ACT TravelWise is the UK's premier network for all organisations working to promote sustainable travel. Leeds City Council have been members since 1996.
The vision
A society in which people and organisations can meet their travel needs in ways that protect and enhance the environment, improve public health and support community well-being.
History:
ACT Travelwise was formed in 2008 from a merger of The Association for Commuter Transport (ACT) and the National TravelWise Association (NTWA).
Both organisations were membership bodies that have been working to promote travel behaviour change since the mid-1990’s.
Leeds TravelWise
Working with schools
School Travel Advisers work with schools across the district to develop school travel plans to encourage more sustainable and healthy travel options to school. Other activities include the support of ‘Walk to School Week' in May, and International Walk to School month in October each year. Other initiatives include Safer Routes to School schemes e.g. access or safety improvements on the journey to school, the ‘Walk on Wednesday’ WoW scheme, and support for Walking Buses in connection with the Road Safety Team (see link below).
Working with businesses, colleges and universities
The Workplace Travel Adviser works with employers and other organisations across Leeds to promote sustainable forms of travel including the introduction of travel plans to encourage employees to travel to work on foot, by bicycle, on public transport, motorcycle, or by car sharing. Organisations with travel plans can network through membership of the West Yorkshire Travel Plan Network (WYTPN), and take part in annual travel surveys to monitor travel behaviour. The TravelWise Team also evaluates and monitor travel plans submitted as part of the planning process.
Activities and events
To help raise awareness of sustainable travel options in Leeds, TravelWise organise and run campaigns and events and work alongside the media throughout the year. The main events currently supported are:
Walk to Work Week (April)
Walk to School Week (May)
World Environment Day (June)
National Liftshare day (June)
National Bike Week (June)
European Mobility Week (September)
International Walk to School Month (October)
Responsible car use
TravelWise recognise that for some trips the car is still the most fitting option, so to help people to make their car travel more efficient we have introduced two schemes.
Carsharing at www.carshareleeds.com and www.wycarshare.com are free to use car share matching websites for anyone who lives or works around the Leeds district, and City Car Club provides convenient car hire, by the hour, from locally parked cars in the city centre and residential suburbs. Members often find it possible to sell their private car and instead use more public transport and walk and cycle more, as the car becomes just another transport choice, and not the default method of travel.
For more information about sustainable transport, visit the National ACT TravelWise website.