'Making smarter choices work' is a promotional guide to explain what Smart Choice measures are, what they can achieve and how they can be used effectively to reduce the impacts of congestion.

We call these measures 'smarter choices' and they are becoming an increasingly important area for the Department for Transport. Smarter choices include local programmes to encourage school, workplace and individualised travel planning; improving public transport information and marketing services; setting up web sites for car share schemes and supporting car clubs; and encouraging teleworking and teleconferencing.

This guide has been written for local authorities ? both members and officers ? and explains what we know about smarter choice measures, based on the latest research. It explains how local authorities can use them to improve traffic flows and make life more pleasant for local people. The research on which this document is based was carried out during 2003-04 and looked at the impact that these measures can have on traffic. The final report, 'Smarter Choices ? Changing the Way We Travel'was published in July this year in parallel with the Department's White Paper 'The Future of Transport'. It provides firm evidence of the impact of smarter choices on traffic, particularly where local authorities have promoted them vigorously.

The challenge now for local authorities is to recognise the potential benefits of smarter choice measures so that they make them an integral part of their transport strategies. Not only can they reduce congestion, but they give people genuine travel choices. They also contribute cost-effectively to other Government priorities, such as improving accessibility and social inclusion, encouraging regeneration, reducing pollution and carbon emissions and helping to increase levels of physical activity.

• Making smarter choices work - brochure (PDF - 641 KB)
• Making smarter choices work - summary (PDF - 4096 KB)