Evaluation of the Step Ahead of the Rest (StAR) programme in Kent

Kent County Council received DfT Revenue funding in 2017 for three years to deliver a package of measures to meet Kent County Council’s strategic aim that ‘Kent communities feel the benefits of economic growth by being in work, healthy and enjoying a good quality of life’. The measures proposed support economic development and healthy lifestyles by encouraging the use of active and sustainable modes of travel to access employment, education and training. They are targeted at locations that have received Local Growth Fund investment, as well as significant economic development sites across Kent due to be completed before 2020, and build on previous Local Sustainable Transport Fund schemes (e.g. the Kent Connected website (https://kentconnected.org/). The DfT have awarded KCC Transport Innovations (TI) a fourth year of Revenue funding to extend most programmes for the budget year 2020/21 for completion in March 2021. This was subsequently extended for another 6 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Centre for Health Services Studies, University of Kent was commissioned by Kent County Council to provide an evaluation of selected schemes within the Step Ahead of the Rest (StAR) programme. The schemes included in the evaluation are:

1. Active at Work Challenge

2. Brief Interventions

3. Youth Travel Ambassadors

4. Small Steps

5. Cycle training

6. Cycle loans

7. Cycle Rangers / Community Route Champions