Modal shift in new developments

This research project for Northamptonshire County Council and the Department for Transport investigated new residents' views of travel in three growth areas of Northamptonshire, two in Northampton and one in Corby. The project was a follow on from the County's Transport Strategy for Growth which included a modal shift strategy for new and existing development. This required a shift of 20% away from car use in new developments. The aim was to find out what types of model shift initiatives were most suited to the new residents' needs and aspirations.

With Transport for Quality of Life and the University of Aberdeen, MRCMH carried out a household survey and focus groups at the three locations. General results were:

• Respondents tended to use cars because of the perceived convenience and not to use public transport because of perceived cost and reliability factors
• Respondents rarely considered public and active transport options when moving but were swayed by developers marketing price and lifestyle benefits
• Information in bite sized chunks (such as credit card sized timetables) was preferred
• Smartcards that could be used for multiple applications and incentive schemes were desirable
• Travel (or lifestyle) centres were considered a beneficial way of being informed of transport and destinations – currently many new residents find out about local lifestyle provision from word of mouth, there is no centralized hub for information and services