Nottingham is one of ten authorities across Europe shortlisted for a prestigious European Union award for encouraging people to choose greener ways to travel.
The winner of the European Mobility Week Award 2015 will be announced at an award ceremony on April 20 in Brussels, Belgium. The award focuses on local authority activities to coax drivers out of their privately owned cars into more sustainable types of transport – public transport, bikes and walking.
Nottingham provided a full programme of 35 events during European Mobility Week, September 16-22, 2015, culminating in the Hockley Street Fayre. More than 6,000 people attended the ‘car free’ day which allowed the streets to be turned over for fun events themed around greener, cheaper and quicker travel. Along with the recently completed, European Union funded, Creative Quarter improvement scheme that has seen a transformation of public spaces and streets in the Lace Market, the measures have successfully boosted the area’s business and retail performance and attractiveness to the public.
The week’s activities were financed through Nottingham City Council’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund and delivered by The Big Wheel, supported by Sustrans, RideWise and local transport operators and with the Creative Quarter Company to organise the third annual Hockley Street Fayre.
Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Growth, Jobs and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “It’s good to see Nottingham in the top ten cities for this award. It would be nice to win it, but the fact that we were up against cities across Europe and to be in the top ten says a lot of about our commitment to sustainable transport and the quality of our mobility offer.”
Gary Smerdon-White, Chief Executive of the Big Wheel, RideWise and TravelRight added: “It has been a pleasure to support, help manage and deliver many of the wide and diverse range of activities the City Council sponsored during this week. Public transport, cycling and walking got a boost and we were seen to be in the top European league.”
In addition to the European Mobility Week events and as part of the Nottingham Local Transport Plan, Nottingham City Council and its partners have developed initiatives to encourage people to use a variety of transport options, including:
• NET Phase Two tram expansion
• Investing in an electric bus fleet and charging infrastructure
• Introducing the Robin Hood Card e-purse and associated ticket retail network
• Expanding the City Car Club hire scheme,
• Pioneering our Community Smarter Travel Hubs as an effective way to engage with our communities about travel behaviour change
• Investing in network of cycle super highways
• Providing a wide range of cycle training, promotion and support services to get more people cycling.