sustainable travel – University of Salford Sustainability Team

We’re officially a Cycle Friendly Employer!

The Cycle Friendly Employer scheme, run by Cycling UK, is a framework for employers to promote and enable cycling at their workplace. Earlier this year we have achieved the Gold Award!

Following an audit at the end of last year, we are delighted to announce that the University of Salford received the Gold Award! The judges were impressed with our university’s commitment to improving the facilities for cycling, increasing the number of available parking spaces from 362 to 500, and further to nearly 2,000 over the next decade.

Participation in the scheme supports our actions to encourage the shift to more sustainable travel by students and staff, as set out in our Sustainable Travel Plan.

The criteria is based across 6 categories: Communication and Incentives; Coordination and Organisation; Service; Facilities; Parking management; and Customer Traffic. We have achieved Gold in all of these areas.

Feedback and scores from the judges will help us set ambitious targets and further improve our cycling facilities and encourage sustainable travel. The next steps will involve work around car parking and provision of additional cycling facilities, such as cycle maintenance stations across campus.

Read more about Sustainable Travel at the University of Salford here.

Active Travel at Salford and in Greater Manchester

Cycling at Salford

If you’re interested in cycling, join our Cycle User Group on Teams to stay up to date with all our cycling-related news and incentives!
If you’d like to hire a bike, the recently launched Transport for Greater Manchester’s Bee Network Cycle Hire scheme is available on all of our campuses – read more here.
We’ve also got an internal E-Bike Hire Scheme for staff, which we run in partnership with Manchester Bike Hire. It gives you a chance to hire an electric bike for 4 weeks for free to try it out on your commutes. You can read more and sign up here.

Ride It Out! with Enactus Salford

Enactus Salford are leading a project called Ride It Out! which will include weekly rides around Salford to encourage people to cycle as part of a group, whilst also teaching them about bike safety and maintenance. The routes are designed for beginners. Each ride will also include a café stop. You can bring your own bike, but they will also be offering FREE bicycle hire for those getting involved.

The next session, will take place tomorrow, 5th of March at 11am. Email Olivia Morris for more info or to sign up: rideitoutliv@gmail.com

Active Travel in Greater Manchester

Transport for Greater Manchester have an Active Travel hub, where you can…

Get a personalised map of all the walking and cycling routes, green spaces and upcoming improvements
Find cycling tips on things like maintenance, security, commuting, as well as buying a cycle. You can also book free cycling training, and hire or buy a cycle.
Learn about the benefits of walking and how to make it a habit, and join your local walking group.
Read about the Bee Network – integrated transport system which will connect buses, trams, rail as well as cycling and walking.

For longer journeys, here you can find more information about travelling by bus, tram or train in Greater Manchester.

Cycle to Work scheme, Bike Doctor & future improvement plans

The University’s Cycle to Work Scheme will open for applications from next Tuesday, April 1, providing employees with an opportunity to save money on the purchase of a new bike.

As part of our commitment to encouraging and facilitating sustainable methods of travel, the scheme provides colleagues with the use of a bike and safety equipment. The cost is then paid over a twelve-month period.

There’s a further financial incentive to take part, as the scheme is an approved salary-sacrifice initiative, meaning there are significant tax and National Insurance savings available. Many colleagues have joined the scheme since it was first introduced in September 2011. The closing date for applications is Thursday, 17 April 2014.

To find out more about the Cycle to Work Scheme and how to take part, visit the cycling pages.

Bike Doctor on campus

For colleagues whose bike could do with a bit of care to keep it on the road, there will be a free bike doctor session next Tuesday, April 1, from 12noon until 2pm, at the MyCycle shop in Horlock Court.

The bike doctor will perform a quick safety check of your bike and let you know of any other maintenance it may need.

Future cycling improvements

Further improvements to cycle storage and complimentary facilities are currently being planned. These include:

A secure cycle storage facility at Mary Seacole
A secure cycle storage facility at the Sports Centre
Full refurbishment of male and female showers at Maxwell Hall

These works will take place over the summer.

Bike maintenance workshop a wheel success

On Tuesday February 11, University students and staff took place in a free bicycle maintenance workshop as part of Go Green Week 2014.

Cycle mechanics from the National Cycling Academy in Whitefield came onto campus to pass on invaluable skills and techniques for keeping a bicycle in good shape. Puncture repair and chain maintenance were a couple of the key skills demonstrated by the mechanics as part of basic roadside repair.

Charlie Spring described how enjoyable and useful the session was: “It was a great way to meet colleagues and turn good intentions into useable skills. A general groan arose when we realised we’d have to broach our fear of taking off the back wheel, but Alex was very encouraging and we all ended up with dirty hands and confidence in our skills to defy punctures, select the right kind of lube and, crucially, get that back wheel off and on (and facing the right way!). I can’t wait for the next one!”

The session took place at the Students Union MyCycle Shop in Horlock Court, with some of the demonstration bikes being kindly provided by MyCycle from their fleet of hire bikes. MyCycle hire out bikes on a weekly, monthly or termly basis, for more information, click here.

Future maintenance sessions are planned with the attendees wishing to tackle more advanced skills involved in maintaining and adjusting brakes and gears.

The session was funded as part of Transport for Greater Manchester’s (TfGM) Local Sustainable Transport Fund (LSTF) and organised through the TfGM Cycling Team. As well as the maintenance training, the team provide a range of cycle training, from ‘learn to ride’ sessions through to one-to-one on road sessions. For full information, go here www.tfgm.com/cycling

For more information on cycling at the University click here

University achieves a First in green league table

The University of Salford has shot up the annual People and Planet Green League Table of universities thanks to a series of initiatives which have seen students and colleagues pitch in to reduce their environmental impact.

Salford moved from 51st up to 17th place in the league table which independently catalogues factors such as water use, carbon emissions and recycling on all of the UK’s university campuses. Under the classification scheme Salford scored a first class ranking, which puts it into the top bracket of the UK’s institutions.

Over the last year students and employees have been working hard to make the University more sustainable with initiatives such as a student switch-off competition that saved over £12,000 or 100 tons-worth of CO2 and a free scheme for employees and students to grow food on the campus.

Food is an important part of the sustainability work at Salford and all cafes now only sell free range eggs, MSC-certified sustainable fish and Red Tractor Assured meat. Students also take advantage of deliveries of vegetable boxes containing food grown locally by community volunteers.

Students have also been pitching in to help charities by donating goods to the British Heart Foundation when they move out of accommodation. And sustainability is now being included in the teaching that students receive on campus, with associated projects also encouraging cycling, recycling and energy saving.

All of this is on top of existing efforts to reduce carbon emissions, which include a composter to reuse food waste from canteens and an electricity generator which is powered by chip fat. New buildings are also coming online which are much more energy efficient, such as the Chapman building which has been redeveloped to use half the gas and electricity it did in previous years.

Professor Jim Yip, PVC Research and Innovation and Dean of the College of Science and Technology said: “Sustainability is a fundamental value of our University. We have a holistic approach and integrate a number of different activities from the beginning of any development, e.g. teaching and learning, research and enterprise, student life and employability, estates and IT, community engagement and procurement. Getting to 17^th place is an excellent achievement, putting us into the top bracket of the UK’s institutions and scoring a first class ranking. We can all feel very proud of this major success.”

Environmental and Sustainability Officer, Bec Bennett, said: “Our colleagues and students have really embraced sustainability in the last year and this is reflected in our ranking in the table. There’s always much more to do of course, but we’re extremely happy with progress so far.”

For more news from the Environmental and Sustainability team, follow @UoS_Sustain on Twitter and see www.facebook.com/SustainabilityUoS

New Secure Cycle Facilities Installed

Two 40-space secure cycle facilities have been installed at Cockcroft and Clifford Whitworth buildings.

The facilities are the latest part of the University’s Travel Plan strategy, which is aimed at encouraging and facilitating sustainable travel.

Andy Binder, Travel & Transport Officer, Environment & Sustainability, said: “Access control on the shelters is now in place. Anybody who wants access to them should go to Maxwell Reception, where their ID cards will be activated to allow entry.”

The access control will be activated from Tuesday, 7 May.

The back gate to Maxwell Well is also being secured to provide additional security to the 48-space cycle shelter that was installed there earlier this year. All access to the Well – for pedestrians and cyclists – must then be gained from the front entrance ramp.

The University Bicycle User Group also met on Thursday to discuss future cycling improvements on campus to support existing users but also to facilitate those who want to cycle more in the future.

For more information on the Bicycle User Group, cycling to the University and other travel and transport information, please go to www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/travel or get in touch Andy Binder directly.

New cycle storage facility at Maxwell

A new 48-space cycle storage facility has recently been installed in Maxwell Well to provide additional cycle storage for the Maxwell Building.

The facility, which can be used by employees and students, provides covered cycle parking with easy access to Maxwell Building and Hall and the Gilbert Rooms. It is located near to male and female shower and changing areas in the back of Maxwell Hall, for those who wish to use them. The shower areas have also been identified for renovation, when funding is available, to increase their attractiveness and provide more locker capacity.

Over the next few months, further cycle storage is set to be installed on the Peel campus, with two 40-space fully-covered and secure facilities being installed near to the Clifford Whitworth Building and outside Cockcroft Building, which will also serve Newton building users.

A former shower room in Crescent House basement is to be reinstated to provide a unisex shower facility for those on the south side of the A6. For a map of current cycling infrastructure at the University, click here.

University Security are also working to reduce bicycle theft on campus and are offering recommended locks and other safety and security products at subsidised prices. For more information call ext 55368 or go to Maxwell reception.

Travel & Transport Officer Andy Binder is working closely with the Bicycle User Group (BUG) and its chair, Jeremy Ford, to look at where improvements can be made across the University to support the growth in cycling.

He said: “These latest measures that are being introduced are all part of the University’s Travel Plan strategy, aimed at increasing the attractiveness and feasibility of using sustainable modes of travel.”

The Bicycle User Group meets once a semester to look at ways to make improvements that support cycling to and around the University. For more information on BUG or to become a member please email eps-sustainability@salford.ac.uk.

Welcome Week 2012 Round Up

Well, Welcome Week is over for another year and we on the Sustainability Team can finally breathe! Thank you to everyone who came and visited Bec, Andy, Teo and myself at our sustainability stand at the Welcome Expo. I hope you all managed to jump on our bicycle powered Smoothie Maker or raced on the Scalectrix.

This year’s stand gave out some fabulous advice on energy saving tips, how and what to recycle in halls, buying Fairtade products and great travel advice on alternative methods of travelling to the University. If you missed this or want more information on cheap travel around the UK visit Andy’s travel pages.

We were also visited by the lovely people at the NUS’ Student Switch off Campaign. This year Salford is taking part by organising an energy saving competition between our halls of residence at Horlock, Constantine, Castle Irwell, Bramhall, John Lester and Eddie Coleman. If you want to win amazing prizes throughout the year (its sponsored by Ben and Jerry’s!!) and a massive party at the end of year for the winning hall then simply ‘like’ their Facebook page now!

So what else have we got coming up this year?

We have 2 events coming up soon for you to get involved in.

9^th October – This semesters Swishing Party at Café Yours from 6pm. The University is committed to reducing the amount of textile waste going to landfill. To help with this we have partnered with Traid, a textile recycling charity, to run a series of swishing parties where you can bring along your unwanted clothes and simply swop them with someone else! It’s a great night and a great way to get a new outfit without spending a penny. Also look out for more information on our sewing workshops and fashion fairs.

10^th October – This year’s first Wallness Lane Clean Up. The clean up event is on the 10^th October 12-2pm on Wallness Lane, Peel Campus. This event sees staff and students getting together for a couple of hours to help clean up around the heavily used Wallness Lane cut through. Taking part in this event also goes towards your Student Life Award hours.

If you would like any more information on these events or future events ‘like’ our Facebook page or email eps-sustainability@salford.ac.uk.

The team will be holding events throughout the year so feel free to come over and talk to us.

Explore your travel options for 2012/13

As the start of the new academic year draws nearer, many colleagues and students will be interested in planning how they are going to travel to the University over the next 12 months.

To assist colleagues in planning their travel to the University, special information pages have been created for both staff and students to help plan their journey to the University during 2012/13. The pages provide information and links on public transport, cycling, car sharing and car park permit registration.

They also offer advice and information for employees who are travelling into Salford. They include anything from how to save money with an annual season ticket to getting a bike through the Cycle to Work scheme. There are also details on the University’s car sharing database, public transport options and how to obtain an annual parking permit.

Staff click here

Students click here

Free bike check-up on campus for Bike Week 2012

This weekend marks the beginning of Bike Week 2012, a national event to encourage everyday cycling, and the University is celebrating with a number of cycling related activities on Friday, 15 June.

A Bike Doctor will be located outside Maxwell building from 7.30am to 9.30am to perform free bike check-ups, make minor repairs and give advice on general maintenance and repairs. This is a great opportunity to make sure your bike is fully operational or to dig out an old bike and make it roadworthy again.

Evans Cycles will be in Maxwell Foyer between 12 and 2pm to advise on the savings you can make through the University’s Cycle to Work Scheme and to find out about the types of bikes available. A qualified cycle training instructor will also be available to provide information about cycle training opportunities for all levels and you can register your interest for a free cycle training session later in the summer.

Applications for the latest Cycle to Work Scheme window can be submitted until 22 June. To apply for the Scheme, or for more information, please visit http://www.estates.salford.ac.uk/page/cycle_to_work

Cycle to Work Scheme is back for the summer!

Due to popular demand and to coincide with national Bike Week 2012, a short summer application window for the University’s Cycle to Work Scheme will be open from Monday 11 June to Friday 22 June.

As part of our commitment to encourage sustainable methods of travel, the scheme provides staff with the use of a bike and safety equipment. There is also a financial incentive as the initiative is an HM Revenue and Customs-approved salary sacrifice scheme, meaning there are significant tax and National Insurance savings available.

Many staff have already taken advantage of the scheme and are keen to share the benefits.

Speaking of the Cycle to Work benefits Mark Shepherd, Programme Director from the School of the Built Environment, said: “I bought a bike through the Scheme last October and it was a quick, painless process where I was able to get a really comfortable, convenient new bike. In fact, I have enjoyed cycling to work so much I have cancelled my car park permit altogether and have not brought the car since”.

To find out more about the Scheme and how to take part visit the sustainable travel cycling pages.

If you have any questions about the scheme, please contact Andy Binder, Travel & Transport Officer, on 55323 or email a.binder@salford.ac.uk.