Events
Staff Travel Open Days
A series of Travel Open Days were held in October for hospital and university staff in Manchester. They were designed to persuade people to consider different options when travelling to work. Information was available on discounted public transport tickets and supporting interest free loans as well as free journey planning and free train and shuttle bus tickets. The tickets give staff until December to take up a week's free travel on First Northern Trains and the new Oxford Road link shuttle bus.
The Open Days also provided information on cycle facilities and route finder maps. A user friendly cycle leaflet has been produced by a University Community mapping project funded by Manchester city council. The maps inform staff where they can park their bikes and where they can have a shower and get changed at their organisation. The leaflets will be updated every two years and the electronic versions automatically as new facilities are built. Cyclists have also been surveyed to highlight safer, less congested cycling routes into the campus and accident blackspots have been identified. The leaflets contain useful information on local bike shops and repair centres and a list of cycle websites and contacts as well. They are available by logging onto www.manchester.ac.uk/sed/mapping.
A car sharing initiative was another scheme to be highlighted at the Open Days. A private members area has been purchased on the 2s company car share database which will allow health and university staff to car share. Further details about the scheme are available by clicking here.
Further events are now being planned following the success of the Open Days. A major travel survey will be conducted at Manchester universities in November. It will be a follow up the one conducted in November 2000 and will help indicate the success that has been made within the travel plan. Researchers will also look at whether modal shift targets to reduce car use to the area have been reached.
A commuter challenge is also planned for October taking place from Hazel Grove. The bicycle, bus, car, train and Oxford Road Link service are being put to the test to see which is the cheapest, most convenient, quickest and least stressful.