Promoting Sustainable University Travel Choices

Research designed to support better university sector engagement, understanding travel behaviours post-pandemic.

Macquarie station

The research was undertaken by the Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, at the University of Sydney.

Background

Transport for NSW is partnering with the University of Sydney (USYD) on this research. The research is designed to help better understand the intended travel behaviour within university environments post-pandemic. This research will produce several key deliverables including a literature review of travel demand management practices, incorporating a review of university sustainable travel plans and return to campus plans. The research will help inform updates to Transport’s Travel Plan Toolkit for Universities. These updates will be informed by a survey of staff and students across USYD campuses. 

The first stage of this research includes a literature review. The literature review found:

  • Where possible a standalone Sustainable Travel Plan (STP) is preferable to a transport section within a wider Sustainability Plan.
  • The responsibility for the production of a STP must be adequately resourced. 
  • An STP plan should incorporate a process for the robust monitoring and evaluation of actions and interventions with measurable outcomes. 
  • An STP should be regularly refreshed and informed with evidence from an on-going (ideally 2-year) travel survey of the whole university community 

Report on review of literature and selected university return to campus and travel plans (PDF, 4.56 MB)

Objectives

The report focuses on defining travel demand management (TDM) and provides examples of measures in practice. It takes a snapshot of TDM within an educational context including international experience. The literature review also reviews STPs of a selection of Australian universities. The literature review then reflects on the current Transport Travel Plan Toolkit for Universities. 
 

Updates

Further updates will be provided as this project progresses.

This research is being delivered in partnership with iMOVE CRC and supported by the Cooperative Research Centres program, an Australian Government initiative.