How people and goods get to and from a new
development strongly influences its sustainability. A greenfield location can
mean that cars and lorries are the only viable means of access. Equally, the
distances to other destinations can be great.
In these instances, traffic generated can
outweigh any improvements in other aspects of sustainability, such as an energy
efficient structure. Whether the development is residential or commercial, it
is important to “design in” the means for use of alternatives to travelling one
person per car - such as carsharing, public transport, cycling and walking.
Working with/for users of the development, Green Travel Plans can be devised to
help minimise impact. Designing in ICT infrastructure may reduce the need to
travel for business, shopping and services, and may assist telecommuting. Live
and work, mixed use schemes are more sustainable than developments of one use,
such as large housing estates or retail complexes, since they reduce the need
to travel.
- How will people get from home to work and other
destinations? Will they have to own a car to get there?
- Are there alternatives to car
use? eg rail, a local bus, safe cycleway or footpath
- How easy will it be for
residents/users to find out about the alternatives? eg will public
transport information, including tim
etables, be provided with house-sale details
- How easy will it be to use
alternatives? eg information, maps and signs, safe path and cycleways
timetables, car pools and
lift-sharing
- What might encourage them to
use alternatives at least some of the time? eg rapid routes
for buses, park and ride users, car-sharers
- What will prevent them from
using alternatives? eg lack of information, cost,
inconvenience
- Could property values be enhanced by connecting with
transport and communications infrastructure?
- Is there cabling/ISDN near or
likely to be near by? Could there be new links?
- Less motorised travel means less air pollution, less
contribution to global warming, less respiratory disease and early deaths
- More walking and cycling brings
health benefits and is cheaper and safer
- Less cars and lorries mean less
accidents
- Public transport is more socially inclusive and the more
people use it, the more viable it is and can invest for higher quality
- Less travel gives people more
time for themselves and for their community
- Less vehicles on the roads reduces stress from noise,
congestion, worries about safety and health
- Less traffic reduces severance between communities
divided by roads and rail lines
- Your health, your community,
your pocket and your environment all benefit
Before Wessex Water built their new
headquarters in Bath, they asked their employees how they intended to travel to
the new site. As a result, they commissioned a bus stop outside the main
entrance and run regular buses to Bath Spa railway station. The buses were
fitted with cycle racks, which meant that commuters were able to combine cycle,
train and bus travel to get to work. In addition, after consultation with the
transport regulator, closed circuit cameras were fitted to the buses so that
drivers could ensure that bikes were secured safely.
Much public transport information is now
available on the web. The entire national rail tim
etable is searchable at www.railtrack.co.uk, there are local bus
timetables such as Bristol’s at
www.firstcityline.co.uk. Ridesharing can be supported by dedicated software to
match lifts to those needing a ride, as described at www.liftshare.com.
Measures to encourage cycling are described by Cycle West, at
www.cyclewest.org.uk, and by SUSTRANS at www.sustrans.org.uk. The SUSTRANS site
also provides detail about the National Cycle Network. General information is
available from Transport 2000, tel: 020 76130743.
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