Lancaster University wins sustainable travel award
Lancaster University has been awarded the title of Commuter Friendly Workplace of the Year in the ACT TravelWise awards for sustainable travel. The award is for the organisation that can demonstrate having made the biggest strides towards making their offices more accessible to commuters without single occupancy car use. The proportion of staff travelling to work by bus has doubled since 2004 while the proportion travelling alone by car is down by 17% and the proportion of staff car sharing is up by 17% over the same period from 2007 to 2011.
Travel at Lancaster
The impact of travel to and from the campus is a key environmental issue facing all of us. We will need your help and support in tackling this.
Lancaster University's Travel Plan 2010-2015 is a major, new initiative, which aims to do just that. It will increase the travel choice of students, staff and visitors while significantly reducing our carbon footprint. The Travel Plan will be launched later this year. A key part of the Travel Plan is the car parking policy that supports it. The new parking policy, which will be introduced on the 1st October 2010, offers:
- Heavily subsidised bus travel for University staff (free for University staff grades 1 and 2)
- Greater incentives for car-sharing and cycle use
- Parking for an equivalent of around 60p a day for any drivers using parking permits
This will involve changes for all of us and I hope we can count on your support. Please rest assured all of the money raised from the increases in parking charges and permits will be put back into subsidising bus services and encouraging green initiatives, which will reduce energy use and carbon emissions on campus.
The Travel Plan and supporting car parking policy underlines the University's firm commitment to play its part in carbon reduction and to make the campus one of the most sustainable in Britain. We believe our leadership will encourage others to follow suit as we meet the global issue of climate change and move towards a low carbon economy. The University's environmental policy includes a firm commitment to reduce the negative environmental impacts of travel.
As well as carbon reduction, the Travel Plan will also aim to:
- Reduce further the dependence on travel by car, encouraging other forms of transport
- Reduce pressure on parking spaces
- Enhance public perceptions of the University and all who work there
- Contribute to the health of those who work or use the site
- Ensure the site is economically and environmentally sustainable
Making a great start
Lancaster University is already hard at work with its 3,109 staff and 11,000 plus students, to reduce its carbon footprint relating to transport. Some of the links within this site will take you to external websites. Lancaster University is not responsible for such sites.
Achievements to date include:
- Establishing Green Lancaster, an initiative and organisation to deliver environment and travel improvements
- The setting-up of a Carbon Steering Group
- Major changes to student and visitor parking policies
- The introduction of the Xl bus service to the railway station, Marsh and Quay with pump-prime funding from the University
- The upgrading of all peripheral bus stops on campus
- New shower facilities for cyclists
- An on-line car sharing contact system
- A reconditioned bicycle sales scheme for staff and students
- An absolute reduction in car parking spaces available
As a result of these initiatives:
- Student cycling to campus has almost doubled in less than two years
- Fewer than one-in-five students now drive to campus alone in a car
- More than 13% of staff now cycle to work
- Staff cycling is already greater than any other major local employer
- Survey results also show a significant shift away from car use amongst students, where the proportion travelling by car has fallen by 4.8% in less than two years
Taking the next step - Parking changes
Major car parking changes are being introduced from October 2010, intended to improve the quality and value for money of alternatives to single-occupancy car travel - all in line with the Travel Plan'objectives. There will be some significant changes to car parking affecting staff, students, contractors and visitors. To view the University's new parking policy click here.
The cost of a staff car-share permit has been cut to just £60 – with two to five registered users being able to share the cost. University Staff not applying for a parking permit can apply for a ‘Staff Unirider’ Bus Pass. It’s free for grades 1 and 2 and £65 (worth £293) for grades 3 and above. Apply online by clicking here.
Here is the full list of annual parking permit charges for October 2010 to September 2011:
- Staff: £150 – this is the equivalent of around 60p per day. There is a reduction of 50% this year for staff on grades one and two making their payment £75
- Staff Car Share: £60 – two to five registered users can share the cost
- Students: £115
- Chancellor's Wharf: £115
Permits will go on sale from Monday 9th August 2010.
The cost of the staff permit can be spread over the year to reduce its impact. Details of this will be explained at the Flexible Benefits Roadshow on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 in the Management School Hub, for more information click here click here. A staff parking zone and student parking zone will be in operation. This means that the staff preference zone and staff standard zone will merge into one. The student parking zone is confined to Alexandra Park. Staff may park on Alexandra Park if displaying a staff car parking permit.
Locations of Visitor Parking Zones will changes from 1st October 2010. To view a map of these locations click here. Pay and display tickets will cost £2 for two hours. These are available from the machines located at each of the visitor parking areas. Parking for a full day using pay and display tickets will only be possible on the sports field car park accessed from Green Lane or the new visitor car park opposite the ISS building costs £5. Visitors can only park in the Visitor Zones.
New one day Visitor Scratchcards cost £5 each and are normally purchased by individual visitors from the Car Parking Office. Visitor Scratchcards are only valid in the Visitor Zones. Non LU staff must apply for a permit in person to the car parking office at the Security building.
A new Contractor Parking Policy will be available here next week.
Staff Car Sharing Permit – how it works
This permit caters for members of staff that can car share the vast majority of days that they travel to work at the University.
Staff Car Share permits are valid in ALL ZONES – including the Visitor Parking Zone.
At least two cars have to be registered to obtain the permit. Holders are entitled to 25 x free one-day staff scratch cards each to provide some flexibility because of illness, emergencies and other reasons, as well as for staff that can only car share four days a week. The Car Share Permit is only transferable between the registered vehicles.
All registered staff on this permit must have held a parking permit in the previous year to qualify. This is so an absolute reduction in car use to the University can be demonstrated. New members of staff will also be eligible.
To apply please click here. For more information please click here
Bus Improvements
Free/heavily subsidised bus travel for University staff - for more information click here.
A number of bus service improvements have been agreed with Stagecoach by the University. These include:
- A new X12 express service from Morecambe and Heysham to Lancaster city centre, via Heysham bypass. Service X22 will continue to the Underpass at peak times
- The diversion of the 42 Lancaster to Blackpool service onto campus
- The reintroduction of a bus service to the northern perimeter road with the X1.
- The continuation of the new early morning bus service that arrives on campus at 06.51 from Torrisholme and Lancaster
- The continuation of the X1 to and from the railway station
For timetable information please log on to www.stagecoachbus.com/timetables. For more detailed information on the University's Bus Service please click here.
Cycling and Walking to Campus
Lancaster University is committed to the development of cycling and walking. To that end it has launched a number of initiatives, including new shower facilities for cyclists, a new bike workshop, shared use pathways and the cycle to work scheme in flexible benefits. Fifteen FREE one day parking Staff Scratchcards for regular walking, cycling or motorcycle commuters. Please note that this benefit is only available to staff that do not have a parking permit or a free/subsidised bus pass in the same year.
University staff must select this through flexible benefits then apply through the Car Parking office in the Security building. Non-University staff should apply direct through the Car Parking office in Security.
The University with LUSU has also launched a reconditioned bicycle sales scheme for staff and students. Please click here for further details.
For details about Lancaster University's facilities for cyclists click here.
Your Views:
We would like to hear your comments and suggestions. To submit your views, please email parkingpolicy@lancaster.ac.uk