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Abstract
The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics faced transport congestion challenges whose resolution required travel behaviour change across an entire transport network. This study evaluates the role of Transport for London's (TfL) £30 m business-focussed Travel Demand Management (TDM) programme in achieving significant traveller behaviour change across its entire transport network. The paper argues that soft TDM measures, together with a targeted ‘hard-edge’ message, alongside travel alternatives, can achieve significant voluntary travel behaviour change (VTBC) across a whole transport network, despite such behaviour normally being habitual.Incorporating a longitudinal study comprised of pre-and post-Games qualitative interviews, office attendance data and analysis of TfL's travel survey with Ajzen's (1991) Theory of Planned Behaviour, this research highlights the importance of reliable information, freedom of choice, and faith in the effectiveness of the measures proposed, in eliciting acceptance of the TDM policy. The results also demonstrate the importance of a relevant, hard-edge message in the form of a ‘big scare’—which operates as a ‘catalyst-for-change’ (CfC), breaking habit by increasing cognitive engagement and acceptance—as well as the importance of the role of businesses in delivering significant levels of voluntary travel behavioural change. The findings contribute to the evaluation of methods for achieving actual VTBC, which could be instrumental in enacting the large-scale travel behaviour changes required to meet international environmental objective of reducing carbon resource consumption by both businesses and individuals.
Highlights
A key promise in London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympics was that it would be a ‘public transport Games’ (Jones et al, 2015)
Post-Games, the interviews were concerned with identifying any changes to plans as discussed at the earlier pre-Games interviews, and ascertaining actual levels of travel behaviour change, the reasons for such change, the impact of Travel Demand Management (TDM) on the business, their attitude towards Transport for London (TfL)’s TDM policy, and an overall reflection on the TDM process
The researchers attended a number of presentations and meetings organised by various business groups, which provided an opportunity to assess general attitude towards TfL’s TDM strategy
Summary
A key promise in London’s bid to host the 2012 Olympics was that it would be a ‘public transport Games’ (Jones et al, 2015). London’s public transport system was already at, or near, capacity (ODA, 2012), so catering to the anticipated additional nine million visitors required a strategy to reduce existing regular daily travel demand. This study analyses the actual travel behaviour change that occurred during the London Olympics, the antecedents that create such change, and the role of business in facilitating it. Travel Demand Management is a tried-and-tested method that has been utilised in a range of cities hosting mega-events (Currie and Delbosc, 2011), and is increasingly being used to address transport congestion issues. The current research extends our understanding of the role of employers in TDM, through analysis of the different roles businesses play in facilitating VTBC
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