Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 10
10
Accepted
National data measures are too high-level to accurately track local active travel investment
Conclusion
It is important for DfT to have the right data and information in place to monitor whether its active travel investments are contributing to achieving its objectives. The NAO reported that longer-term progress against achieving DfT’s objectives was uncertain due to a time-lag in availability of DfT’s statistics.17 ATE told us that, currently, the existing national measures that DfT uses to track progress on cycling rates are too high-level to capture the impact of local investment accurately. DfT explained that it used the National Travel Survey to monitor progress against its objectives, which included around 10,000 people per year. It told us that this was a “very good set of data” and for walking, the numbers reported “is liekly to capture what is actually happening”. But it explained that it was cycling it was slightly different, as the survey would look at aggregated results, but that cycling infrastructure could be inconsistent across the country and investment was very localised, so a national survey was “too diluted to reflect what is happening on the ground”.18
Government Response Summary
The government agreed, confirming work is underway to increase the National Travel Survey's sample size for better sub-national representation. ATE is developing a revised evaluation approach for local schemes, investigating locally representative datasets, and initiating a five-year Active Travel Portfolio Evaluation to be completed by 2026-27.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
2.6 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Recommendation implemented 2.7 The department considers the National Travel Survey statistics to be the best available source to measure progress against the four objectives set out in CWIS 2. Its size and design provide a nationally representative, statistically robust source that allows repeatable longitudinal measurement of progress. Work is underway to increase the national sample size further, allowing better sub-national representation. 2.8 The department does agree that more can be done to understand the impact on cycling and walking rates following investment at the local level. ATE is developing a revised approach to evaluation of active travel schemes that have received grant funding from government, and where ATE has been involved in the assessment of the related bid for grant funding from the relevant local authority. ATE is also investigating the potential to develop locally representative datasets to complement existing data sources. 2.9 The cornerstone of the revised ATE evaluation approach is the five-year Active Travel Portfolio Evaluation, a process and impact evaluation of Active Travel Investment, led by Sheffield Hallam University, to be completed in 2026-27. ATE is also considering the approach to process, impact, and value for money evaluation of particular interventions (for example Social Prescribing). In parallel, the department is, in collaboration with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, developing the scope of an impact evaluation of the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement and the Levelling Up Fund. This includes the impact of active travel elements. The department and ATE are working to ensure complementary approaches across the evaluations.