EVALUATION OF THE MIST TRAVEL AWARENESS CAMPAIGN. 2. THE BEFORE-AND-AFTER STUDY

This is the second of two papers, presenting the findings of a study of the contribution of public awareness campaigns to integrated transport strategies. The public awareness campaign was part of the Maidstone Initiative for Sustainable Transport (MIST), begun in 1994 by Kent County Council and Maidstone Borough Council in England. Unusually, the campaign concentrated on a specific geographical area, the A20 corridor, and was integrated with several other infrastructure and management changes to the local transport system. Only five of the intended eight measures were implemented during the campaign. The theoretical basis for evaluating the campaign was the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), a psychology-based theory of the links between beliefs and behaviour. The evaluation involved cross-sectional questionnaire surveys and interviews in 1994, 1995, and 1996. Questions were asked about: (1) evaluative beliefs and mode choice; (2) outcome beliefs about bus and car travel; (3) overall attitudes to bus and car travel; (4) intentions; (5) travel patterns; and (6) perceptions of transport policy. The evaluation's main object was to investigate the MIST campaign's influence. No major effects were shown as a result of the campaign, but there were some interesting changes of perception over time.