Glasgow unveils first travel behaviour change strategy

Cities regularly say that changing people’s entrenched behaviour is one of the hardest parts of their efforts to boost sustainable transport.

Glasgow in Scotland has outlined its first Travel Behaviour Change Strategy which sets out how the city plans to encourage people to “break the habit” of using the car for short, local journeys.

The city says this is required to meet its target of reducing car vehicle kilometres by at least 30 percent in support of the city’s ambition to become a net zero carbon city by 2030.

A statement from the city said: “By focusing on the incentives and barriers to sustainable travel, and by promoting positive change, the new strategy will support those choosing to walk, wheel or cycle and use public transport, and for those choices to become second nature.”

Action gap

The behaviour change plan acknowledges that building sustainable travel infrastructure on its own is not enough and that “a change in culture around transport is needed” to ensure a significant and sustained shift to low-carbon travel options.

It also notes that there are “complex reasons” behind people’s travel choices, influenced by interrelated factors such as attitudes, habits and structural factors.

The strategy states: “The traditional approach to behaviour change focused largely on communication and raising awareness, but most people will not take up new behaviours just because they know they should. People instead change their behaviour in response to changes in their environment, their understanding of the world around them, and their perceptions of themselves within that wider environment.”

Shifting behaviour

Priority actions in the multi-pronged strategy include further delivery of walking and cycling training and road safety education for children. Measures such as social prescribing and walking and cycling events aim to help people incorporate active travel into their everyday journeys.

Employers will be encouraged to support active travel too and the city will also focus on improved information and wayfinding. It will look at opportunities to expand the use of e-cargo bikes and promote shared and on-demand mobility.

The new strategy highlights the importance of communications, especially with under-represented groups, as an essential tool in driving sustainable and active travel.

Effective communications, it says, are “key to informing and inspiring residents to participate, can educate on and reframe an issue, promote normalisation of a new behaviour, or build up people’s confidence in their ability to change.”

Some of Glasgow’s initial plans include improving information on the Smarter Travel Gla website and promoting the Traveline Scotland journey planner, a ‘Look out for others’ road safety campaign, and community workshops.

Choices

Councillor Angus Millar, City Convener for Transport and Climate, said: “How we choose to get about Glasgow plays a key role in Glasgow’s and our own health and wellbeing, and the economy and connectivity of the wider city, as well as helping to deliver on climate action.

“This new strategy addresses the barriers to travelling more sustainably, and together with plans that make it easier to access services and amenities within a short walk, wheel, cycle or public transport journey from our homes, will make our streets feel safer and allow easier journeys throughout the city.

“Encouraging people to break their reliance on private car travel is a significant challenge. Putting local residents at the heart of this work however and addressing their specific barriers to sustainable travel will help to ensure buy-in from our communities and provide motivations and empowerment to enable them to make those changes.

“This dedicated behaviour change strategy will play a key role in unlocking a new era for travel in our city.”

The strategy has been referred to the City Administration Committee for final approval.