TravelSmart – helping people in Lowestoft change the way they travel

TravelSmart is an innovative project offering households information and support to enable people to walk, cycle and use public transport more often.  The project started in Lowestoft in 2008 and will run until 2010. It aims to reduce car use and encourage healthier lifestyles by increasing active travel in our daily routines.

A total of 25,000 households across Lowestoft will be invited to take part in the project. Residents can choose from a wide selection of information such as local walking maps, cycling maps and bus timetables, as well as a discount card and the opportunity of a personal advice session with an expert. The information pack is delivered to households on foot or by bike.

The project is being funded by a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s Wellbeing Programme, with match-funding from Suffolk County Council and Waveney District Council.


Suffolk County Council is delivering the project in partnership with:

• Waveney District Council
• Sustrans, the national sustainable transport charity
• Socialdata, travel behaviour research experts

The project is also being supported by other local partners, including public transport operators, walking and cycling groups and local businesses.

To supplement the TravelSmart project, detailed travel behaviour research was undertaken in Lowestoft before the project started, with further research to be carried out at the end.  The findings so far have shown that:

• Most day-to-day trips are local
• A quarter of all car trips are under two miles
• Over half of all local car trips could be made by walking, cycling or public transport
• Most people are concerned about traffic growth and support policies which favour walking, cycling and public transport
• Lack of information, motivation, and the misperception of travel time are the main obstacles to changing travel behaviour

TravelSmart will enable Lowestoft residents to do their bit to tackle congestion and reduce their carbon footprint whilst keeping fit and healthy!

For more information about the project or for  please visit the Lowestoft TravelSmart or Sustrans TravelSmart websites.