Switch travel project

The Switch Travel project developed personalised travel planning campaigns in 5 cities to switch short urban car traffic trips to walking and cycling. (Vienna, London, Antwerp, San Sebastian and Gdansk).

The project focused on moments of life change – typically moving house, starting a new school or after medical advice encouraging more physical activity.

Walk21 was an expert partner for the project supporting the cities with the development of their campaigns and helping secure political support for the local initiatives.  We also led on the communications and dissemination coordinating the project website and making sure the messages of the project were shared internationally to benefit many other cities.

The Switch Travel project achieved a 32% decrease in the weekly frequency of car use and a 27% increase in the number of days per week people walked during the campaign and three months after a 21% decrease in car use was sustained and there was 60% more walking.

However personal and family time management emerged as a strong deterrent to reducing car use and the greatest impact was when the project focused on where time and location habits were being reconsidered (life changing moments).