What is a Green Travel Plan?


                   http://www.delongwine.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ca-map-pins.jpg  A Green Travel Plan is a document which identifies how to reduce reliance on private cars by encouraging residents, staff or customers to adopt more sustainable methods of travel. Each site has a unique set of issues and opportunities relating to access and travel options. A green travel plan consultant is usually required to assist in identifying current travel patterns, and formulate individual measures which can encourage and facilitate alternative means of travel, thus reducing, or in some cases removing, the need for on-site parking facilities, and achieve a more sustainable form of development. The key to providing a successful green travel plan is to identify public transport options and other more sustainable ways of travelling to a site, and formulating ways in which staff and patients can be encouraged to choose greener methods of travel. By formulating a series of short and longer terms objectives, it is expected that the Green Travel Plan, through ongoing monitoring and revisions, will play an important role in reducing the number of vehicle trips associated with the new surgery. An initial staff travel survey will be carried out once the facility is operational, and this will establish existing travel patterns and identify ways in which changes to travel patterns can be encouraged. Targets will be set with key objectives to encourage car sharing, increased use of public transport, and more cycle trips. These are relatively easy and achievable changes in behaviour which will have a significant and positive benefit in terms of the impact of this new health facility on its surroundings.