Travel case studies

Sean and Esha's travel story

Sean and Esha are in their early 30's, who live in Stanbrough Park, North Watford.

What they currently do...

  • Esha works in central London and Sean works for the NHS and is based in Watford town centre.
  • The couple have a car which Sean parks at the Town Hall after dropping Esha of at Watford Junction station for her train into central London.
  • They have a parking ticket for the Town Hall, and Esha pays for monthly train ticket.
  • Sean hates sitting in traffic every morning, which means that they set off earlier to ensure they catch Esha's train.
  • Sean knows the NHS is encouraging staff to travel into work sustainably to help reduce parking issues and the Borough's environmental impact, but he can't see how else their commute would work. He would be open to cycling but doesn't have anywhere to store his bike in their flat.

Monthly travel costs:

  • Parking pass for Watford Town Hall - £110
  • Car running costs (inc. petrol) - £150
  • Train tickets from Watford to London - £325
  • Total: £585
Sean and Esha

In the future...

  • Sean applies for a bicycle hanger to be placed on their street, giving him somewhere safe and easy to store his bike.
  • Esha has switched to working from home three days a week, and uses a flexible rail ticket for her journey into London.
  • Sean now cycles to the Town Hall using new segregated cycle lanes which also gives him priority at junctions. He makes his other regular journeys by bike due to the improved cycle infrastructure across town.
  • He no longer buys a parking ticket for the Town Hall, saving him money each month.
  • Esha walks or uses a Beryl Bike to travel to Garston Station where she takes the new more frequent trains on the Abbey Line. Her journey time is similar to when they drove and more reliable due to not getting stuck in traffic.
  • They decide to sell their car, which grants them mobility credits, which they use to join the local car club. This means they still have access to a car when they need one.

Monthly travel costs:

  • Bike hanger - £6
  • Bike running costs - £5
  • Public transport (Abbey Line) costs (£4 x 8 days) - £32
  • Typical spend on Car Club service - £50
  • Flexible train ticket from Watford to London - £144
  • Total: £348
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