[sustran] TDM and marketing

[John Whitelegg]

Dear Sustran discussants,

Just a quick observation on this interesting subject.  I have now done 5 major TDM projects, all organisationally based and all in very different situations.  The way I do these is very time consuming.  I have detailed discussions with 10% of the workforce about every conceivable subject that they and me think has a bearing on travel choice.  Usually this boils down to time, distance and complexity of origins and destinations over a large geographical area in a constrained amount of time.  Publicity, marketing, advertising and psychology are of limited value under these circumstances....its like trying to persuade someone to eat something that looks, smells and tastes bad.

One way forward (and there may be others) is to reconstruct the surface of opportunities so that all the alternatives to single occupancy vehicles (SOV) get progressively better and better while the SOV declines in attractiveness.  In other words (to continue the marketing metaphor) we improve the product and get better than the competition.  It actually works and a shift from car to the alternatives of 30% or more can be achieved.

Very best wishes


John Whitelegg