We have called it ‘Final mile on foot’ and it’s an attempt to change the way in which we all think about our collective travel behaviours. The campaign is not anti-car and nor is it against taking the train or bus.

But what it does hope to do is persuade people to consider parking up their cars a little distance from the office – or step off a scheduled service one stop earlier – and complete their final mile (or half mile) in a greener and more active way.
If more people did this it could help to reduce traffic congestion, especially in our towns and cities. Air quality may improve too, especially if fewer motorists were sat queuing with their engines running trying to find a space in a central car park.

People would save money by reducing the amount of fuel they consume or distance travelled by bus or train. And commuters may arrive fresher, healthier and better able to tackle the day if they have had time to compose their thoughts while on foot, rather than sat in a jam on the local ring road or squashed up against fellow travellers on the Central Line.

Of course walking the final mile will not always be possible. There are times when parking the car close to your destination is pretty much a necessary; such as picking up bags of compost from the garden centre, furniture from a retail outlet or a weekly shop at the supermarket.

Those who suffer from reduced mobility, the elderly and parents with young children in tow will not always be able to complete their journeys easily by leaving their car or getting off public transport earlier. And the unpredictable British weather will sometimes mean that parking nearby or taking public transport all the way makes sense.

But for most people, there must be at least one day in the week when breaking an established travel habit and completing the final mile on foot is possible.

If more people started to think differently about how they travel – especially in urban areas – it could help cities to function better while making people healthier and slightly wealthier too.

Over the coming months Transportation Professional will look to highlight some good examples of how walking is being encouraged by the profession.

It will be great to hear from readers who have either recently changed their travel patterns to incorporate walking, or have been encouraged to take the final mile on foot. And it will be good to find out about successful projects under way that encourage modal shift for part of a journey.

If this applies to you, please share your experiences on social media using #FinalMileOnFoot or contact TP Editor Mike Walter by email: mike@transportation-mag.com