?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Smarter+choices+-+changing+the+way+we+travel&rft.creator=Cairns%2C+S&rft.creator=Sloman%2C+L&rft.creator=Newson%2C+C&rft.creator=Anable%2C+J&rft.creator=Kirkbride%2C+A&rft.creator=Goodwin%2C+P&rft.description=Summary%3A+In+recent+years%2C+there+has+been+growing+interest+in+a+range+of+initiatives%2C+which+are+now+widelydescribed+as+'soft'+transport+policy+measures.+These+seek+to+give+better+information+and+opportunities%2Caimed+at+helping+people+to+choose+to+reduce+their+car+use+while+enhancing+the+attractiveness+ofalternatives.+They+are+fairly+new+as+part+of+mainstream+transport+policy%2C+mostly+relativelyuncontroversial%2C+and+often+popular.+They+include%3A.+Workplace+and+school+travel+plans%3B.+Personalised+travel+planning%2C+travel+awareness+campaigns%2C+and+public+transport+information+andmarketing%3B.+Car+clubs+and+car+sharing+schemes%3B.+Teleworking%2C+teleconferencing+and+home+shopping.This+report+draws+on+earlier+studies+of+the+impact+of+soft+measures%2C+new+evidence+from+the+UK+andabroad%2C+case+study+interviews+relating+to+24+specific+initiatives%2C+and+the+experience+of+commercial%2Cpublic+and+voluntary+stakeholders+involved+in+organising+such+schemes.+Each+of+the+soft+factors+isanalysed+separately%2C+followed+by+an+assessment+of+their+combined+potential+impact.The+assessment+focuses+on+two+different+policy+scenarios+for+the+next+ten+years.+The+'high+intensity'scenario+identifies+the+potential+provided+by+a+significant+expansion+of+activity+to+a+much+morewidespread+implementation+of+present+good+practice%2C+albeit+to+a+realistic+level+which+still+recognisesthe+constraints+of+money+and+other+resources%2C+and+variation+in+the+suitability+and+effectiveness+of+softfactors+according+to+local+circumstances.+The+'low+intensity'+scenario+is+broadly+defined+as+aprojection+of+the+present+(2003-4)+levels+of+local+and+national+activity+on+soft+measures.The+main+features+of+the+high+intensity+scenario+would+be.+A+reduction+in+peak+period+urban+traffic+of+about+21%25+(off-peak+13%25)%3B.+A+reduction+of+peak+period+non-urban+traffic+of+about+14%25+(off-peak+7%25)%3B.+A+nationwide+reduction+in+all+traffic+of+about+11%25.These+projected+changes+in+traffic+levels+are+quite+large+(though+consistent+with+other+evidence+onbehavioural+change+at+the+individual+level)%2C+and+would+produce+substantial+reductions+in+congestion.However%2C+this+would+tend+to+attract+more+car+use%2C+by+other+people%2C+which+could+offset+the+impact+ofthose+who+reduce+their+car+use+unless+there+are+measures+in+place+to+prevent+this.+Therefore%2C+thoseexperienced+in+the+implementation+of+soft+factors+locally+usually+emphasise+that+success+depends+onsome+or+all+of+such+supportive+policies+as+re-allocation+of+road+capacity+and+other+measures+toimprove+public+transport+service+levels%2C+parking+control%2C+traffic+calming%2C+pedestrianisation%2C+cyclenetworks%2C+congestion+charging+or+other+traffic+restraint%2C+other+use+of+transport+prices+and+fares%2C+speedregulation%2C+or+stronger+legal+enforcement+levels.+The+report+also+records+a+number+of+suggestionsabout+local+and+national+policy+measures+that+could+facilitate+the+expansion+of+soft+measures.The+effects+of+the+low+intensity+scenario%2C+in+which+soft+factors+are+not+given+increased+policy+prioritycompared+with+present+practice%2C+are+estimated+to+be+considerably+less+than+those+of+the+high+intensityscenario%2C+including+a+reduction+in+peak+period+urban+traffic+of+about+5%25%2C+and+a+nationwide+reductionin+all+traffic+of+2%25-3%25.+These+smaller+figures+also+assume+that+sufficient+other+supporting+policies+areused+to+prevent+induced+traffic+from+eroding+the+effects%2C+notably+at+peak+periods+and+in+congestedconditions.+Without+these+supportive+measures%2C+the+effects+could+be+lower%2C+temporary%2C+and+perhapsinvisible.Previous+advice+given+by+the+Department+for+Transport+in+relation+to+multi-modal+studies+was+that+softfactors+might+achieve+a+nationwide+traffic+reduction+of+about+5%25.+The+policy+assumptionsunderpinning+this+advice+were+similar+to+those+used+in+our+low+intensity+scenario%3A+our+estimate+isslightly+less%2C+but+the+difference+is+probably+within+the+range+of+error+of+such+projections.The+public+expenditure+cost+of+achieving+reduced+car+use+by+soft+measures%2C+on+average%2C+is+estimated+atabout+1.5+pence+per+car+kilometre%2C+i.e.+%C2%A315+for+removing+each+1000+vehicle+kilometres+of+traffic.Current+official+practice+calculates+the+benefit+of+reduced+traffic+congestion%2C+on+average%2C+to+be+about15p+per+car+kilometre+removed%2C+and+more+than+three+times+this+level+in+congested+urban+conditions.Thus+every+%C2%A31+spent+on+well-designed+soft+measures+could+bring+about+%C2%A310+of+benefit+in+reducedcongestion+alone%2C+more+in+the+most+congested+conditions%2C+and+with+further+potential+gains+fromenvironmental+improvements+and+other+effects%2C+provided+that+the+tendency+of+induced+traffic+to+erodesuch+benefits+is+controlled.+There+are+also+opportunities+for+private+business+expenditure+on+some+softmeasures%2C+which+can+result+in+offsetting+cost+savings.Much+of+the+experience+of+implementing+soft+factors+is+recent%2C+and+the+evidence+is+of+variable+quality.Therefore%2C+there+are+inevitably+uncertainties+in+the+results.+With+this+caveat%2C+the+main+conclusion+isthat%2C+provided+they+are+implemented+within+a+supportive+policy+context%2C+soft+measures+can+besufficiently+effective+in+facilitating+choices+to+reduce+car+use%2C+and+offer+sufficiently+good+value+formoney%2C+that+they+merit+serious+consideration+for+an+expanded+role+in+local+and+national+transportstrategy.AcknowledgementsWe+gratefully+acknowledge+the+many+contributions+made+by+organisations+and+individuals+consultedas+part+of+the+research%2C+and+by+the+authors+of+previous+studies+and+literature+reviews+which+we+havecited.+Specific+acknowledgements+are+given+at+the+end+of+each+chapter.We+have+made+extensive+use+of+our+own+previous+work+including+research+by+Lynn+Sloman+funded+bythe+Royal+Commission+for+the+Exhibition+of+1851+on+the+traffic+impact+of+soft+factors+and+localtransport+schemes+(in+part+previously+published+as+'Less+Traffic+Where+People+Live')%3B+and+by+SallyCairns+and+Phil+Goodwin+as+part+of+the+research+programme+of+TSU+supported+by+the+Economic+andSocial+Research+Council%2C+and+particularly+research+on+school+and+workplace+travel+plans+funded+bythe+DfT+(and+managed+by+Transport+2000+Trust)%2C+on+car+dependence+funded+by+the+RAC+Foundation%2Con+travel+demand+analysis+funded+by+DfT+and+its+predecessors%2C+and+on+home+shopping+funded+byEUCAR.+Case+studies+to+accompany+this+report+are+available+at%3A+http%3A%2F%2Feprints.ucl.ac.uk%2Farchive%2F00001233%2F&rft.publisher=UCL+(University+College+London)%2C+Department+for+Transport&rft.date=2004&rft.type=Report&rft.source=++++UCL+(University+College+London)%2C+Department+for+Transport%3A+London%2C+UK.+++++&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk%2Fid%2Feprint%2F1224%2F1%2F1224.pdf&rft.identifier=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscovery-pp.ucl.ac.uk%2Fid%2Feprint%2F1224%2F&rft.rights=open