Staff go green

Following the University's first travel survey four years ago, Aston published a travel plan in 2007 with the aim of reducing car use and encouraging the use of public transport, walking and cycling. This year, travel survey was repeated to see how far we had come. Not only was there a great response rate, with nearly 400 staff completing the questionnaire, but there were also some great results!

The University smashed its target of reducing car use to 43.5% of travel, with results showing that only 34% of staff now drive to work. A huge thank you and congratulations to all of you who have swapped your car for a different form of transport.

There has also been a huge rise in train and bus users, up to 30.5% and 20% respectively, which is fantastic and far exceeds the targets.

Finally, particular congratulations go out to all of Aston's cyclists and walkers, who now make up a combined 8.2% of staff. Well done to all of you for making the extra effort!

The survey has also shown that there are certain measures the University can take to make it easier for staff to travel sustainably. There has already been a lot of work into this, including:

• putting a staff cycle purchase loan scheme in place

• offering staff interest free loans for discounted public transport season tickets

• signing up to a car share database

• securing funds to build 6 new cycle and motorcycle shelters on campus and working on designs and costs for changing facilities in the main building

• forming a partnership with local organisation Cycle Chain to offer cheap bikes to staff and students and refurbish unwanted and abandoned bicycles

• working together with WhizzGo to provide a low carbon car on campus that can be hired for as little as an hour to help reduce the need for people to use their own vehicles

• examining car parking charges and availability of parking spaces

• organising events to promote cycling and sustainable transport, including On Your Bike days in January and April and a series of public transport surgeries

• installing a Real Time Information display for public transport in the Main Building main reception in November 2008

• developing a sustainable transport map for the campus

• creating a specific transport section on the website to provide information on alternatives to the car.

If you have any questions about these, or any suggestions for how we can continue to make sustainable travel easier, please contact the Environment Team. Once again, thank you to everyone who completed the survey and congratulations to all those of you who walk, cycle, take the bus or catch the train!

Words by Victoria Johnsen