In 2022 Rees Jeffreys Road Fund awarded the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust and Create Streets a grant to explore how transport modelling can be used to more effectively plan for sustainable transport in new housing estates.
The project team published a report “Stepping off the road to nowhere” where they explored the application of different approaches: “Predict and Provide” and “Vision and Validate”.
The project team kindly shared their insights into what enabled the project findings to influence policy. Their top tips are:
- Timing: active debates happening, where the project can contribute much needed evidence.
- Credibility: technical credibility, values-led proposition and partnership approach.
- Support from funders: funding early project exploration that might have a long pay-back period.
- Communication and framing: Report findings are presented in an accessible and usable way, including technical content and case studies.
- Direct engagement: engaging with policy makers, using the project evidence to support wider process of influence.
- Sustained effort: a single piece of work is rarely enough to shift outcomes on its own. Success requires convening, coalition building, and continuing to add to the evidence.
- Influencing the delivery system is as important as policy: This requires engagement with not just the policy makers but also the organisations involved in practical delivery.
Many thanks to the project team for sharing these top tips, which provides a great aid memoire for projects aiming to influence policy.
