Consultation Experience
Stakeholder consultation has become a cornerstone in the development and evaluation of transport policies and strategies. Over the years TTR have developed the skills to successful consultation.
Consultation
The following are examples of projects we have undertaken:
Strategic Consultation
TTR carried out stakeholder consultation to explore attitudes to and acceptance of the principles, objectives and targets of the Merseyside Local Transport Plan within the health, education, regeneration, business, tourism and planning sectors.
TTR led the consultation phases of the West Midlands Multi-Modal Study and the structure plan consultation for Norfolk County Council.
TTR coordinated and facilitated an interactive workshop with key stakeholders in Cardiff concerning the social and economic impacts of a Personal Rapid Transport system in the city.
Socially Excluded Groups
As part of the Merseyside Alt Valley Partnership project, the Centro 20 Year Strategy and the Birmingham City Council ‘Visions’ initiative, TTR consulted widely among socially excluded individuals and their representative organisations. We have also consulted amongst a range of organisations on improvements to the provision of transport services and schemes for job seekers in the West Midlands.
TTR undertook a scoping study of how Merseytravel might engage more effective with people from Minority Ethnic and Faith Communities. TTR carried out a range of stakeholder consultation and developed a strategy to ensure that people from all sections of the community were aware of, and able to use with confidence, the services available.
Local Communities and Rural Residents
TTR has undertook comprehensive research into rural transport needs in 20 rural parishes in Dorset, using focus groups, household surveys and interviews with the major stakeholders involved in the procurement and provision of rural transport services. Under the CountryWays initiative, we also designed and conducted an innovative consultation exercise targeting local residents in rural Oxfordshire to address rural traffic management, as part of Oxfordshire County Council’s ‘CountryWays’ project. Local residents were invited to a series of design days where they were encouraged to identify the problems and potential solutions, and comment on the proposals put forward by the Council.
TTR helped Cambridge City Council to identify the need for a first Home Zone for the city, and its potential scope through establishing a stakeholder group to consider the options and the possible approaches followed by a public consultation day to enable local residents to contribute to discussions about the ideas for a Home Zone in their street.
Employers, Staff and Trade Unions
TTR has carried out consultation in developing green travel plans for a range of private and public sector organisations, including large business parks, commercial businesses, educational institutes, local authorities, charities, the Car Free Cities Network and the European Commission. We have also consulted with employers in Nottingham about their views on the possible impacts of a workplace parking levy.
Under the successful WorkWise Scheme in the West Midlands, TTR consulted with key stakeholders and jobcentre staff to identify practical solutions to overcome transport barriers to employment, and to build their commitment to the scheme.
Young People
TTR carried out a series of focus groups with young people in Merseyside to assess their attitudes to using public transport. We also worked with groups of schoolchildren to evaluate their views on a school travel pack. More recently, we carried out a survey in Torbay to assess the role that transport plays in the decision making process of young people (16-18 year olds) considering further education.
Travel Information
TTR carried out qualitative research amongst different sections of the travelling population for Transport Direct to determine traveller needs and whether a fee could be introduced for using the service.