Archived decisions

Contact: Sheila Henley, ext 5189

1. Summary

1.1 This report provides an update on the County Council's partnership in a three year European Community project for Travel Awareness, Publicity and Education supporting Sustainable Strategy in Europe (TAPESTRY). It focuses on Stage 2, the development and implementation of an `interactive' marketing campaign, and Stage 3, the `after' monitoring and evaluation of the project.

2. Implementation of Marketing Campaign and Infrastructure

2.1 Stage 2 of the project involved residents and stakeholder focus groups to develop an `interactive' marketing campaign designed to promote sustainable travel in a rural setting and, particularly, to encourage greater use of existing bus services. These focus groups were facilitated by Alison Millward Associates, independent experts in community and communication projects. A report of this stage of the project was produced by Alison Millward Associates and distributed to members of the Learning Network (residents) Group and Stakeholder Forum in October 2002.

2.2 Stage 2 concluded with the implementation of various marketing initiatives. These included an informational newsletter, promotional posters, a week of radio advertisements and the provision of new bus stop infrastructure such as bus stop poles, flags and display panels throughout the study area.

2.3 A newsletter was sent to all households within the study area in September 2002. This provided public transport information in an innovative format. Based on the results of the focus group the newsletter combined bus route and timetable information, with suggestions of where to go along these routes. This included ideas for days out, leisure and shopping facilities, country walks and community services. The newsletter also contained signposts to further information, including the `Traveline' telephone number and County Council's website. Local community information was provided, as suggested by the Learning Network. Ticketing initiative vouchers were included in the newsletter, along with a Stagecoach promotional Isle of Wight ticketing leaflet. Copies of the booklet will be available at the meeting.

2.4 Promotional posters were distributed in early November 2002. These promoted the benefits of bus travel and highlighted activities and places to be visited by bus. The posters were displayed in key locations, such as schools, doctors' surgeries, parish noticeboards, tourist attractions and police stations. Copies were provided to Stagecoach, the local bus operating company, for display on their fleet of vehicles. Laminated copies of the posters were also displayed in bus stop cases throughout the area and will be available at the meeting.

2.5 Bus stop poles, flags and panels in the study area were replaced during the week beginning 18 November 2002. The new flags display the `Traveline' logo and telephone hotline number. The display cases are large enough for both a route map and timetable information. Timetable information has been provided by Stagecoach, and promotional posters are displayed, as described in paragraph 2.4.

2.6 A radio advertisement was commissioned with the local radio station, `Delta FM', which promoted bus travel within the local area. The campaign commenced on 24 October 2002, with advertisements running throughout the day for one week. This date was selected in order to capture the school-age market, covering part of the week prior to the half-term holiday, and the first half of the week of half-term holiday.

2.7 Officers are currently in discussion to develop a pocket timetable and route map, which will cover the routes, and are to be distributed, within the study area. The use of solar powered lighting for timetable cases and bus stops, and the replacement and relocation of the bus stop in Steep Village, are also being investigated.

3. Monitoring and Evaluation

3.1 Stage 3 of the project involved `after' monitoring of qualitative surveys in the control and primary study sites, and `after' quantitative surveys in the primary study area. A comparison to the `before' situation will evaluate the impact of the interactive marketing initiatives.

3.2 Matched qualitative `after' monitoring of both the primary and control study areas took place in November 2002. Questionnaires were sent to a matched sample of 3,000 residents in the primary study area and 600 dwellings in the control study area. The names and/or addresses were matched to those surveyed in the `before' monitoring. Both areas were subjected to identical questionnaires to identify if any changes in perception and use of public transport had occurred since the `before' monitoring, completed in December 2001 (primary study area) and August 2002 (control study area). In addition, 91 independent `after' questionnaires were sent to stakeholders in the study area.

3.3 `After' quantitative monitoring of the primary study area was carried out in October and November 2002. Full classification surveys were carried out in the study villages during school holidays and term time, on both a weekday and weekend, to measure vehicular, pedestrian and cycle flows. Bus passenger patronage surveys were undertaken, along with car parking surveys in Selborne and Liss. The results from these surveys will be compared against `before' quantitative monitoring results in order to assess the impact on modal share and travel behaviour following implementation of the marketing campaign.

3.4 Analysis of the quantitative and qualitative surveys is currently under way, and reports should be completed by the end of February 2003. The following headline statistics provide an indication of the level of response overall, and of the travel behaviour in the primary study area:

Response Rates

- 32% (956) from residents in the primary group.

- 40% (76) from stakeholders.

- 30% (179) from residents in the control group.

Car Use

- 85% of respondents frequently travel as a car driver.

- 47% of respondents frequently travel as a car passenger.

- Respondents in Hawkley, East Tisted and Cheriton drive most frequently (98%, 95% and 94% respectively).

- Liss has the smallest proportion of respondents who drive frequently (80%).

Bus Use

- 6% of respondents frequently travel as a bus passenger.

- Respondents from Liss, Upper Farringdon and West Meon travel most frequently by bus (9%, 7% and 7% respectively).

- No respondents from East Tisted, Hawkley, Newton Valence, Selborne or Steep use the bus regularly.

Accessibility

- Nearly two-thirds of respondents (66%) feel able to make the journeys they want using the modes currently available.

- Nearly one-third (30%) feel unable to do so.

- Non-working respondents were the least likely to feel constrained by the travel options available to them.

- Differences between settlements are apparent.

- Frequent bus users are the most likely to feel unable to travel as they would like (37%).

Awareness of the TAPESTRY Campaign

- Only 5% of respondents were aware of the TAPESTRY campaign.

- Of these, non-working and female respondents were most likely to be aware of the campaign.

- Over one-third of the stakeholders surveyed recalled the TAPESTRY campaign.

- None of those respondents aware of the campaign agreed that they would travel by bus instead of car as a result of TAPESTRY. However, interest was shown in modal shift towards walking and cycling, and 19% said they would probably drive less in future.

4. Next Steps

4.1 Officers will be concluding the development of a pocket timetable and route map, plus their investigations into solar powered lighting for bus stops and ancillary equipment, as well as arrangements for a bus stop in Steep for spring 2003. Reports on the monitoring surveys will be distributed to the Learning Network Group and Stakeholder Forum shortly. Feedback sessions with the Forum will be arranged to discuss the project's findings, and outcomes will be reported to the next meeting of this Panel. Final inputs to the project at European level are to be concluded by autumn 2003.

Recommendation

That Members note the progress on the TAPESTRY project.

7714/SH