Travel and Transport

How could travel in and beyond Lancaster be more pleasant, enjoyable, sustainable and kind to the planet?

 

Group contact - Email:Steve@guiver.plus.com or tel: 01524 382431.

 

How can we change travel and transport in the district and beyond? What enthusaims, skills and knowledge can you bring and share? [this includes cakes] This group is looking for possitive ways to make that difference by linking with other groups, sharing information and developing ideas into practical projects. Bring your own ideas and energy and just join in . . . click here for our 'car club' project . .

 

As a beginning . . . . with friends and family you can begin to think whether you really do need to take that holiday flight. Flying is one of the single biggest users [and polluters] of precious oil reserves. There are so many different ways to enjoy holiday time - in the UK - even in the beautiful Lune Valley - or else train travel abroad where you really get to see the landscape and the locals - or try a bike . . . get fit . . . smell the flowers in the lanes . . . any ideas for low carbon holidays and days out - please send to info@transitioncitylancaster.org and we'll publicise them!

 

The implications of peak oil for people in areas like ours are clearly understood by some (see ODAC Report for LAs and the First report of the UK Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil & Energy Security. "The Oil Crunch
Securing the UK’s energy future" - page 4 provides an executive summary)
but, we do need to help spread the word more widely and build on and develop more resilient and timely transport and travel initiatives.

This can only be to the good for the challlenge we face to reduce CO2 emmisions to nationally and locally agreed targets, because reducing your dependency on oil has the beneficial effect of reducing climate change gas emmissions as well as saving you money.

A Car Club for Lancaster

Is your car costing you the earth (in more ways than one)?

Want to get rid of your vehicle, but can’t quite get your head around the idea of becoming a no car household?

Take a look at the Car Club page and Fill in the online survey

 

What's your vision? What would you like?

Pictures are copywrite steve jenkins - may be used with permissionThe Lancaster one way system and the Bilbao tram system, which would you prefer running through your town? Click here to send me your comments - but this is not a proposal just and invitation to share your thoughts.

There are a lots of things we could do to make our city and district a better place to be in and live in(see the Lancaster square routes public consultation for one example). Below, in no particular order, are some of the thoughts from the first meeting, some issues raised and links for resources, this is very much a (voluntary) work in progress, so forgive errors and mistakes and please send in your contributions:

  • Lancaster is a very compact place where most things are in easy walking distance - so why are there so many of us in cars on our streets?
  • Lancaster district had (2001 census) 134,000 people(approx) and 55,333 cars. Where are we all going?
  • Research shows that better road networks and higher car ownership has not led to people saving time but rather travelling longer distances(reference to follow).
  • What's the potential and options for local car share schemes?
    National Care Share info
    Directory of UK car sharing sites
  • Smart Driving - how to get more from your fuel - could we hold a local event about this
  • Who killed the electric car? - If you haven't seen this documentary it is certainly an eye opener - Check out this web site and if you'd like to borrow the DVD email steve@guiver.plus.com - we have a couple of copies that we let people borrow.
  • Improving the local bus network
  • Improving local train services
  • What is the true relationship between local trade in shops and businesses and traffic? Do shops get more trade from pedestrian footfall? Does busy traffic impact on local businesses and shops and reduce trade(references when I've found them).
  • Lancaster has an active cycling community and are a cycling demonstration town with much progress to cheer about in resent years. How can we help to support the spread of the network and keep more and encourage more potential car drivers on to their bikes. See the highly recommended Celerating Cycling web site
  • All motorists are pedestrians and many are cyclist - what can we do to recognise our common interests and impact on each other?
  • What's good and what's bad about local car/bus/rail/walking travel?
  • What's the potential here for shared street spaces - no kerbs, no signs etc? See: Press Item, Article and Photos and examples, Germany, Talk on Traffic calming by loosing street signs, there are downsides: see the Guide Dogs Say No Campaign
  • Car Free days - no car days, what do you think?
  • Holiday and Leisure travel - where do we go from here?
  • How to travel europe without getting on a plane - have lots of info on this but will take more time - at least look at Man in Seat 61it covers just about everything you need
  • Jo's Uclan travel research page
  • VisTrav, The Sustainable Leisure Travel Network "brings together professionals, pooling their expertise and experience to make leisure travel more sustainable. We seek practical and grounded solutions to protect the local and global natural environment, bring vitality to local economies and extend opportunities for health and recreation to all sections of the community. We aim to show how reducing car use in environmentally sensitive areas can widen travel choice, benefit local communities and their economies and improve visitor satisfaction."

There will be more and better to come so please be patient.