Data key to understanding what people want and think
We work with local authorities to survey people about their travel habits. We ask them about what would support them to walk, wheel and cycle their journeys more.
Encouraging people of all ages to travel more actively and sustainably often means making changes to street design to make it safer and easier for people to walk, wheel, cycle or use public transport instead of the car.
Asking the right questions is vital for effective engagement with people about how they travel and why they choose to travel the way they do.
Supporting councils with data collection and analysis of Low Traffic Neighbourhood feedback
We were commissioned by the London Borough of Waltham Forest to design a survey and deliver seven engagement sessions to gather insights from residents and visitors to the borough about their experiences, perceptions and how they felt about the Lloyd Park and Higham Hill Low Traffic scheme.
We designed the sessions so that as many people as possible were able to take part in the engagement process. We wanted to make sure that people who wouldn’t usually have taken part in a statutory consultation, were supported to express their views on street design proposals in their neighbourhood.
Why meaningful engagement is vital for happier, healthier communities
Street redesign, creating Low Traffic Neighbourhoods and reprioritising street space dramatically changes how people move around their neighbourhood and get to the places they need to be.
If people feel their council isn’t listening to them, they will perceive changes made to their streets are being imposed upon them rather than being designed with them.
We recognise residents as local experts who know the area where they live better than most. Often their involvement is vital to the success of street design. They can foresee potential problems around access and road safety. Getting their buy-in is invaluable to a scheme’s success.
Analysis , findings and recommendations
We analysed the responses from Waltham Forest residents and visitors to the borough to make a number of recommendations to support future steps.
Designing an effective survey
We designed an engagement survey to include clear, concise and unbiased questions. We collected both qualitative data about sentiment, experiences and perceptions of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme.
The questions aimed to understand people’s:
- Perceived safety of the area
- Overall sentiment of the scheme
- Suggested changes to the scheme
- Travel behaviours
- Experiences of the area and scheme
In addition, we asked respondents for their postcodes and if they were previously aware of the scheme, to assess if there were any relationships between being local or being aware of the scheme, and their responses.
Data analysis
We analysed the quantitative and qualitative data from the survey and provided the council with rich insights into what people were feeling about this Low Traffic Neighbourhood.
The data informed a number of recommendations which we presented to council officers.
The council is able to use these recommendations to support future amendments to this scheme and also for the design of similar schemes in the future.
Contact us
Get in touch if you would like us to support you with creating and delivering surveys and engagement events for your sustainable travel programmes: info@mpsmartertravel.co.uk