TRAVel behaviour & Edinburgh Low Emission Zone (TRAVEL)

Research questions: Our study, TRAVel behaviour & Edinburgh Low Emission Zone (TRAVEL), will have two main questions: 1. How does travel behaviour differ across journeys that include and exclude the LEZ? 2. Has LEZ enforcement influenced travel decisions to travel to the city centre?

Background: LEZs can help encourage more sustainable journeys, such as public transport and active travel, and also contribute to improved air quality and net zero emission commitments.

Aims and objectives: To fully address the two main research questions, we have three objectives: 1) Develop a survey to measure travel behaviour and assess influence of the LEZ in travel decisions. 2) Recruit a representative sample of adults working/studying in Edinburgh, and 3) Undertake effective engagement with diverse stakeholders across all stages of the research.

Methods: We will develop a survey to understand commuting patterns and behaviour, and to what extent the implementation of the LEZ has influenced their travel choices, including modal shift. The survey will include questions on demographics (age, sex, income, car ownership employment [including remote work habits]), travel habits (origin & destination, frequency, purpose, mode), and motivation/consideration of travel (cost, time, convenience, physical activity).

In addition to the LEZ, the survey will ask explicitly about cycle lanes and any other infrastructure and policy changes that have occurred in Edinburgh recently. We will employ a professional survey company to administer the online survey and recruit a representative sample of 350 respondents.

Timelines for delivery: The study will run from July to December 2024. The survey will be developed with expert and public stakeholders over the summer. Recruitment will commence in September and survey data analysis will begin in October. Dissemination of findings and preparation of outputs will be completed in November.

Anticipated impact and dissemination: Through our study, we hope to better understand travel habits and what role, if any, the LEZ has had to influence the travel choices of residents and commuters in Edinburgh. We will disseminate results through our stakeholder committee, including the City of Edinburgh Council and other key stakeholders. These insights will represent valuable groundwork on travel behaviour change related to the enforcement of the LEZ.

These findings also will be used to evaluate a complex intervention of active travel initiatives detailed in Edinburgh's City Mobility Plan via a combination of surveys and secondary datasets (including Lothian bus passenger data and novel big datasets, such as aggregated mobile data) to evaluate modal shift to active and more sustainable travel.