Workplace Travel Plan ForumsExperience from the Golden Mile Transport GroupThe Golden Mile Transport Group is an exemplar example of a workplace travel forum, located in west London. It brings together government and private sector bodies together to improve transport and increase the economic vitality of the area.

A workplace travel plan forum is when a group of organisations come together to share resources and ideas for developing and implementing a travel plan in their local area. Collectively, they can have greater success at lobbying for transport improvements and can seek to implement their own measures to improve transport and travel choice, by:

• Exchanging information, ideas and good practice for improving transport options for businesses, reducing costs and improving business effi ciency.

• Improving communication between different sectors and allowing private bodies to have a greater voice in shaping the transport and planning policies that will affect them in the local area.

• Achieving greater economies of scale by integrating services and pooling resources for new projects.

• Work together to apply for funding from national and EU sources for transport improvements.

• Enabling smaller organisations to benefi t from the support, expertise and assistance of larger organisations.

goldenmilegroup.org.uk commerce-eu.org

The Golden Mile Transport GroupThe Golden Mile Transport Group (GMTG) is a partnership of businesses based along the Great West Road (A4) or ‘Golden Mile’ in the London Borough of Hounslow. Together they work with representatives from the local authority, Transport for London and the Highways Agency.

Stretching from Gillette Corner in Syon Lane to Chiswick Park, this 2.5 miles stretch of the A4 forms an important corridor into central London. Located between junction 2 and junction 3 of the M4 motorway the area is currently a prominent commercial area with an estimated 200 organisations, employing between 20,000 and 25,000 employees.

With signifi cant volumes of traffi c travelling through the A4 and M4 every day the area is faced by a substantial traffi c congestion problem. The M4 is near its full capacity and there are often signifi cant delays

and congestion to local traffi c in the event of incidents on either the M4 or A4. Forecasts by the Highways Agency have shown that by 2026 the daily congestion on the M4 in this area will be +150%. There is a need to fi nd alternative ways of combating congestion by promoting sustainable forms of transport to local businesses, whilst maintaining the vitality of the area.

The business area is diverse with multi-national corporations to small local independent companies working alongside each other.

Background

Daily Stress on M4, between Junctions 1 and 3

Source: 2008 HA Regional Network Report for London

There are nine core members, with many more (up to 30) attending meetings and events:

• GSK

• BSkyB

• Green Tomato

• Thames Valley University

• BSi

• Brompton Bicycles

• Brentford FC

• IAM

• Evans Cycles

2006 2026

“The Golden Mile helps us to improve our employees’ wellbeing”

Golden Mile Member

Strategy

Management and objectives

The GMTG was established as a forum with the aim to unite a group of businesses to champion and promote the development and delivery of sustainable practices and policies.

Coordinated by the London Borough of Hounslow, increasing responsibility is being taken over by business members. In 2010, the GMTG accessed funding through the COMMERCE project, funded under the Intellegent Energy Europe programe to coordinate its activities.

Membership

Members pay into a central pot, which is used to maximise other opportunities for private and public investment. This entitles them to a range of benefi ts including promotion of their company on the website, contribution to the website content and other materials developed and preferential access to projects and funding opportunities. All businesses are entitled to attend the quarterly Golden Mile Transport Forum meeting for free.

Objectives

1. To improve accessibility to businesses for staff and customers within the Golden Mile zone

2. Assist to reduce congestion within the zone through provision of effective travel planning

3. Provide appropriate feedback and advice on behalf to the West London Strategic Transport Group

4. Facilitation of information sharing between participating businesses throughout the zone

5. Provide a forum for effi cient transport/travel plan solution funding

6. Represent and provide information on behalf of the Golden Mile Group within other transport related groups.

Framework Travel Plan

Since late 2009 the GMTG has been working with the Highways Agency to develop a Framework Travel Plan (FTP).

The FTP has established, through the use of travel surveys with the major employers and automatic traffi c counters installed along the road, the current level of traffi c on the Great West Road/M4 attributable to Golden Mile Businesses. Results showed that driving alone accounts for 28% of commute trips. The FTP sets out a series measures to reduce this mode share further.

Management of the Golden Mile Transport Group

Tran

spo

rt f

or

Lond

on

Hig

hway

s A

gen

cy

London European

Partnership for

Transport - COMMERCE

London Borough of Hounslow

Core membership businesses

West London Business WestTrans

Non-members

Main mode split of commuters to the Golden Mile

Based on 14,338 responses

“The Group has become an invaluable tool to helping us to implement a workplace travel plan”

Golden Mile Member

Golden Mile Transport Forum

The Golden Mile Transport Forum is the key mechanism for the exchange of information and ideas amongst the GMTG. The Forum is held quarterly (since September 2008) and brings together employers from the local area, educational institutions, local government and regional government organisations. Meetings are free to attend with over 20 businesses regularly attending and between 30 and 40 attendees in total.

Forum meetings cover a range of themes from proposed new transport improvements, applications for funding from national and EU sources, promotion and marketing of sustainable transport to employees and sneak previews of upcoming developments and innovations (e.g. electric charging points). Businesses are able to put forward their opinions on new schemes and make decisions/recommendations on what projects should be delivered via the annual action plan.

• Information on the group’s strategy, membership and local transport information

• The real-time travel map

• Articles, agendas, downloads and photos on events held by the group

• Information and reports on projects delivered

• Resources and links to enable businesses to develop and implement travel plans and other initiatives to increase the use of sustainable transport.

The use of social networking sites has also been harnessed and links are provided to the group’s Facebook page and the Allinx website which contans a wealth of guidance (www.allinx.eu). Other projects being delivered by the local council and other partners are also promoted, for example the Hounslow Travel Active website.

What’s been achieved?

Golden Mile Websitegoldenmilegroup.org.uk

Providing the central focal point for the GMTG is its website. Here a range of information can be accessed including:

Real-time travel maphttp://realtime.goldenmilegroup.org.uk/

The provision of up-to-date travel information has been one of the success stories for the GMTG. Giving information on bus, train, Underground, cycling, walking and traffi c congestion it allows employees to plan effectively their commute home or their next business trip. BSkyB has used this software for their internal transport site and expanded the concept across its UK sites.

Business Engagement

Encouraging more businesses to take part in the GMTG is one of its key drivers to enable greater integration in decision making and larger economies of scale when implementing projects. All GMTG activities are disseminated to the group and contact list of most business in the local area. The GMTG’s communications strategy is based around a range of media including the website, events, e-bulletins, newsletters, articles in local and trade press.

The group has focussed some attention on high-level engagement to promote the groups good work and benefi ts to local businesses. Hosted in the Audi Quattro Rooms the GMTG Celebration Evening is one such example of this, attended by over 60 people. Alex Williams, Director of Borough Partnerships, Transport for London and Frank Wingate, Chief Executive, West London Business made keynote speeches to attendees about the importance of the GMTG in terms of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy for London but also for ensuring the continued vitality of businesses in the area.

“Being part of the GMTG means that we can share best practice, ideas and advice on how to reduce our environmental impact”

Golden Mile Member

Awareness Events

The end of September 2010 saw the fi rst annual Golden Mile Mobility Week. Complimenting European Mobility Week 2010 a range of events promoting the benefi ts of sustainable travel instead of using the car took place at numerous locations along the Golden Mile.

• Saturday 18 September - Hounslow Travel Active promotion event at Brentford FC

• Tuesday 21 September - Golden Mile Led Bike Ride from Boston Manor Park

• Wednesday 22 September - Golden Mile Led Walk, South Ealing Walking Route led by GSK

• Friday 24 September - Golden Mile Mobility Day at Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work.

The success of Golden Mile Mobility Day, in particular, has created a legacy for future awareness events to be organised along the Golden Mile, with GMTG members taking a lead.

What’s been achieved?

Golden Mile Pool Bike Scheme

The ‘Golden Mile Bike Scheme’ is an innovative new project to promote cycling amongst employees working in the area. It sees the provision of up to 100 bicycles (with all essential accessories such as lights, locks, helmets etc) available to employees for up to two months at participating businesses along the Golden Mile. In addition participants have access to cycle training, route guidance and a basic maintenance course.

The concept is that the scheme will remove all the key barriers that prevent employees from taking up cycling, whilst also achieving economies of scale through offering this to multiple companies. Similar schemes undertaken in west London previously have seen cycle rates amongst participants increase signifi cantly.

Workplace travel plan forums

Findings from the COMMERCE UK Seminar

On 24 September, the COMMERCE UK Seminar took place at Chiswick Park in association with Chiswick Park Enjoy-Work. Attended by a diverse range of delegates the conference presented on the results of the COMMERCE project and culminated in a roundtable discussion on delivering successful workplace travel plan forums. The recommendations of this discussion have provided new direction into how the GMTG will continue and develop.

Recommendations

Rationale

Local authorities can achieve their transport strategy objectives through a coordinated approach with businesses through a Travel Plan Forum.

Local authorities are well placed to initiate a Forum by showing community leadership. Then, the private sector is more likely to invest time and money.

Equally, a network of businesses could convince a local authority to support a collective Travel Plan, since a decrease in deliveries, vehicles, noise, congestion and pollution would make an urban area more pleasant to live in.

Suitable locations

Identify an area with common problems for all stakeholders such as:

• Congestion around a transport interchange

• Modal issues – freight might be a factor affecting all stakeholders in some way

• Parking issues for businesses or residents

• Poor public transport access to business parks

Funding

To deliver joint actions, a Forum budget can be generated via member contributions such as a capitation fee paid by all participating employers (e.g. £25 per annum per Whole Time Employee). This is particularly fair to small businesses. Other funding sources include Health authorities, the EU and the private sector via Corporate and Social Responsibility policy.

Freight

Travel Plans for business deliveries (Delivery Servicing Plans) should be considered as an integral part of a Travel Plan Forum’s remit since signifi cant business cost savings can be derived from freight consolidation.

Key factors for success of a workplace travel plan forum

More information For more information on the GMTG, how to join and who to contact visit goldemilegroup.org.uk or visit commerce-eu.org for information on the COMMERCE project.

Examples of good practice from our members

British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB)BSkyB’s workplace mobility plan (travel plan) has been in existence since 2006 and has developed so signifi cantly that it won the 2010 Pan European Workplace Travel Plan Award. It was initiated as part of a planning application and has since taken root within the company’s culture. Sky was the fi rst UK media company to become carbon neutral and is the corporate sponsor of British Cycling and the London Freewheel, now SkyRide, where it looks to promote cycling from the elite to the grassroots.

Sky is dedicated to leading by example and views the travel plan as a tool to help staff to live more sustainable lives as well as a legal obligation. The travel plan contains an action plan that sets out measures to 2015 and which is reviewed and updated on a yearly basis. Key measures include promoting car sharing through dedicated parking and a car sharing database and cycling. Between 2006 and 2009 BSkyB reduced the number of car drivers from 63% to 45%.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)Since the planning of its global headquarters in the Golden Mile, GSK developed a comprehensive Transport Strategy to minimise car travel to its site in light of its stringent parking restrictions. Cycling has been a big focus for GSK, and has been strongly encouraged for the last 10 years, it and is complimented by award winning facilities, such as an innovative incentive scheme and an in-house cycle centre. As a resulted GSK boasts a strong and growing community of commuter cyclists. This coupled with other measures to promote walking and encourage car sharing has meant that the proportion of car drivers has reduced from 81% in 2004 to 56% in 2009.

Catherine Warwick-Wilson, West London Transport Development, GSK:

“Our participation in the Golden Mile Transport Group is essential to take full advantage of opportunities to pool our resources, knowledge and infl uence neighbouring organisations to improve accessibility to and ease of movement through the local area”

Sta

tem

ent