Nottingham is on a journey to become the UK’s greenest transport city.
Massive recent investment in environmentally-friendly transport services, including trams, greener buses and cycling, is set to be built on in the coming years. The city’s green journey so far includes:
• Expanding the benefits of the tram system – emission-free where it runs – to areas south and west of the city with the opening of new lines earlier this year
• Creating Europe’s largest electric bus fleet – that will soon also offer the only fully-electric Park and Ride service in the UK
• Encouraging more people to choose a healthy, clean travel option through the Citycard Cycle scheme, which has seen 90,000 free hires of a fleet of 500 bikes from hubs around the city in the last year alone
• Developing the City Car Club which makes 12 cars available to hire for short journeys in the city – with over 280 members travelling more than 68,000 miles in the last year
• Creating a pedestrian-friendly city centre, with 90% of streets pedestrianised, a Clear Zone to restrict vehicle movements and recent improvements such as the Creative Quarter road and public space works
• Implementing the country’s only Workplace Parking Levy, which not only funds transport improvements but also encourages employers and employees to consider alternative travel options.
And the City Council is looking to make the future even greener, with bids for Office of Low Emission Vehicle (OLEV) and other funds to achieve ground-breaking investment in sustainable transport.
This includes better electric vehicle infrastructure to encourage more to consider using electric cars, as well as investing in rapid electric bus charging equipment. There is also a proposal to create a fleet of 82 gas-powered double-decker buses, as well as introducing electric hackney cab taxis to the city and a low emissions zone in the city centre.
Over £6m has begun to be invested in significant improvements to the city’s cycle network which will make cycling a more appealing option to more people. And more pedestrian-friendly streets are on the horizon, with work already underway on Station Street, to be followed by other streets between the redeveloped station and soon-to-be developed Broadmarsh shopping centre.
Other plans which help to encourage people to choose public transport include the rolling out of Nottingham’s answer to the Oyster card for seamless journeys on different transport from next month, and the expansion of a regional bus real-time display system.
Councillor Nick McDonald, Portfolio Holder for Growth, Jobs and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “We are really proud of our achievements to make Nottingham’s transport greener, joined-up and easy to use. The City Council has worked with our partners to deliver real transport improvements and to provide a range of sustainable transport options that make it possible to leave the car at home.
“The City Council is also ambitious for the city’s transport future and the OLEV and other funding opportunities will help to provide significant improvements in air quality and reduce carbon emissions. I believe that Nottingham is on the road to becoming the greenest transport city in the UK.”
Nottingham was awarded top place in the last National Highways & Transport Network Satisfaction Survey, measuring public satisfaction with local transport. The City Council wants to hear from residents, businesses and visitors what it is that they like about city transport – and share a photo or video with us. Is it the quiet electric buses, gliding along on the tram or maybe using one of the Council’s Citycard Cycles?
Tweet or message the City Council using the hashtag #TopTransport and you will be entered into a prize draw to be one of the first people to get your hands on one of Nottingham’s exciting new pay-as-you-go travel smartcards, complete with a free £10 top up. You can also share your videos or photos with us via our YouTube and Instagram accounts – be sure to use the hashtag so we can find them.
www.YouTube.com/user/TransportNottingham
www.Twitter.com/Transport_Nottm
www.Facebook.com/TransportNottm
www.instagram/transport_nottm
Make sure you submit your entry by November 27th to be included in the draw!