicycle for work travel if they had the option, although more men would.

Project document(s)

Report(s)

Staff Travel Survey 2007 Report

Contact information

For more information about this research contact:

Mick Edwardson
01772 530290
mick.edwardson@lancashire.gov.uk

Email: haveyoursay@lancashire.gov.uk

Related information

Go Travel Shop:
http://lccintranet/environment/travel_shop/index.asp