Smarter Choices Smarter Places is a Scottish Government partnership project with COSLA. Designed to increase active travel and public transport use and tackle transport emissions, it will contribute to a number of objectives in the Scottish Government's National Performance Framework, and Local Authorities' Single Outcome Agreements.
An announcement of the seven proposals to be funded was made on Wednesday August 13 2008. Press Release
The following authorities and regional transport partnership have been successful in attracting Scottish Government funding:-
Activities in these Local Authorities will include: better public transport services and residential improvements; upgrades in walking and cycling infrastructures; studies into travel patterns and access; intensive marketing and awareness campaigns; and workshops and information packs. Communities involved range from between approximately 10,000 in Kirkwall to 37,000 in Dumfries.
The programmes of activity in each area were launched in May 2009 and continue until March 2011.
The projects are being monitored and evaluated by the University of Aberdeen, Derek Halden Consultancy and Integrated Transport Planning. The research consultants carried out baseline monitoring including focus groups and travel diary surveys between January and April 2009, followed up with telephone surveys in 2010 and 2011 and a final round of travel diary surveys in 2012
A total of 39 proposals from 28 Local Authorities were received for Stage One. The proposals were assessed against an initial set of criteria. Twelve Local Authorities submitted Stage Two proposals and these were assessed according to a further set of criteria.
The Scottish Government and COSLA launched Smarter Places, Smarter Choices ( Letter to Local Authorities) on March 17, 2008 ( Press Release)
Sustainable travel demonstration towns in England
The Department for Transport (DfT) set up the Sustainable Travel Towns of Darlington, Peterborough and Worcester to see what a sustained programme of smarter choices can achieve. Further Information on the Sustainable Travel Demonstration Towns can be found on the DfT's website:-
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/sustainable/demonstrationtowns/
You can find more information about each town's specific projects by visiting their dedicated websites. These contain details information and are updated regularly:-