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University of Liverpool
TRAVEL PLAN

24 October 2005
Version: 1.4

University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
Contents
SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... 2
1
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL TRAVEL PLAN..................................................................... 2
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL TRAVEL PLAN .............................................................................. 4
2 BACKGROUND...................................................................................................................... 4
3 OBJECTIVES ......................................................................................................................... 5
4 BASELINE .............................................................................................................................. 5
5
TRAVEL PLAN: SPECIFIC MEASURES TO BE TAKEN...................................................... 7
6
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAVEL PLAN ....................................................................... 8
7
MONITORING AND EVALUATION........................................................................................ 8

GLOSSARY
City Council
Liverpool City Council
BUG
Bicycle User Group
DfT Department
for
Transport
LTP
five-year Local Transport Plan
PCT
Central Liverpool Primary Care Trust
RATC
Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy
TP Travel
Plan
WTE
whole time equivalent

This report prepared for University of Liverpool by:

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
Oxford House, Smithy Fold Road, Hyde, SK14 5QY
Tel: 0161 368 6603; Fax: 0161 367 9242
e-mail: [email address]

If you wish to discuss any aspect of the University’s Travel Plan, please contact:
Mr Alex Collins (Quality Assurance Manager)
University of Liverpool, Bedford House, Oxford Street, LIVERPOOL, Mersyside, L69 7ZP
Tel: 0151 794 3217; E-mail: [email address]

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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
Summary
1
UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL TRAVEL PLAN
1.1
The University of Liverpool requires a Travel Plan for students, staff and visitors
who travel to and from the University. This will help to ensure that the University can
retain existing green space on the campus and make improvements to the
pedestrian environment for all staff and students. It will also help the University to
meet important environmental, social and health objectives. In the future it will
ensure the University can meet local planning conditions, to enable essential
development to take place.
Objectives of the Travel Plan
1.2
The Travel Plan aims to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of transport at
the University. It will reduce over-dependence on travel by car, by encouraging
greater use of carsharing, public transport, walking and cycling.
1.3
The University of Liverpool Travel Plan will:

Lead to energy savings, less traffic pollution, and less congestion.

Reduce parking pressure.

Slow down, and then halt, the growth in car use, especially drivers travelling
alone.

Enhance public perceptions of the University and all who work there.

Contribute to the health of all who work or use the site.

Ensure the site is sustainable, over time, so the University can continue to
develop and serve the academic community well.
Small changes
1.4
The Travel Plan is about everyone making small changes to the way they travel.
Together, everyone can make a significant impact.
Baseline
1.5
In order to develop its Travel Plan, the University has started with a baseline
assessment of current travel arrangements, by conducting:

A staff travel habits survey (2003).

A site audit (2005).
1.6
The next steps are:

Hold a Travel Plan Briefing, chaired by the Pro-Vice-Chancellor Kelvin
Everest, in the Senate Room (28 June 2005).

Introduce straightforward travel planning measures from (July 2005).

Conduct a student travel habits survey (November 2005).

Consult staff and students on travel plan initiatives (Winter 2005)

Apply to Merseytravel for financial assistance for the Travel Plan.

Publish an updated Travel Plan in Spring 2006.
Travel Plan: specific recommendations
1.7
Specific travel planning recommendations need to be implemented, and these have
been developed in separate proposals. They cover:

Promotion and development of travel plan initiatives:

Public transport

Cycling
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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.

Walking

Carsharing.

Reducing the need to travel.

Review of car parking policy and charging arrangements.

Staff travel and meetings policy.
Implementation
1.8
It is proposed that the University secures resources for ensuring that the Travel
Plan is implemented, by introducing on-site car parking charges for staff and
students. A business case for the Travel Plan will be prepared for the Department of
Buildings & Estates. In the long-run, by reducing parking pressure and by ensuring
the University’s on-going development, the Travel Plan will be a very cost-effective
site management tool.
1.9
The Business Plan will recommend the identification of resources to employ a
Travel Plan Coordinator, who will be responsible for coordinating the development
and implementation of the University's Travel Plan.
Reporting structure and management of the Plan
1.10
The Travel Plan will fall within the scope of the University’s Environmental Policy,
and will therefore be managed by the University’s Department of Buildings &
Estates. The Transport Working Group will guide and direct the implementation of
the Travel Plan. The Group’s deliberations will be incorporated into the University’s
management reporting system, through Estates Committee, and then on to the
Planning and Resources Committee and other groups and committees as
appropriate.
Travel planning partnerships
1.11
Over time, the University hopes to work on effective travel planning actions with
local government (Liverpool City Council, Merseytravel), Liverpool & Broadgreen
University Hospitals Trust, and other local employers. This will help spread the
burden, by sharing development and marketing costs, and will therefore make the
University’s own Travel Plan more effective.
Monitoring and evaluation
1.12
Targets have been set for the proportion of journeys by a particular form of transport
(known as modal share), which demonstrate a fall in the proportion of journeys
travelled by car, driver alone, and a rise in carsharing, travel by bus, rail, bicycle or
on foot. The second staff and student travel habits survey will be conducted in
November 2007, and every two years thereafter. On a more frequent basis, the
University will use straightforward sampling and checks. The University will prepare
an annual review of the Travel Plan. The next review will be completed and
published by the end of July 2006.
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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
University of Liverpool Travel Plan
2 BACKGROUND
The need for a Travel Plan
2.1
University of Liverpool requires a Travel Plan, which can improve the public space
amenity on the site and improve site management. The plan will also help to meet
the requirements of the planning authorities, in order to meet future undertakings on
managing the traffic impacts of University activities as it continues to develop on its
current constrained site. The Travel Plan will be developed and implemented in
partnership with staff and student representatives on site.
2.2
The University is only too aware of the problems being caused by over-dependence
on the car:

Air pollution, leading to respiratory difficulties.

CO2 emissions, contributing to climate change.

Road traffic accidents, causing personal distress, injury and death.

Congestion, leading to difficult journeys to work, late deliveries of goods.

Busy roads, leading to community severance.
Further development at the University
2.3
Demand for University places is increasing and predicted to continue to rise. It can
be predicted that:

The University will want to make further investment in facilities to cope with
the extra activity.

Left unchecked, there will be a steady rise in car parking demand, as more
and more staff, students and visitors seek to travel to the site.
Transport Working Group
2.4
The University’s Department of Buildings & Estates is leading on the Travel Plan. A
Transport Working Group will be formed in July 2005 to take the Travel Plan
forward, which will report to the Estates Committee. A draft Terms of Reference is
attached to this document.
Understanding of travel planning
2.5
The University is familiar with the DfT’s Travel Plan Resource Pack for Employers.
In line with accepted best practice, the University wants to consult widely with all
those affected, but especially students and staff, before putting its Travel Plan into
effect.
2.6
The Buildings & Estates staff have also visited Bristol and Manchester Universities
to look at their successful travel planning activities, which include carsharing, shuttle
bus and improved car parking management.
Scale
2.7
The University is a major local employer, with just over 5,000 staff. It has over
18,870 registered students, of whom over 15,240 are full-time undergraduates and
postgraduates. These numbers and the level of activity fully justify the proposed
employment of a full-time Travel Plan Coordinator. It is further proposed that this
post will be paid for out of car parking revenues.

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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
Development of the Travel Plan
2.8
Consultants with experience of travel planning, Richard Armitage Transport
Consultancy Limited (RATC), have assisted the University with the development of
its Travel Plan, with support from the Transport Energy Best Practice programme.
3 OBJECTIVES
3.1
The Travel Plan aims to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of transport to
and from the University. It will reduce over-dependence on travel by single
occupancy car travel, by encouraging greater use of carsharing, public transport,
walking and cycling.
3.2
The University of Liverpool Travel Plan will:

Lead to energy savings, less traffic pollution, and less congestion.

Reduce parking pressure.

Slow down, and then halt, the growth in car use, especially drivers travelling
alone.

Enhance public perceptions of the University and all who study and work
there.

Contribute to the health of all who study, work or use the site.

Ensure the site is sustainable, over time, so the University can continue to
develop and serve the academic community well.
Small changes
3.3
The Travel Plan is about everyone making small changes to the way they travel.
Together, everyone can make a significant impact.
3.4
The University will take part in national and local initiatives to promote a range of
sustainable travel choices. These will include:

Developing a Bicycle User Group (BUG).

Taking part in Bike to Work initiatives.

Ensuring that public transport information on all services that run through the
campus is available at Student Services and the Guild.

Providing information on the website for visitors and prospective students
with a map of the area around Liverpool Lime Street Rail Station, with bus
stops and route numbers for travel to the campus.

Providing an in-house carsharing scheme on the University intranet.

Working with Central Liverpool Primary Care Trust to promote healthy travel
initiatives.

4 BASELINE
4.1
In order to develop its Travel Plan, the University has gained a detailed
understanding of the starting point, by auditing staff travel, and current transport
arrangements.
Staff Travel Habits Survey results
4.2
In July 2003, a four page questionnaire was distributed through the internal post to
3,597 members of University of Liverpool staff. 1,498 survey questionnaires were
completed, a 42% return rate. Detailed information was gathered – on a wholly
confidential basis – about current travel arrangements. This will help to ensure that
the actions adopted in the Travel Plan are appropriate and useful.
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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
How staff travel to work today
4.3
The following table summarises the headline totals:
Mode of transport
% of staff
Car driver
68.8%
Car passenger
3.9%
Cycling 2.4%
Public transport
17.8%
Walking 4.0%
Motorbike/scooter 1.1%
Ticked more than one
2.0%
Total
100%
4.4
The average distance travelled from work to home was 11.13 miles. The largest
cluster of staff travel between 2 - 8 miles to work.
4.5
The survey shows significant potential for increasing the numbers carsharing to
work, as almost 40% of respondents showed interest in measures that would assist
them in carsharing, the most popular being help in finding car share partners with
similar work and travel patterns.
4.6
Cycling to work at 2.4% is slightly above the national average, but is low compared
to many other University sites. Walking is low at 4%, but this is likely to be due to
the small number of staff who live within walking distance. Over 70% of respondents
said that there were no measures that would encourage them to walk to work. This
compares to just over 50% who said that no measures would encourage them to
cycle to work. There was a range of measures identified to support cycling, the most
popular were better changing facilities and showers, improved cycle parking and
safer cycle paths across the campus.
4.7
A large number of staff used the car for its convenience and because they felt there
is no realistic alternative for them at present. Almost 11% of staff are undertaking
other duties on the way to or from work, such as dropping their children off at
school. Cost savings was a major factor for 10% of respondents. There are
currently no car parking charges at the University, and this will be adding to the
perceived cost differential between using the car and public transport.
4.8
Public transport use could be increased by making staff more aware of the fast, and
frequent service between Lime Street Railway Station and the University. Promotion
of Merseytravel’s Solo and Trio tickets to staff and an intranet link from the
University website to web-based journey planners (like Xephos and Transport
Direct) would also be helpful.
4.9
The information from the survey has been used to:

Set targets for modal shift.

Plan on-site improvements for cyclists and pedestrians.

Provide information to the City Council and Merseytravel about
demand for cycling and walking routes to the site.

Inform development of the University’s carsharing package.

Assess current demand for car parking from staff.

Commence negotiations with Merseytravel and bus operators about
improvements to bus services and better travel information provision.

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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.
Current transport arrangements
4.10
The University has acquired a sound understanding of:

Car parking, on site and elsewhere.

Bus and rail services.

The environment for cyclists and pedestrians, on site, and to and
from the site.

The county 2001-2006 Local Transport Plan (and its 2006-2011
successor which is currently in draft) and other relevant strategies or
policies (such as Local Agenda 21, Air Quality Management).
5
TRAVEL PLAN: SPECIFIC MEASURES TO BE TAKEN
Consultation
5.1
Once the student travel habits survey has been undertaken in November 2005 and
the results have been analysed, the University will consult widely about the options
that might be included in the Travel Plan.
Action Plan
5.2
A series of specific travel planning measures will be proposed. From the outset, it is
recognised that not every item will be to everyone’s taste. The intention is to put
together sufficient choice, to enable staff and students to change the way they travel
to work, away from single occupancy car travel, for at least some of the days they
are at the University campus. It is also hoped that enhancements to the more
benign methods of travel can also be made attractive to conference delegates and
out-of-term visitors to the site.
5.3
The proposed travel planning measures are outlined in more detail in the attached
Action Plan. It covers:

Appointment of the Travel Plan Coordinator, and his or her induction;

Review of car parking policy and charges;

Promotion of cycling;

Promotion of walking;

Promotion of public transport;

Promotion of carsharing;

Reducing the need to travel;

Provision of transport and travel information, linked with journey planning
advice;

Developing the Travel Plan brand and marketing the Travel Plan;

Assessment and monitoring;

Transport Working Group.
Vehicle fleet environmental improvement
5.4
The University will seek to encourage all its suppliers, including firms using goods
vehicles to supply the University, to adopt service quality standards in respect of the
environmental performance of their vehicles, such as:

Driver training to reduce accidents and save fuel.

Running vehicles on cleaner fuels.
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University of Liverpool

Richard Armitage Transport Consultancy Ltd.

Vehicle replacement that introduces cleaner technologies and less
thirsty engines.

Route planning that reduces mileage.
6
IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TRAVEL PLAN
6.1
The University will identify resources for ensuring that the Travel Plan is
implemented. The business case for the Travel Plan is sound: in the long-run, by
reducing parking pressure and by ensuring the University’s on-going development,
the Travel Plan will be a very cost-effective site management tool.
Reporting structure and management of the Plan
6.2
The Travel Plan falls within the scope of the University’s Environmental Policy, and
will therefore be managed by the University’s Department of Buildings & Estates.
6.3
The Transport Working Group will guide and direct the implementation of the Plan.
The proposed Terms of Reference for the Transport Working Group are attached to
this document. The Group’s deliberations will be incorporated into the University’s
management reporting system, through Planning and Resources Committee, and
then on to other groups and committees as appropriate.
7
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
7.1
The University’s targets for the proportion of journeys by a particular form of
transport by staff (known as modal share), are detailed below. Targets for changes
in modal share by students will be set following the student travel survey in
November 2005.
Staff travel targets
Actual
Targets

2003 (%)
2007 (%)
2009(%)
Car driver
68.8%
50%
42%
Car passenger
3.9%
17%
19%
Cycling 2.4%
5%
7%
Public transport
17.8%
20%
22%
Walking 4.0%
6%
7%
Motorbike/scooter 1.1%
2%
3%
Other 2.0%
0%
0%
Total 100.00%
100.00%
100.00%
7.2
These targets will be monitored by conducting a staff travel habits survey in
November 2007 and every two years thereafter.
7.3
On a more frequent basis, the University will use straightforward sampling and
checks, such as:

Number of cycle locker key deposits

Site audits (e.g. number of cycles on site)

Number of people using carsharing database

Number of carsharers claiming preferential parking

Number of discounted public transport tickets sold.
7.4
The University will prepare an annual review of the Travel Plan. Once approved, a
summary will be made widely available. The first review will be completed and
published by the end of July 2006.

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