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Transport and Connectivity - EQF Level 3
Introduction

Introduction



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We live in a connected world where transport systems are the connectors that enable citizens to get about their local neighbourhood, to connect with other neighbourhoods, other parts of their town or city, the wider region, national and international centres. As large European towns and cities grew in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries so did their transport systems. Starting with canals and rail, tramways and roads these systems became more complex and interconnected as technology advanced. Some systems become obsolete or less important such as canals and tramways and others becoming more prevalent, principally the motorcar.

From the mid to the late twentieth century many large towns and cities were designed around motor vehicle journeys with motorways and dual carriage ways connecting rural and other urban areas with elevated roads often reaching into city centres. Congestion, pollution, poor air quality consequently impacted negatively on physical and mental wellbeing. Increasingly many residential areas, particularly those less affluent neighbourhoods became more inaccessible from their city/town or local centres leaving many residents disconnected from centres of employment, leisure and retail. In the 21st century towns and cities have the challenge of playing their part in tackling climate change and carbon reduction with urban transport systems role in contributing to targets.

At the heart of what makes a sustainable transport system is:

  • Affordable transport systems where the different modes (pedestrian, cycling, road, rail) connect and enable citizens to move around within and beyond their urban centre for work, study, leisure or shopping.
  • Transport systems that reduce carbon emissions contributing to carbon reduction targets.

Transport systems that enable citizens to safely and readily walk and cycle or use transport that is clean and green improving citizens physical and mental wellbeing. 

Task

Task



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Over one month keep a diary record of your movements recording:

Part 1

  • Movement within your neighbourhood (no more than a twenty minute walk, 10 minute cycle, five minute drive/public transport).
  • Movement within your town or city beyond your immediate neighbourhood (no more than 1 hour walking, 30 minute cycling, 20 minute driving or public transport)  
  • Movement beyond your town or city to the wider region or to another town or city (this clearly would require car, public transport or serious cycling!)
  • For each journey note the approximate distance
  • What transport mode did you use (walk, cycle, scooter, car, bus, tram etc.)
  • Use a carbon front calculator (there are many free on the web or your local or central government may have) to calculate the co2 generated by your journey
  • What was the purpose of your journey (exercise, to access leisure or community facilities, for work, for learning (school, college, adult), for shopping, for other (specify)
  • Write a short statement of how you felt after you completed your journey e.g. flustered because I was in a car jam for 20 minutes or well as the endorphins were flowing after the bike ride
  • Add up the total number of journeys made, the purpose by employment, learning, leisure or exercise), the Co2 generated. Produce a bar chart with this information on
  • Review your journeys on how you felt after each designating a smiley face when you felt well and unsmiling faces when you felt stressed and create a pie chart illustrating the split of smiley faces to unsmiling faces
  • Write a summary statement reflecting on your overall experience and your thoughts how you could:
    • Minimise your production of CO2
    • Maximise feelings of wellbeing
    • Finding more efficient ways to journeys to where you have to go and want to go
    • Produce a map by drawing on your journeys over one month colour coded to their purpose

Part 2

Drawing on your diary record and summary report, map and pie and bar charts make a plan for the following month based on:

  • Research on the web your town or city’s transport plan (most will have or if not check out another town or city that does). Make some bulleted notes.
  • Research best practice for green and sustainable transport. Make some bulleted notes.
  • Run of a town or city map and highlight the major modes of transport – road, rail, and canal.
  • Look for green transport solutions such as super bike highways and mark these on the map.
  • Reflecting on your journey habits recorded over your diary record and drawing on your research and mapping prepare your plan to:
    • How you could reduce your co2 footprint
    • Undertaking essential work and educational journeys
    • Maximising journeys that support your wellbeing

Part 3

With reference to your plan keep a diary record for a second month:

  • Take the same approach in recoding your journeys, by type, how your journeys made you feel.
  • Use the same framework of neighbourhood, area, city and beyond for plotting your journeys.
  • Record the co2 impact of each.
  • Produce bar chart for your journey types, how you felt and co2 impact and pie chart
  • Produce a map of your journeys.
  • Write a short report contrasting the environmental and personal impact of the journeys you made over the first and second month and include the charts and maps.
  • Reflect how the plan enabled you to make greener, sustainable and wellbeing focussed journeys.     

Process

Process

Please go the resources section and under the document tab, you will find a 'Process' document  follow the instructions in the diagram to complete your task.

 

 
Conclusion

Conclusion

This module provides an action learning approach enabling the primary learner and the cohort of participants they identify to review their transport behavioural patterns and to potentially switch to more sustainable, greener and healthier transport options for their daily travel needs. It provides a range of learning approaches including desktop research, mapping of transport options, measurement of environmental impact and the development of communication and leadership skills. 

Once the programme is completed with the experience, action learning and educational materials learners and participants will have a strong foundation to develop their thinking, behaviour, and cultural approach to movement in cities and to share learning potentially with their peers.  

Evaluation

Evaluation

Learning Objectives

  • Learners develop a strong awareness of the issues underpinning greener and healthier travel, developing an empirical appreciation of the net benefits, an understanding some of the barriers for this and in drawing up plans for people making greener
  • Participants acquire an understanding and appreciation of different options for conducting their transport needs for work, education, culture or retail and the cost, environmental

Knowledge

  • Research skills – undertaking desk top research on green transport solutions and analysis of diary logs produced by the participants
  • Green Transport Policy and Best Practice – an understanding of the range of sustainable green transport.

Skills

  • Analytical skills through evaluation of diary logs
  • Mapping skills in identifying sustainable green routes
  • Research skills on options for public transport

Attitude

  • Communication skills acquired through briefing of participants
  • Leadership skills acquired through management of the cohort of participants

Resources

Click each section below to see all resources available.