Baseline study of walking & cycling levels in Monaghan town

Tender description

Background Monaghan local authorities are participating in various initiatives of the Dept of Transport Tourism & Sport (DTTAS) under the Smarter Travel Sustainable Transport Policy 2009- 2020. A condition of Dept funding under this initiative is that local authorities are able to record the extent to which a modal shift away from the private motor car towards more sustainable modes of transportation such as walking and cycling is achieved by the introduction of the various measures which the Dept funds. Monaghan County Council and Monaghan Town Council have received funding from the Dept to re-open 4.5km of canal towpath through Monaghan town as a walking & cycling Greenway. Construction has commenced on the Greenway, and is due for completion at the end of 2013. In order to establish the level of walking and cycling activity in the town prior to the introduction of the Greenway, MCC and MTC wish to engage the services of a researcher to carry out a ‘Baseline Data’ survey. The same survey should be repeated 6 months after the opening of the Greenway, to capture whether there has been an increase in walking and cycling in the town since its introduction. As part of the contract, the researcher should provide a framework methodology for repeating the study at annual intervals, so as to capture the modal shift over time. Context The information gathered by the Baseline Study will be used to report on progress to the DTTAS. The focus will be on recording the ‘pre-intervention’ level of walking & cycling in Monaghan town, then to revisit the data following implementation of infrastructural & behavioural interventions, so as to record the overall shift in the percentage of journeys made by foot or bike in the town over time. The DTTAS has provided extensive guidance on what it requires in terms of monitoring. The guidance document is enclosed with this invitation to tender. Indicative Methodology It is envisaged that the Study will require both d