Managing the Sustainable Travel Field team for the West of England

The West of England Authorities received funding from the Department for Transport through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund, Sustainable Travel Transition Year Fund and most recently, the Access Fund to promote low carbon, low emission and active alternatives to travel across the region. The current project is programmed to run to 2021, the end of the Access Fund period.

Steer has been managing the Sustainable Travel Field Team on behalf of the West of England. Our role involves recruitment, training and management on an ongoing basis.

Our team provide a focused Personal Travel Planning (PTP) resource, delivered directly to commuters at their workplace and members of the public in their communities. It is made up of multiple part-time travel outreach officers and a full-time team leader and team coordinator who are based in Bristol.

Working closely with business engagement and account managers within each authority, the team organise roadshows at willing businesses and within communities to engage directly with individuals about their journeys and provide support to help them change their travel behaviour.

Successes and outcomes

The flexibility of the Steer team enables them to carry out additional travel outreach projects as required by the authorities. In the past, these projects have included targeted business engagement in relation to Residential Parking Schemes, Personalised Travel Planning to new developments, pilot schemes to test new approaches to travel behaviour change, and focused support to authorities in the form of secondments.  

Highlights from the 2016/17 include supporting over 1,100 employees and residents to travel more sustainably by providing them with a key offer such as a loan bike, bike service, personal journey plan or accompanied walk or ride for their chosen route.

Through these activities participants reduced single occupancy car trips by 7% and increased active travel mode share by 6%