Measuring and Evaluating the Travel, Physical Activity and Carbon Impacts of Connect2

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Title
Measuring and Evaluating the Travel, Physical Activity and Carbon Impacts of Connect2

CoPED ID
581789ff-1134-486b-b2c2-431b47611b68

Status
Closed

Funders

Value
£4,500,564

Start Date
May 4, 2008

End Date
Nov. 4, 2013

Description

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Connect2 is a 138 million investment programme in walking and cycling infrastructure at 79 sites across the UK that provides a unique opportunity to determine the impact of infrastructure provision on walking and cycling and to assess the impact of other interventions including promotional activities. The challenge is to ensure this opportunity is used to fill evidence gaps, assess transferability and influence policy. The aim of this project is therefore to measure and evaluate the travel, physical activity and carbon impacts of interventions to improve the connectivity of infrastructure for walking and cycling. To achieve this aim we have developed an interdisciplinary consortium of eight institutions with expertise in energy, environmental, physical activity, public health and transport research, as well as computerised urban modelling. Our objectives are: (1) to develop and refine measurement instruments and evaluation frameworks for assessing the effects of these interventions on travel activity, physical activity and carbon emissions; (2) to apply these methods in longitudinal population-based studies at a purposive sample of up to six Connect2 case study sites; (3) to determine the likely benefits of additional promotional interventions using a randomised controlled trial at one Connect2 site (provisionally the Road to Nowhere scheme in Glasgow); and (4) to enhance and collate data at all Connect2 sites to develop strategic evaluation measures. Our methodological approach will be informed by the realist approach to evaluation which advocates determining not simply whether an intervention has worked but also understanding why it is effective (or not), in what ways, for whom and in what circumstances. We will therefore collect data on context, mechanisms and outcomes using a longer self complete household questionnaire, to which we anticipate a total of approximately 10,000 useable responses from the main case studies; a shorter user intercept questionnaire, developed in conjunction with Sustrans; and more detailed objective measures from subsets of our study cohorts. The main outputs will be an improved set of measurement and evaluation tools at the strategic and more detailed, local levels, validated using a heterogeneous set of Connect2 case studies; evidence on the impacts of infrastructural and promotional interventions, which will inform policy and practice; and strategic benefit and cost measures which will inform and influence government policy and appraisal of infrastructural interventions. These outputs will have significant generic benefits for central government, local authorities, active travel users and academia.

Jonathan Preston PI_PER
Jane Powell COI_PER
A Day COI_PER
Nanette Mutrie COI_PER
David Ogilvie COI_PER
Christian Brand COI_PER
Ashley Cooper COI_PER
Fiona Bull COI_PER

Subjects by relevance
  1. Evaluation
  2. Infrastructures
  3. Physical activeness
  4. Traffic
  5. Efficacy
  6. Measuring methods
  7. Development (active)
  8. Measurement
  9. Intervention
  10. Physical training
  11. Investment activities

Extracted key phrases
  1. Strategic evaluation measure
  2. Connect2 case study site
  3. Detailed objective measure
  4. Cost measure
  5. Connect2 site
  6. Travel activity
  7. Additional promotional intervention
  8. Main case study
  9. Physical activity
  10. Infrastructural intervention
  11. Promotional activity
  12. Active travel user
  13. Cycling infrastructure
  14. Carbon impact
  15. Strategic benefit

Related Pages

UKRI project entry

UK Project Locations