University submits sustainable travel blueprint
Posted on 1 February 2008
The University has submitted a sustainable travel plan to the City of York Council, which aims to limit car use on Heslington West and the new Heslington East expansion.
Our aim is to continue to monitor traffic in and around campus and reduce the car traffic directly attributable to staff and students
Elizabeth Heaps
In the last six years, there has been a fall in the proportion of staff using cars, despite a substantially increased University workforce. There have also been increases in the proportions of staff travelling by cycle, on foot, and by bus and train.
Traffic in the area is monitored regularly. About a third of car traffic through Heslington is directly attributable to staff and students at the University.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, Elizabeth Heaps, said: "Our aim is to continue to monitor traffic in and around campus and reduce the car traffic directly attributable to staff and students. We hope that the measures we put in place — particularly on public transport — might reduce car use by others too."
The University is proposing a range of measures to reduce car usage including tighter parking regulations, a more flexible system to encourage less frequent use and the promotion of car-sharing through a package of incentives.
The travel plan also features improved pedestrian routes and better disabled walking routes across campus, as well as measures to encourage staff and students to switch to cycling or public transport including:
- a subsidy for staff purchasing cycles
- new and improved cycle routes on and around campus
- showers in buildings
- bus fare subsidies for staff
- negotiating with bus companies on routes to and from campus
ENDS
Notes to editors:
- More information on the Sustainable Travel Plan and the University’s campus expansion at www.york.ac.uk/heslingtoneast/
- A copy of the Sustainable Travel Plan can be found at www.york.ac.uk/campusdevelopment/background/travelplan0108.pdf