Active Travel Strategy 2023-30 : Evidence Report E

Introduction

This section sets out data and insights relevant to active travel obtained from recent surveys with East Dunbartonshire residents.

Surveys about travel and transport were carried out by the research agency Research Resource in 2020 and 2021.

2020 survey

1,245 respondents: 721 face-to-face interviews in town centres (February 2020) and 524 online (February 2020).

2021 survey

832 respondents: 721 face-to-face interviews in town centres (February 2021) and 111 online (between September and October 2021).

2020 Survey key findings

• Cars are the most commonly used mode of transport (main mode for 66% of respondents).
• 10% of respondents make daily journeys by car of under a mile.
• In a typical week 82% of people make journeys to supermarkets, 68% to local shops/services, 64% visit family or friends and 63% to leisure interests.
• More people perceive walking and public transport to be an option than the number of people who use those modes.

2021 Survey key findings

• Cars are the most commonly used mode of transport (main mode for 66% of respondents).
• 10% of respondents make daily journeys by car of under a mile.
• In a typical week 82% of people make journeys to supermarkets, 68% to local shops/services, 64% visit family or friends and 63% to leisure interests.
• More people perceive walking and public transport to be an option than the number of people who use those modes.
• 37% of respondents said the pandemic changed their travel behaviour, the main reason being home working.
• Cars are the most commonly used mode of transport (the main mode for 60% of respondents).
• 14% of respondents make daily journeys by car of under a mile.
• In a typical week 83% of people make journeys to supermarkets, 66% to local shops/services and 55% visit family or friends.
• More people perceive walking and public transport to be an option than the number of people who use those modes.

The table below shows the differences between the two surveys.

Under-60s were most likely to be making short journeys daily (21% compared to 3% of those over 60) while part-time workers, students and retirees were least likely to report making these journeys.

Indicating a small shift in perceptions towards walking, while car use has remained steady between the two surveys in 2020 and 2021 (62% in both years), walking as a perceived option has improved from 51% to 64%.

Respondents rarely reported walking (9%) and cycling (2%) to supermarkets although perceptions of walking and cycling as an option were higher (26% and 4%).

To local shops, walking rates improve significantly (55%), and 87% perceive it as an option. Only 3% cycle while 8% perceive it as an option.

Going to town centres, walking rates are 14% while 36% perceive walking as an option. The 14% of respondents walking is an improvement from 6% in 2020. 3% of respondents reported cycling to town centres while 7% perceived it as an option.

Notably, 28% of respondents travel to full-time education by bicycle, the second most used mode (after the bus at 33%).

Work travel is the journey most likely to be undertaken in a single-occupant car and both perceptions of active travel as an option and the use of active modes are low.

There has been an increase in the proportion of respondents noting that walking to visit family and friends is an option for them between 2020 and 2021 (29% to 40%) while perceptions of cycling as an option remain constant (7% and 6&).

The pattern of a difference between perceptions of active travel as an option and actual use of active modes continues in leisure travel. In 2021, walking was perceived as an option by 48% but used by 18% and cycling was perceived as an option by 12% but used by 7%. Walking as an option improved from 2020 to 2021 while cycling remained constant.

Respondents were asked to state the importance of a range of issues when choosing how they make their journeys. On a scale of 1-10 where 1 was not important and 10 was very important, the most important were:

• Safety (8.93)
• Convenience (8.83)
• Ability to carry things e.g. shopping, children (8.45)

The top 3 issues were consistent between the 2020 and 2021 surveys.

The least likely to be perceived as important were:

• Good for the community (6.79)
• Environmental impact (6.57)

Different demographics perceived the importance of issues differently:

Speed

Considered most important for those aged 30-44 and least important for those over 75. Those in full-time employment rated speed highest. Those who mainly walk found speed least important.

Convenience

More important for females than males. Rated highest by car drivers and lowest by cyclists.

Ability to carry things

Most important for those aged 60-74 and least important for younger respondents. Women are more likely than men to find this important.

Environmental impact

More important for 30-44 year olds and less important for those aged 75 and over. Most important for cyclists and least important for those who mainly travel by car.

Health benefits

Most important for respondents aged 60-74 and over 75. Least important for young people aged 17-29. Most important for those in full-time education and least important for those in full-time employment. Most important for cyclists and least important for car drivers.

Good for the community

Scored lower amongst young people than those aged 60-74. Most important for cyclists and least important for car drivers.

Cost

Rated more important amongst young respondents and students and least important for those aged 75 and over. Most important for those travelling by bus and least important for car drivers.

Safety

Females more likely to consider this important than males. Safety is more important for car drivers than users of other modes.

Respondents were most likely to agree to the following statements:

• For most journeys I just use the same mode of transport I always do without thinking about it too much (76% agree).
• I know how to get hold of more information about different modes of transport (71% agree).
• I am aware of the local community benefits of reducing my car usage (69% agree).
• I am aware of the health benefits of changing from the car to another mode (66% agree).

Respondents were least likely to agree with the following statements:

• I would cycle for more journeys if there was a safe way to do so (17% agree).
• Nowadays I walk, cycle or get the bus or train for journeys that I previously used the car (22% agree).
• I should consider other means of transport more frequently (24% agree).

Between 2020 and 2021 there are some notable discrepancies in responses:

• In 2020 39% agreed that they would cycle more journeys if there was a safe way to do so compared to 17% in 2021.
• In 2020 40% agreed they walk, cycle or take public transport for journeys they previously used the car compared to 22% in 2021.
• In 2020 48% agreed they consider the environmental impact of transport choices compared to 30% in 2021.
• In 2020 39% agree they should consider other means of transport more frequently compared to 24% in 2021.

The consistent levels of difference in responses between the two surveys could be due to attitudes within the different samples of respondents. Broad attitudes of the entire population are likely somewhere in the middle rather than a consistent fall in perceptions of sustainable transport between 2020 and 2021 as the survey indicates.

Underlining the previous point that there are consistent differences in attitudes towards sustainable transport between the two sets of respondents, 83% of 2021 respondents reported that there was nothing that could be done locally to encourage travel by walking or cycling overtaking the car while the 2020 figure was 47%. The following table illustrates all responses to this question for both years of the survey:

Respondents could expand on their answers and 11% made comments about cycling-related issues while 4% commented specifically on traffic safety. Comments of this nature are most often related to safe cycle routes. Some comments included the following detail:

• Few cycle paths leading to close encounters with traffic and pollution.
• Poor cycling infrastructure and dangerous roads leading to conflict between pedestrians and cyclists.
• Too few safe crossings.
• Bearsway and other cycling routes need to be completed to ensure safe routes to school for children.
• Better cycling routes from East Dunbartonshire to neighbouring authorities.
• Fear for safety due to the lack of cycling lanes and poor driving in Bearsden and Milngavie.
• Better infrastructure, 20mph limits, filtered permeability and low-traffic networks.
• Would cycle but for congestion, lack of cycle lanes and attitudes of drivers.

5% of comments related to walking, these comments related to the condition of pavements, feelings of safety and access to services by walking, some comments illustrated the following:

• More safe crossings, pavements free of parked vehicles, more pedestrianised areas in town centres and better surfaces needed.
• Better surfaces needed for those with impaired vision.
• Safer pavements needed for families.
• Pavements need to be cleared of vegetation which sometimes forces people to walk on the road.

The data from the two surveys show that there is a clear opportunity in East Dunbartonshire to increase the modal share of active travel. This is due to those modes being perceived as an option more than they are used. This is particularly evident in walking for school journeys and journeys to local shops and town centres.

The results of the surveys indicate that the most significant barriers to active travel are safety, convenience and speed. Improvement of current infrastructure and the wider provision of infrastructure would address these concerns and improve the uptake of active travel in the area.

While, if taken as an average across both years, a majority of respondents stated there was nothing that could be done to encourage active travel, a significant number listed areas that, if improved, would encourage them to switch their journeys to active travel. With older demographics more likely to state that nothing could be done to encourage them to travel actively and an ageing population, the forthcoming Active Travel Strategy must understand the concerns of this demographic and, as far as possible, provide this group with the amenity required to switch everyday journeys to active and sustainable modes of transport. Likewise, travelling to a place of work is the journey most likely to be undertaken in a single-occupant vehicle, presenting an opportunity for significant change to modal share for active travel if a small number of these journeys were to shift towards active and sustainable modes.

The most important issues for respondents when choosing how they will make any journey were the same across both years of the survey and provide insight into how options should be considered and taken forward for the Active Travel Strategy. Those issues were (respondents scored options out of 10 and a mean rating was taken for each):

• Safety (mean rating of 8.92)
• Convenience (8.83)
• Ability to carry things (8.45)

The first two issues are particularly relevant to the development of an Active Travel Strategy and if the Strategy can successfully improve the safety and convenience of active modes of travel East Dunbartonshire has the opportunity to see a significant change to active travel’s modal share in the future.

The Scottish Household Survey is a cross-sectional, continuous survey of a section of Scottish society that volunteers to respond to questions of varying themes in a phone interview. Sample sizes in recent years are around 10,000 respondents, around 250 of whom reside in East Dunbartonshire.

The Scottish Household Survey (2018) shows that rates of all physical activity are higher in East Dunbartonshire than in the rest of Scotland (83% and 69% of respondents respectively). Walking rates in East Dunbartonshire consistently track those of Scotland as a whole, increasing from close to 60% of people reporting walking for 30 minutes per week in 2007 growing to close to 70% in 2018.

Women (73%) are more likely to have walked for 30 minutes or more in the past four weeks than men (63%).

The view that climate change is an urgent and immediate problem grew by 21% between 2013 and 2018 in East Dunbartonshire (from 47% to 68%, peaking at 74% of respondents in 2017). It is reasonable to assume that this trend continued from 2018-present due to COP26 in Glasgow and recent weather events underlining the urgency of climate change and climate action.

Two-thirds of East Dunbartonshire residents believe that their actions and behaviour contribute to climate change. 80% of East Dunbartonshire residents believe that climate change will not only have an impact in other countries and the same figure understand the actions they can take to tackle the issue.

The East Dunbartonshire Climate Conversation (held in Spring 2021) allowed residents to express their views regarding the urgency of climate action and what they do/are willing to do to tackle the climate emergency. Over 200 people responded to the consultation, of whom 94% considered that we are facing a climate emergency. In terms of travel, 94% reported having access to a vehicle although 71% also stated they were likely or very likely to change their travel behaviours; 66% said they wanted to switch to walking more and 42% said they wanted to cycle more. In extended responses, residents flagged concerns that the Council was failing to provide adequate, segregated cycling infrastructure. Furthermore, responses encouraged Councillors to support active travel infrastructure projects, including completing the Bearsway cycleway.

Over half (54%) of East Dunbartonshire residents make weekly visits to the outdoors for recreational purposes, below the Scottish national average of 59%. 89% of East Dunbartonshire residents live within a 10-minute walk of greenspace.

48% of children walk to school, 26% travel by car and 2% by bicycle.

59.5% of journeys under two miles were walked and 1.6% of journeys under five miles were by bicycle. 33% of these journeys were by car.

45% of households have access to at least one bicycle for adults and 27% have access to two or more. Household access to bikes is higher at higher incomes, 73% of households with an income of £50,000 or more have access to one or more bikes.

The Scottish Household Survey Data suggests that most East Dunbartonshire residents walk and practice sport weekly. This indicates that active travel modal share could be increased with infrastructure and concerted programmes towards behaviour change.

Further indications of this potential for modal shift lie in data regarding perceptions of climate change. Most East Dunbartonshire residents understand the personal steps they can take to tackle climate change, therefore if the main barriers to active travel as indicated by the Travel Survey (safety, convenience and the ability to carry things) are tackled, then modal share could rise.

Inequality of access to cycles is a barrier to cycling uptake amongst low-income groups.

This is a national survey of school travel with results available by local authority. Results are available for East Dunbartonshire Council schools dating back to 2012 to allow for comparison to 2021.

The below table expresses all East Dunbartonshire Council schools combined. There are a few important differences between primary and secondary school travel:

• 15% more students walk to primary schools than secondary schools (49% vs 34%)
• 2% more students cycle to primary schools than secondary schools (3% vs 1%)
• 4% more students are driven to secondary schools than primary schools (26% vs 22%)
• 23% more students take the bus to secondary schools than primary schools (33% vs 10%)

Walking rates are high in schools in East Dunbartonshire while cycling rates are low. Research on traffic-free schools indicates that these measures have a positive impact on modal share for active travel for school travel, while Action 16a of East Dunbartonshire’s Parking Management Plan approves pilot traffic-free school schemes, the ATS can underline the positive impacts of these schemes and enhance infrastructure around schools where required.