An increasing number of companies make annual environmental accounts or green accounts
but until now very few companies have included the environmental effect from commuting.
Commuter plans can help companies that want to change the employees’ habits of
commuting into a more environmental way and to improve the transport facilities for the
employees.
A green commuter plan consists of a package of measures to reduce the daily travel by
car to and from work. In the municipality of Horsens staff travel surveys have been
conducted in 2 private industrial sites and 3 educational institutions to evaluate the
journeys in terms of modal split and length. A package of measures has been pointed out
and their effects estimated. In the light of this objectives were set for how much the
travel by car should be reduced.
Commuter plans can contribute to fulfil the aim of the Danish Government
concerning the environmental impact.
Internationally Denmark has undertaken to reduce the release of carbon oxide. With
that purpose the Ministry of Transport has worked out an action plan to reduce the release
of carbon oxide from traffic. Mobility management including green commuter plans has been
pointed out as one of the fields of contribution.
Commuter plans are a relatively new phenomenon in Denmark. The Municipality of Horsens
has entered an agreement with the Danish Environmental Agency to fulfil the project
"Sustainable commuter traffic in the Municipality of Horsens". The project is
based upon the results from another project "MOVE 2000 – transport and
environment in the County of Vejle". In that project commuting was pointed out as a
field of contribution to reduce the environmental impact of the traffic without reducing
the quality of life and the development in economic life.
The aim of the project was to prepare commuter plans for five companies and
institutions in the Municipality of Horsens in order to transfer commuters from driving
cars to using bicycles, public transport or driving as car passengers.
Fulfilling a commuter plan is a time-consuming process.
In 1998 the municipality of Horsens established the cooperation with the companies
and gathered information from equivalent projects. An investigation was made showing how
students and employees commuted to educational institutions and companies. After the
investigation RAMBØLL NYVIG was affiliated the project and worked out proposals for
commuter plans in the spring of 2000. The plans were discussed with the Municipality of
Horsens in the autumn and presented to the companies in the beginning of 2001.
Commuting by your own car can be affected by different means. But the
effect depends on various local circumstances.
Each company must be considered as unique as the background can be quite different.
There are great differences in the share of employees commuting by car. The more people
who have access to a car the more the car is used for commuting. But not everybody uses a
car even though they have access to one. If many employees live in the neighborhood of the
company the use of car decreases. Traditions for car-pooling and difficulties in finding
parking lots also decrease the use of car.
Measures to reduce commuting by car and their effects have to be evaluated in relation
to the size, nature and location of the company. A number of objectives for reduction of
the number of employees using their own car for commuting was proposed based on the
analysis of the employees’ commuting and the selection of measures. Depending on the
conditions in each company the reduction should be 8-12%.
From the beginning of the project none of the companies have noticed any particular
problems concerning commuting. The project is fulfilled as a result of an external
initiative and economical support. It is therefore expected that a company will not be
motivated for a special action on its own until a new situation arises. This could be if
the company moves or if the employees set up demands for better accessibility.
The way of commuting varies from company to company.
Between 34% and 78% of the commuters to the five companies travel by their own car. As
an average a little less than half the employees use their own car. The share is highest
for the private companies in which around 80% have access to a car. In the institutions
40-65% have access to a car.
On average there is 1.13 persons per car in the cars used for commuting which is
equivalent to one passenger in every 8th car. In one of the private companies
in this project there is a tradition for car-pooling. Here there is a passenger in every 8th
car. The other private company does not have the same tradition and is also situated
outside the city of Horsens. Here only every 25th car brings a passenger. In
the institutions there is a passenger in every 7th car.
For distances less than 3 km the majority of employees and students walk or use
bicycles. On distances between 3 and 5 km a substantial part still use bicycle, but the
share decreases heavily with the distance. A central location in Horsens or a nearby
college implies that many employees and students live within walking or cycling distance.
This is one of the reasons why the total shares that walk or use bicycle varies between
16% and 47%.
Between 3% and 37% use public transport. The share is highest at the institution
located in the outskirts of Horsens far from the city centre. Here only a small part of
the students have access to a car. The lowest share is at the factory located outside the
town of Horsens. Here most employees have access to a car and the public transport is
relatively poor.
Not all commuters with access to a car use this for commuting
Almost all commuters with access to a car use it when commuting to a company situated
far from the city centre. On the other hand 1/3 omits to use the car when the site is more
centrally located in the town. Many prefer walking or bicycling if the distance to work is
short or parking conditions are poor. Others have a tradition for car-pooling when the
distance becomes longer.
Commuting more than 20 km causes over half of the total transport
On average the employees in the two factories travel respectively 12 and 14 km to their
work. At the institutions the transport is between 10 and 14 km. Fully ¼ commute more
than 20 km and subscribe 60-75% of the total transport. In the private companies almost
all commuting is by car. In the institutions between half and ¾ use cars, the remaining
part uses public transport. The traffic work (number of km driven) with cars amount to
respectively 8 km and 12 km per employee for the private companies. For the institutions
it amounts to 5-7 km.
Better conditions for bicycling shall reduce the number of short car
tours by 5-10%
The commuter plans suggest construction of cycle paths along the main roads, where
there are none. In the long term the municipality of Horsens intends to fulfil these
constructions. The municipality of Horsens has developed a plan over the bicycle paths,
which is going to be distributed among the companies. It is suggested to increase the
number of bicycle parking places at the railway station. The Danish Railroad Directory has
already established more covered and lockable parking places. Campaigns are suggested to
make more commuters use the bicycle, for instance by once a month drawing lots for a prize
among the employees arriving by bicycle.
In the long term better public transport shall reduce the number of
longer car journeys by 5-10%
The commuter plans recommend information about busses and trains improved and the
busses should be included in "Rejseplan Danmark" (Travel Plan Denmark). Moreover
there is a wish to carry out analysis about the needs and possibilities for commuter
busses and improving the correlation between work hours and public transport.
More car-pooling shall reduce the number of trips by car 5-10%
The community of Horsens has enrolled the data base www.pendlernet made by the Danish
Road Directory. They are examening the possibilities for having it put on the intranets in
the companies. Hereafter the companies are responsible for informing the employees about
the database and help to use it. In addition to this employees receive information about
the environmental and economical advantages.
The combination of means will have a substantial effect
One by one the means will only have a limited effect. Moreover the effect has to be
supported by other measures. To get more employees to settle locally it is proposed to
help them finding a local residence. In addition to this the Municipality of Horsens is
dealing with finding more apartments for the youth.
It is proposed that the environmental statement of the companies must be expanded with
commuting. In each company a commuter responsible shall be pointed out to carry through
the commuter plans. The effect can be improved further when making restrictions for car
driving. The institutions consider analyzing the effect of reserving the nearest parking
lots for car-pooling. Beyond this there is no wish to make any improvement of the
conditions for one single means of transport on the cost of others.
A new situation often creates interest in commuter plans
From the beginning of the project the companies wanted to improve the conditions for
the employees and the students. Generally the accessibility to the company has influence
on the possibilities to withhold and recruit employees and students. But the companies
have not felt any particular problem concerning commuting. Therefore the project has taken
place as a result of an external initiative and economical support. Not till a new
situation arises - as in the case of a change of location - the company will be motivated
for a special action on its own. For the educational institutions the developing of
commuter plans will especially be interesting in connection with putting into effect new
courses.
But there are plenty of opposition to the implementation of commuter
plans
The companies have no direct economical interest in handling the commuting of the
employees and students. At the same time there is an opposition against intervening in
commuting which is regarded as a private affair.
Every company has its own traditions that form the boundaries of what they are
interested in changing. For instance work hours will have a great influence on the
possibilities to use alternatives to car.
Furthermore the company is not always aware of the workload in implementing the
commuter plan. The company has to point out an employee who has both the time and
economical means to form and implement the commuter plan.
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