Active Travel
Policies, local government, and behavioural change
Dr Christopher White, Lecturer in Health, Mental Health, and Wellbeing, has been working across the theme of active travel for several years, including finishing a PhD in the area. Active travel refers to methods of travel like walking and cycling, which involve movement and exertion, and are good for our mental and physical health. On a broader level, active travel has greater impacts, such as reducing the amount of traffic on the roads and the subsequent air pollution. Despite the attractive benefits of more people adopting active travel methods where possible, it appears the government has seen little success in promoting it outside of London. Cycling policy has also seen little attention from the academic community.
In one paper, Christopher and Professor Daniel Bloyce from Chester University analysed available governmental publications on active travel between 1995 and 2018, for England. They investigated key themes within the content and explored whether policy aims and objectives were completed. It seemed that active travel policies did not lead to increased cycling trips; rather, the focus on individuals to change their behaviour may have undermined the general policy aims. The policies did not set national targets to increase cycling and walking, and the government’s favour for advisory statements over legislation limited control over the policy process. The economic benefits of increased cycling and walking have been demonstrated with cost-benefit analyses (Insall, 2013, p.63), but it still seems that legislative decisions are not being made by the people in power and money is not being spent on cycling and walking schemes; instead, the focus remains on motor transport. Read the full paper.
In a later paper, again with Daniel Bloyce and Professor Miranda Thurston from the Inland Norway University of Applied Science, the team investigated state-funded bidding for cycling infrastructure in Chester. Fifteen interviews were conducted with personnel involved in the planning and implementation of the state-funded Cycling Demonstration Towns programme, for which Chester did not deliver the ambitions of their bid. Respondents claimed that authorities often made elaborate promises to impress awards panels, that key delivery parties were not consulted until after funding was secured, and unintended impacts were not foreseen. Competitive funding may not be the best way forward to achieve active travel goals, as authorities present ambitious bids often detached from the realities of implementing them. Read the full paper.
Findings from Chris’s PhD project reflect earlier work about active travel policies and impacts. This time, focusing on Greater Manchester, 42 interviews were conducted with members of the Greater Manchester public health workforce to understand their views of active travel health promotion. Interviewees included directors of public health, public health consultants, councillors, and sports development officers. They noticed that there was a heavy shift towards illness-prevention measures, with active travel viewed as headline activities. However, participants questioned the legitimacy and effectiveness of this method of promotion, especially due to the entrenched focus of public health on treatment-based services instead of prevention. Public health professionals also suggested that there was a disparity between evidence-based policy-making and political decision making by councillors. It was implied that councillors prioritised communication with residents over and above following guidelines; this concerned supporters of active travel who know that there is little awareness or priority for active travel amongst the majority of the voting public.
Overall, there is little pressure on local governments to challenge the traditional thinking about transport. In a time of continued austerity, it is unlikely we will see changes top-down from local authorities, public health teams, and others to improve active travel provisions within their localities.
