Business Travel Network

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7 min to read

About the city. The city authorities pay special attention to the city’s transport system to ensure safety, efficiency and reasonable consumption of environmental resources.

Goal

The main goal is to provide a framework for the range of transport information, resources, services and activities that businesses and other organisations can access.

Implementation period. The service was launched in 2017 and is operated on an ongoing basis.

Fact

The main news stream is broadcast via Twitter.

Solutions

The Birmingham Connected Business Travel Network provides general information & advice on sustainable travel, but also contains aspects specific to public transport, walking & cycling, reducing travel demand, road safety, air quality, smarter working and freight & deliveries.

What is available?

The Business Travel Network is arranged around the following categories:

Information – a range of factsheets, online content and regular email updates along with various travel maps and timetables
Travel Plans – a guided process for carrying out site audits, travel surveys and developing your own Sustainable Travel Action Plan using the Modeshift STARS online tool
Support – partner sites to help workplaces encourage and enable greener travel or reduce the need for travel
Events and activities – upcoming events, webinars and activities for you to take part in to help encourage walking cycling and public transport
Offers and incentives – details of any available discounts or taster tickets for public transport, or possible funding opportunities
Legacy – help to develop a culture of sustainable travel through training for workplace champions, networking opportunities and accreditation through Modeshift STARS

Modeshift STARS Business is a national scheme to support organisations with producing and delivering effective Travel Plans, and recognise excellence in this area of work by providing formal accreditation.

Modeshift STARS Business is accessed through an online portal that:

helps you to put together and deliver a Travel Plan for your organisation
provides a simple and easy way to monitor and evaluate this Travel Plan
recognises and rewards your efforts in promoting and enabling sustainable travel

Modeshift STARS Business is completely flexible for organisations and is focused on what you can achieve by developing relevant travel solutions that are fit for purpose.

Where?

This is a city-wide service, with potential for it to be extended out across the wider West Midlands region in future.
It has a particular focus on journeys into Birmingham city centre and other parts of the city that account for a large number of car trips, e.g. Green Travel Districts, as well as supporting existing forums, such as Business Improvement Districts.

Currently employers of any size located in the areas shaded blue on the map below can join:

How?

This service builds on the success of previous support for businesses provided through Company Travel Wise and other sustainable transport programmes, bringing the various resources developed through these into an over-arching framework.
Regular communication of high-quality, relevant information is at the heart of this service, with wrap-around support/activities identified and provided where resourced.
The team is exploring potential to offer access to this service and its resources through an online portal and/or a smart phone app, building on recent developments in the emerging fields of intelligent mobility and ‘mobility as a service’.

Team

This is a partnership between Birmingham City Council Transport Behaviour Change team and Transport for West Midlands, supported by our delivery partners such as Living Streets, Sustrans, and Better Points (with potential for others to get involved).

There is also a key role for local public transport operators, such as National Express and London Midland, in contributing towards the development of this service.

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