TRAVEL PLANNING FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS AT UNIVERSITY OF LEICESTER
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Robin Pointon
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University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is led by discovery and innovation – an international centre for excellence renowned for research, teaching and broadening access to higher education. The University of Leicester is ranked among the top one per cent of universities in the world by the THE World University Rankings and also among the top 100 leading international universities in the world. It is among the top 25 universities in the Times Higher Education REF Research Power rankings with 75% of research adjudged to be internationally excellent with wide-ranging impacts on society, health, culture, and the environment.
Challenge
What was the primary challenge or set of challenges facing the client? What was the business case for change?
Identifying changes over the last five years in travel behaviour and making recommendations on how the University and other key transport stakeholders could further reduce car use and carbon emissions going forward.
What special value did Go Travel Solutions bring?
Go Travel Solutions is a long-term partner with the University of Leicester. The University was one of the first members to sign up to Smartgo Leicester, offering workplaces with a range of travel discounts. Go Travel Solutions brought to the project both local and national knowledge on sustainable travel and skills in scope 3 measuring.
Solutions
How the client identified a potential solution, why they chose to work with Go Travel Solutions and what solution was delivered. How did this solution address the challenge?
The review of the University of Leicester Travel Plan was conducted by Go Travel Solutions. It included a University-wide staff and student survey, carbon calculations, GIS mapping of postcode data for bus, walk and cycle routes and advice on data capture.
What special value did Go Travel Solutions bring?
Go Travel Solutions is a long-term partner with the University of Leicester. The University was one of the first members to sign up to Smartgo Leicester, offering workplaces with a range of travel discounts. Go Travel Solutions brought to the project both local and national knowledge on sustainable travel and skills in scope 3 measuring.
Benefits
The review revealed that the numbers of staff and students driving alone has dramatically reduced (from 49 per cent in 2010 to 37 per cent in 2015 for staff and from 9 per cent in 2010 to 5 per cent in 2015 for students). In addition, staff walking to campus has increased from 16 per cent to 21 per cent and students walking is up from 56 per cent to 62 per cent over the same time period.
This data will be used to shape and influence future travel plans and initiatives at the University of Leicester including encouraging greater use of sustainable forms of travel for staff and students. Based on the survey data gathered for the Travel Plan review, the report includes 30 calls to action for the University, local authority and public transport operators, focused on reducing car use and carbon emissions.
The Travel Survey highlighted the potential for greater use of sustainable travel by staff and students with over 100 staff, who are existing single car drivers, expressing a willingness to travel more sustainably to work, for example.
Client testimonial
“We used Go Travel Solutions to carry out a thorough staff and student travel survey to inform the next phase of our travel plan. We threw everything at them – tough timescales, last minute meetings, a hard to reach audience, tight budget and a demanding brief – and they delivered everything we needed and more.
“We are never disappointed when working with Robin and his team and would recommend them to anyone who needs to leave their project in capable hands whilst they go and fight fires elsewhere. You’ll get more than you bargained for (in a good way!).”
