Individuals

• Local entrepreneur Andy Markham opens for business retrofitting bicycles with electric motors, ‘EcoPimp my Bike’. His bikes are popular for residents with hilly journeys. A number of new bicycle retail outlets and service centres open.
• School children celebrate the opening of a new local section of the National Cycle Network in Berry Pomeroy, which encourages hundreds of people to walk and cycle their way to a healthier lifestyle.
• A survey shows 20% of people have changed their travel habits in 3 years. More people now walk, cycle or take public transport.

Community

• With the new dedicated cycle/walkway from Dartington to Buckfastleigh, Cycle Trains and Walking Buses are established for all routes leading to the Steiner School at Dartington. The Walking Buses have been catching on at other primary schools in the area and the Steiner School training for all parents and teachers has encouraged this. The completing of phase 2 of the cycle/walking network will open up these options for the other schools to bring in these changes. A new generation of children start to understand the meaning of horse-power as school travel plans supported by parents, teachers and local bus companies, include Cycle Trains, Walking Buses, Rickshaw Taxis and public transport to the bus stop.
• Groups representing the elders, people with disabilities and youth welcome the plans for transit hubs and increased public transport saying this will increase safety and access to travel for a much wider group.
• Car pools are very popular but finding it difficult to get enough electric cars due to a surge in demand nationally. Streets link up to increase access to vehicles. Underused bicycles are added to some local pools.
• A community pace car scheme in introduced through a children led “Traffic Tamers” project. Once it gets going, speeds rapidly fall.
• The DIY Streets schemes start to link up, forming DIY Neighbourhoods.

Policy Makers & Service Providers

• Government announces a Transport Framework that will support local plans. A major public campaign is initiated at all levels to encourage people to understand the seriousness of carbon reduction and increase use of public transport systems. Road tax based on carbon emissions is introduced. The newly appointed Secretary of State for Transport tells the public that politicians at all levels will no longer be claiming car allowances, instead they will be using public transport to set a good example. There are a few rumblings in the backbenches, but their free travel passes quieten discontent. The scene for a cash incentive for scrapping old cars and replacing with new, more energy efficient ones is itself scrapped, and replaced by incentives to give up car ownership entirely or to retrofit existing cars, so saving on embodied energy. At the same time there is a move towards investment in car pools to reduce cars on the road, and incentives to make mass transit more affordable and accessible, and where possible free to local people.
• National Rail creates a local cooperation consortium to bring freight back to rail, harmonise services and pricing and work with local travel providers and distribution services to increase access and integrate services. National Government injects freight and passenger supplement to rail companies to incentivise additional services and bring down ticket costs. In line with increasing leisure access and use of train services, Sunday and public holiday services are to be increased to Saturday services and extensive weekend maintenance is to reviewed, with most maintenance to be carried out at night. No maintenance will be carried out on public holiday weekends to ensure all services are running. Totnes Railway Station gets an artistic face-lift; a brightly painted footbridge, new cycle rack and the old freight depots are brought back to life. The Government signs a new deal with Royal Mail, which will travel by train.
• Based on DCC’s highly successful staff travel plan and incentives, SHDC initiates a ‘50% less Carbon” travel plan for Follaton House with incentives for staff to travel to work without the car, showers and lockers are installed for cyclists.. Staff at DCC and SHDC are to be offered discount bicycles which they can buy over a 2 year period out of their wages; the scheme is met with an enthusiastic response fro staff and large sections of the staff car parks are to be changed to covered cycle parks. 50 car parking spaces are removed from the smaller car park at Heath’s in Totnes in response to lack of use and need for growing space. The new allotments are quickly spoken for.
• The new DCC/SHDC Totnes & District pilot transportation strategy assigns a substantial budget to invest in the new hybrid methane/electric buses to cover a comprehensive network, and a number of new bus routes and stops are designated filling in the gaps in present services. 25% of PSVs will use fuel from the local AD supplies now coming on stream. A night bus service is established connecting Totnes and the surrounding villages and supporting local evening social and cultural activities. A pilot study is commissioned, looking at how the Smart Jitney or Wiggly Bus concept could be introduced.
• DCC open a new cycle path between Stoke Gabriel and Totnes along the route of an old green lane called Fleet Mill Lane. This hill-free, scenic route quickly becomes popular with both commuter cyclists and leisure cyclists.

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