Feature Culture change for cycling Surveys lead to a travel planning programme.
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The university instigated travel surveys which included questions to staff and students about the improvements that they would like to see that could encourage them to reduce their car use. In line with other UK universities, specific measures in relation to cycling and walking scored quite highly, helping to demonstrate that there is potential to increase ‘active travel’ to the university.
What’s been done?
Corporately, the university introduced Cycle Scheme in early summer 2009. Approximately 5% of staff have taken the opportunity to get hold of a bike at a reduced price. A new online active travel forum has been created on the university’s elearning site Blackboard. This allows debate and information regarding cycling and walking issues. Health awareness and vitality programmes have included more cycling events than before, with guided rides, cyclists’ breakfasts and free bike maintenance. Specific things have also been happening on some of our sites.
At Newton Rigg, a good working relationship with Cumbria County Council (CCC) has made some improvements possible. In spring 2009 CCC resurfaced most of the main cycle route between the site and Penrith (part of the C2C route).
At Carlisle, we held a travel fair in November 2009 which included promotion of cycle friendly Carlisle. For those who are not comfortable cycling on the road, the main university sites both have signed cycle paths nearby. A grant from Sustrans has also allowed new covered cycle parking to be installed at Fusehill Street and Milbourne Street.
At Lancaster we have launched Velocampus Cumbria. This was made possible with a £40k grant from Cycling England which allowed us to install new secure cycle parking and set up a low cost, high-spec bike loan scheme for students. This will help our students to get around more easily and cheaply and help to reduce the number of full-time students who need to bring a car to university. A lot of the work has been a joint programme with the Cycling Demonstration Town, a project run by the city council with funding from Cycling England. It would not have been possible to create Velocampus Cumbria without their detailed knowledge and ongoing help and funding.
Peter Loker, Corporate Director of Community Services with Lancaster City Council, explains their involvement:
”Lancaster City Council’s Cycling Town programme works with a number of large employers across the Lancaster and Morecambe District, providing support to these organisations to encourage more of their staff to cycle to work. We have worked closely with University of Cumbria, Lancaster campus, to action a number of successful schemes which have shown an increase in the number of both staff and students cycling to campus. These include a student bike hire scheme, new cycle routes through campus, cycle maintenance training and secure cycle parking. The University of Cumbria has demonstrated a high level of commitment towards the Cycling Town project aim of getting more people cycling in the district, and the proactive nature of the university has certainly helped in securing additional funding from Cycling England.”
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