Travel reduction strategies: intentions and outcomes

This paper examines the available types of travel reduction strategies, and evaluates their potential impact by means of case studies. It focuses on travel by car in the 15 European Union (EU) countries, and ways of reducing it. From 1985 to 1994, it is estimated that car travel (passenger km) there has grown by 40%, compared with 6% for bus travel and 3% for rail travel; many factors contribute to these trends. It is important to reduce vehicle travel for environmental, economic, and social reasons. The outcome of travel reduction strategies may be considered in terms of switching modes, destinations, and times of travel, and substitution by linking trips, technology, and trip modification. The level of implementation of these types of travel reduction strategy varies between countries and individual measures within countries. Case studies are presented of: (1) a parking system using telematics and a company bicycle scheme in Aalborg, Denmark; (2) a park-and-ride scheme in Bristol, England; and (3) restriction of city centre car use, extending and improving the cycle network, and raising awareness about car use in Enschede, The Netherlands. They successfully showed possibilities for limited travel reduction, subject to the scope and aims of travel reduction and the assessment of impacts. For the covering abstract, see IRRD 898930.