University of York (From York Press)

University of York

11:57am Wednesday 25th August 2010 in

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IT IS no accident that in spite of a 40 per cent increase in staff and students at the University of York over seven years, traffic generated there has remained at 2003 levels.

The university’s support of cycling, its use of public transport and its charges for and management of car parking have resulted in a revolution in transport culture on campus.

Analysing complex factors and using an understanding of management of travel and traffic, the university has formulated a sustainable travel plan.

It has even supported a dedicated post involving Fiona Macey as travel plan co-ordinator.

It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the university is now seeking the Best Sustainable Travel Initiative title in The Press Business Awards 2010.

New transport surveys show that the number of university cyclists has increased by 74 per cent since 2003 while the use of buses to travel to work increased by 121 per cent over the same period.

Efforts to promote sustainable travel have succeeded through a comprehensive and regularly updated website accessible to the public as well as staff and students, and regular travel and transport fairs display the different options available.

For motorists these include providing a City Car Club – vehicles available 24 hours a day – with the nearest university City Car located outside the Information Centre in Market Square, York, and a university car-share scheme with 300 members which is linked into a city-wide internet based scheme which can be found at carshareyork.com Users get dedicated parking bays.

Campus car parks provide 1,500 spaces, including pay and display and permit-controlled. The university has its own hawk-eyed off-street parking patrol team.

As for fume-free cycles, the university runs a free cycle-hire service between the King’s Manor campus and the Main Heslington campus. Cycles can be hired for 48 hours in exchange for a £10 returnable deposit.

Since staff were first offered a tax-free “salary sacrifice cycle-to-work scheme” last October, 278 have taken advantage of it.

Meanwhile, cycle routes across campus are being improved. The university is undergoing consultation with all its cyclists calling on suggestions for improvements. That should be completed by November, in time for a recommendation early in the new year.

Staff and students get reduced bus ticket prices on FirstYork, Pullmans and EYMS while travel on Unibus between Heslington East and Heslington West is free.

A consultation process is also under way on improving walking routes across campus, in preparation for a new year report.

Mrs Macey said: “We are always looking to fine-tune ways of getting staff and students to change ingrained habits and turn to sustainable travel.”