Survey reveals drop in vehicle movements as University expands
Posted on 17 May 2012
The findings of the latest annual transport survey, which is to be submitted to City of York Council in the next fortnight, suggests that vehicle traffic has fallen in the last year while more people are walking and cycling to get to and from campus.
The University has worked hard to encourage staff, students and visitors to use sustainable forms of transport
Elizabeth Heaps
Vehicle movements have fallen from 10,380 in 2011 to 9,824 this year, a 5.3 per cent fall while there was a 32.5 per cent increase in cycle journeys, rising from 4,347 in 2011 to 5,764 this year. The number of pedestrians rose from 13,342 to 14,638 in the same period.
The figures are in the context of a 15.1 per cent increase in the University’s population in the last year from 16,706 to 19,234.
The number of car trips has decreased by 9.6 per cent since last year and the number of bus movements has risen from 410 to 453, though there has also been a small increase in journeys by commercial vehicles.
An independent firm of traffic consultants carried out the survey which the University have commissioned annually since 1999 to monitor the impact of its transport initiatives. This year’s survey took place on 8 March.
The consultants say that the increase in cycle and pedestrian trips is likely to be the result of the University’s investment in improving the cycle and footway infrastructure on campus.
The survey also points out that while the University population has increased by 70 per cent since 2002/3, there has been just an 11 per cent increase in vehicles travelling to and from the campus. Cycle trips have increased by more than 100 per cent in the same period, while total bus journeys have gone up by more than 300 per cent.
While the survey acknowledges there has been an increase in on-street parking in the vicinity of the University since 2009, the University is working with City of York Council to address this.
Elizabeth Heaps, the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Estates and Strategic Projects, said: “The University has worked hard to encourage staff, students and visitors to use sustainable forms of transport. It is great to see that once again the number using cars has gone down despite the continuing growth in staff and student numbers.
“We are encouraged that car use associated with the University is well short of the anticipated growth at the time of the Heslington East public inquiry – staff, students and visitors can truthfully be said to be voting with their feet!”
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