ENCOURAGING MORE PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES to ‘Go Smarter to Work’ and help reduce traffic congestion and emissions on our roads has earned Sunderland a regional award.
Sunderland City Council is part of the Department for Transport funded ‘Go Smarter’ sustainable transport programme launched three years ago, to promote more environmentally friendly ways of travelling than over-reliance on the car.
The Go Smarter to Work team at Sunderland City Council works with local businesses and employees to provide the practical help, advice and encouragement needed to walk, cycle or use public transport of car share for the journey to work.
Efforts in Sunderland have earned the City Council a Gold Accreditation award from the DfT campaign, which has been accepted on the city’s behalf by Portfolio Holder for City Services, Councillor Michael Mordey.
Councillor Mordey said: “I am delighted to accept this award as recognition of the hard work done in our city to successfully encourage more and more people to leave the car at home and get to work on foot, on cycle, on public transport or sharing a car.
“Getting people to consider these as viable and hopefully preferred travelling options is not easy. You have to provide the practical help, advice and resources to make that possible.
“We have listened to what local people and businesses have told us was needed, and tried to make that possible with things like improved cycle routes and changing facilities, designated walking routes and partnerships with public transport to offer reduces fares and improved services.”
The Go Smarter programme helps to reduce congestion, improve access and increase travel options for all those using the region’s main transport and employment corridors such as the A1 Western by-pass and A1231 Sunderland Highway.
As help achieve that long-term aim, Sunderland City Council is the latest large employer to help employees consider new money and environment saving ways of travelling to work, by carrying out staff travel surveys.
The survey was carried out by the City Council’s Go Smarter to Work team, who have carried out similar surveys at Nissan, HMRC, DWP, Hays Travel and EDF Energy.
The results of the staff travel surveys help employers devise travel plans to help staff get to work more easily without having to rely on the car, which is one of the main aims of Go Smarter to Work.
The advice and initiatives available through the programme helps employers to reduce business costs, decrease the demand for office parking spaces and improve the health of employees by promoting walking and cycling as viable ways of travelling to work.
‘Go Smarter’ Programme Manager, Melanie Carls said: “Go Smarter is delighted that Sunderland City Council has achieved Gold Accreditation and would like to congratulate all staff involved.
“As one of the main employers in the area this achievement is key and testament to an outstanding commitment to sustainable travel that contributes significantly to minimising the impact of the business on the environment. It is also proof of employee dedication to adopt a greener and more active commute to work.”
While accepting the Gold Accreditation Award on behalf of Sunderland City Council, Cllr Mordey hasalso thanked everyone who took part in the City Council and other staff travel surveys.
The surveys ask staff about their journeys to work, so employers can see where there might be opportunities to encourage people to leave their cars at home and consider other ways of travelling to help reduce traffic congestion and increase their own health, fitness and bank balance.
Responses supplied by the 645 people who completed the City Council staff survey, will be used to help the Go Smarter team devise travel plans for staff which include:
– Discounted travel passes for staff which provides reduced costs/fares on public transport
– Car sharing/ Car clubs which help reduce fuel costs by sharing the commute to work
– Providing more cycle racks and changing facilities to encourage more people to cycle to work with advice on cycle routes
– Raising awareness of designated walking routes and advice on the safest/quickest journey to work
Portfolio Holder for City Services, Councillor Michael Mordey said: “I’d like to thank everyone who took part in their staff travel surveys, for providing us with such valuable information.
“Knowing what people’s travelling habits to work are, provides us with as great starting point to see how, where and how we can encourage them to change them by leaving their cars at home and consider alternative, often cheaper ways, to travel.
“Public transport, walking, cycling or car sharing are all viable options for the vast majority of employees and we need to persuade more people to use them by providing the advice, support and facilities they need to make them suitable to their travelling needs.”