TravelSmart
: About TravelSmart
: Adelaide City Council Contact
: TravelSmart Australia
: Green Travel Plans
: Adelaide City Council’s Green Travel Plan
: New Workplace Travel Plan Support and Resources Available for Workplaces
: Adelaide Metro ‘Workplace Deal’
: Living Closer to Work in Adelaide
: Green Travel Plan Case Studies
: CycleSafe Courses
: Active Adelaide Cycling Project
: Other Green Travel Initiatives in Adelaide City Council
: Links
About TravelSmart
The TravelSmart Program is a joint initiative of the Government of South Australia in partnership with local government. Transport SA coordinates the program and works with workplaces to promote and facilitate sustainable transport options for cleaner air, less traffic congestion and healthier communities e.g. cycling, walking, public transport, car-pooling, more fuel efficient vehicles .
For further information visit:
Transport SA’s TravelSmart Website
Phone: (08) 8226 8222
Fax: (08) 8226 8330
Email: travelsmartsa@transport.sa.gov.au
Adelaide City Council TravelSmart Program
Adelaide City Council’s TravelSmart Program commenced in September 2003 and focussed on implementing Council’s Green Travel Plan and assisting local workplaces to implement green travel initiatives.
Adelaide City Council has secured a project funding from the Department of Transport Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) from the TravelSmart Local Government Partnership Grant Scheme. The funding will be made available from 2006-2008 for projects that encourage communities and workplaces to travel sustainably. The Green Travel Plan will continue to be supported by Council.
Adelaide City Council Contact
Senior Policy Planner
GPO Box 2252 Adelaide 5001 SA
Phone: (08) 8203 7797
Fax: (08) 8203 7250
TravelSmart Australia
The TravelSmart Australia web-site brings together the many community and government based programs that are encouraging Australians to use alternatives to travelling in their private car. The TravelSmart Australia web-site is jam packed full of information about the benefits of choosing to travel by a sustainable travel mode where possible.
Green Travel Plans
A Green Travel Plan provides an organisation with a package of measures aimed at reducing emissions from motor vehicles by encouraging a greater uptake of sustainable transport alternatives (e.g. walking, cycling, public transport and carpooling) for staff commuting and business trips.
Green Travel Plans have been increasingly adopted by workplaces and schools nationally and internationally as a solution to rising traffic congestion, limited parking and greenhouse gas emissions associated with high car use. Important: this is not about abandoning your car, but considering alternatives when possible.
Green Travel Plan Benefits
Private motor vehicles play a critical role in the life of South Australia, but excess use and infrastructure provision results in local air and water pollution, high per capita greenhouse gas emissions and health problems from insufficient exercise.
A worksite generates many types of transport activity, including commuting by employees, business travel, visitors, contractors and deliveries. GTPs are designed to enable the workplace to maximise the benefits of transport to staff, the community and the environment.
Taking a pro-active role in tackling traffic can help businesses to:
● alleviate parking problems
● improve site access for customers and essential deliveries
● enhance company image as an environmentally aware organisation
● increase staff fitness
● reduce the amount of days lost to illness
Adelaide City Council’s Green Travel Plan
Adelaide City Council is the first workplace in South Australia to implement a Green Travel Plan. The plan focuses on commuting and business trips generated by Council’s 700 staff based in its CBD Pirie St Offices. The Green Travel Plan supports Council’s aim of achieving excellence in environmental performance and allows it to provide leadership to other large workplaces within its Council area.
Actions
The following Green Travel Plan actions have been implemented:
● Discounted public transport tickets for staff (Adelaide Metro Workplace Deal which provides a 5% saving per ticket).
● Bus and train timetables have been made available in the Council Customer Service Centre.
● Creation of an intranet site that provides staff with a one stop shop for all their Green Travel Plan and general sustainable transport enquires.
● Development of sustainable transport promotional materials e.g. bookmark and a Green Travel Plan Information Guide.
● Talks given to business units to inform staff about their travel options and the Green Travel Plan.
● High profile launch of the Green Travel Plan.
● Development and delivery of the CycleSafe Course, combining classroom and on-road bicycle skills training (in partnership with Bicycle SA).
● Staff Induction for all new staff (includes personalised travel information).
● Participation in relevant awareness raising events that encourage and reward sustainable travel behaviour e.g. pancake breakfast on Walk to Work Day.
● Regular 10,000 Steps Challenges where pedometers are available for staff to borrow. View the 10,000 Steps Information Booklet
● Improvement of the cycling end trip facilities for staff.
Results
Adelaide City Council will be undertaking an evaluation of the impact of its Green Travel Plan shortly e.g. via a Staff Travel Survey.
New Workplace Travel Plan Support and Resources Available for CBD Workplaces
The Department of Transport Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) and Adelaide City Council are working together through the TravelSmart Program to support local workplaces to implement green travel initiatives The DTEI TravelSmart Project Officers will provide:
● Ongoing support to workplaces
● A TravelSmart Workplace Kit
● Incentives and promotional materials Update on upcoming events and new resources
● An Adelaide Workplace Travel Plan Network Group
For assistance with CBD workplaces, contact Matthew Mayes on (08) 8226 8251 or via matthew.mayes@saugov.sa.gov.au.
Adelaide Metro ‘Workplace Deal'
Adelaide Metro is now offering fantastic public transport incentives and promotional resources to workplaces as part of their new ‘Workplace Deal’, including:
● Discount tickets for staff
● A quota of free tickets, Adelaide Metro ponchos and vinyl ticket wallets for staff giveaways
● Informative and personalised staff information sessions
● Adelaide Metro Infobars
The Adelaide Metro Workplace Deal is available for any workplace in metropolitan Adelaide with a workforce of approximately 200 or more employees that is serviced by public transport. The ‘Workplace Deal’ has been a great hit with Adelaide City Council where 58% of staff already catch public transport to work.
How can workplaces take part?
Each participating workplace is appointed as a Licensed Ticket Vendor* which allows them to sell Metrotickets to their staff. For this, Adelaide Metro pays a 5% commission to the workplace. Over a year that certainly mounts up! The workplace can pass the savings on to their staff as discounted tickets or use it for other purposes e.g. for charity.
For further information about the Adelaide Metro Workplace Deal, please call Stephen Bodzioch on 8204 8182 or email him at bodzioch.stephen@saugov.sa.gov.au or visit www.adelaidemetro.com.au/promos/workplace_deal.html.
* Conditions Apply
Living Closer to Work in Adelaide
Living close to your workplace is a great way to save money and ‘TravelSmart’. You will have less distance to travel to work and be able to walk, cycle or use public transport. Carpooling may be an option through being on a regular route to your workplace for an employee in the work carpooling network.
Living closer to your worksite has the following benefits:
● Save time by having a shorter commute to work and being able to include exercise through walking or cycling to work
● Save money by being able to walk, cycle or using a one or two zone public transport ticket
● Help the Environment by reducing your ecological footprint by reducing car travel and encouraging active travel
● Reduce traffic congestion and noise pollution by reducing your car travel and using sustainable travel modes
Adelaide City Council provides information on sourcing accommodation in the city, up-to-date listings of properties for sale, housing for rent and share accommodation options, and hints and tips about purchasing a home, renting or sharing accommodation including transport.
More information can be found at:
Real Estate Institute of Australia A to Z of Real Estate Information
The Office of Business and Consumer Affairs
Green Travel Plan Case studies
The TravelSmart Australia team has put together a range of Green Travel Plan case studies from around the world. The case studies demonstrate the real benefits that employers and their employees can gain from implementing green travel plans.
CycleSafe Courses
Adelaide City Council’s TravelSmart Program, in partnership with Bicycle SA, developed the CycleSafe course in 2004. CycleSafe is a bicycle skills course for adults combining theory and on-road training. A lack of skills and/or confidence to ride in busy traffic environments is often cited as a key barrier to the uptake of commuter cycling. CycleSafe aims to build traffic cycling proficiency and confidence in both recreational and commuter cyclists. The course has been successfully piloted with over 50 participants with a range of cycle capabilities and confident levels in 2004.
For more information on CycleSafe Courses please contact Bicycle SA on 8232 2644
Active Cycling Adelaide Project
Active Adelaide was an exciting new initiative designed to target the barriers that stop people from cycling to work and becoming more physically active.
By incorporating exercise into their regular travel between home and work, it was hoped participants wouldl find an easy way to stay more active.
Commuters who cycle rather than drive, contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, traffic congestion and pollution while embracing a healthy lifestyle that improves their fitness.
Active Adelaide participants:
● Increased their work bicycle trips from 2% to 32%
● Decreased their car usage for work travel from 83% to 46%
● Increased their average physical activity level from 72 to 190 minutes per week
● Increased their feelings of confidence and safety about commuter cycling
● Increased their knowledge about cycling
Project Team/Partners
The project was a partnership between Bicycle SA, the Office for Recreation and Sport’s Move It! program, Adelaide City Council’s TravelSmart program, the Adelaide Green City program, Capital City Committee, JT Cycles and Avanti Bicycles.
Timeframe
The project was launched during the Tour Down Under (21 January) and ran until the end of June 2005.
Other Green Travel Initiatives in Adelaide City Council
CycleEast a winning formula.
The CycleEast project operated throughout February 2004 with the aim of reducing greenhouse emissions in Adelaide’s East End precinct. The project was funded by the Australian Greenhouse Office’s Cool Communities program and delivered in partnership with the Conservation Council of South Australia. The East End Coordination Group managed the project and attracted 36 small businesses who actively participated. These businesses provided special offers, discounts and prizes for cyclists who cycled to the East End during the month of February. The were 44 project partners including, Adelaide City Council’s TravelSmart Program, Steer Davies Gleave, Malvern Star and Goldie Strategic Development.
Ray Goldie, East End Coordination Group Project Manager said, “It was not only that we received strong support from our stakeholders, it was the enthusiasm and eagerness to participate that was so pleasing. This has proved to be a good model for bringing diverse small businesses and organisations together to create meaningful outcomes.”
A broad promotional campaign was conducted which included, the distribution of 30,000 post cards and a press and radio campaign.
The survey that was conducted as part of the project found that:
● The average distance travelled on a return trip was 11.8 kilometres
● The longest distance was 35.0 kilometres
● 20% of cyclists changed their mode of transport to participate
● The main reason for visiting the East End was for recreational purposes
● The four main barriers to cycling more frequently were:
1. Heavy traffic
2. Not enough bike lanes
3. Not enough secure parks for bikes
4. Too many items to carry
The East End Coordination Group hopes to make CycleEast an annual event and a template for other groups to replicate or expand on.
For further information please contact Ray Goldie on (08) 8227 2777 or r.goldie@goldiestrategic.com
Links
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Australian TravelSmart Web Sites |
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TravelSmart Australia |
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TravelSmart South Australia |
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TravelSmart Victoria |
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TravelSmart Western Australia |
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TravelSmart Queensland |
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Public Transport |
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Adelaide Metro |
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Cycling |
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Cycling Promotion Fund |
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Bicycle Institute of SA |
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Bicycle SA |
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Bicycle Federation of Australia |
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Australia Bicycle Council |
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Queensland Transport Bicycle Users Guide |
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Walking |
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The Pedestrian Council |
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General |
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Greenhouse Calculator |
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National Transportation Demand |
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Cities for Climate Projection |
