Travel plan

The University of Huddersfield recognises the need to address its transport issues as a component of its long-term business planning and Estates Strategy to ensure we meet our corporate aims and objectives as set out by the University Strategy map.

In January 2007, the University developed a Sustainable Travel Framework, which outlined the University's policy and commitment to transport issues and also committed funding to employ a Sustainable Travel Co-ordinator. A new Travel Plan was published in May 2018, reporting the results of the Sustainable Travel Framework between 2007-2017; outlining new aims and strategies for the 2017-2023 period. View the Travel Plan in full on the Policies section of the Sustainability webpages.

Key Achievements

The Travel Plan highlights the progress made between 2007-2017. These achievements include:

• An 11% reduction in staff single occupancy car travel to work.
• A 6% increase in active travel to work among staff members, including cycling, with an increase in shower facilities available to staff.
• A reduction in car parking spaces, from 730 in 2009 to 690 at present. This encourages staff, students and visitors to use alternative means of transport.
• There has been an increase in the range of travel schemes available to both staff and students, with 10% of staff enrolled in a travel scheme.
• The installation of two electric vehicle charging points on campus, and the introduction of three electric, and one hybrid vehicles to the University fleet.

Aims and strategies

The second revision of the Travel Plan outlines six core aims:

• Reduce air pollution and traffic congestion around the University campus and beyond.
• Reduce travel-related greenhouse gas emissions.
• Encourage its staff and students to consider alternative methods of transport to the single occupancy car journey.
• Encourage its staff and students to consider healthier and more environmentally friendly means of getting to and from the University.
• Improve access to the local transport network.
• Maintain a sustainable level of vehicle parking spaces on campus, ensuring these are utilised to their optimum capacity.

This travel document builds upon the Sustainable Travel Framework, outlining strategies that will allow the University to expand sustainably. These eight strategies focus on:

• Pedestrians
• Cycling
• Public Transport
• Car Sharing
• Vehicle Use and Parking
• Travel Reduction
• Business Travel
• Vehicle Fleet

Targets have been set for each strategy and we will work to achieve our objectives and targets with Local Authorities and Transport organisations throughout the academic year and until the foreseeable future.

Student Realm Pedestrianisation Update 2022

The University of Huddersfield Travel Plan 2017-2023 was introduced to provide a package of practical measures designed to build on our previous achievements and further promote sustainable travel choices amongst our students and staff. 

To increase the number of staff and students walking to campus and to elevate the importance of the pedestrian within the University Quarter.  The following items were highlighted on the travel plan: -  

• Work with the local authority and relevant organisations to make walking to campus safer and more accessible.
• Prioritise a greater proportion of resources towards support and facilities for staff and students walking to campus.
• Implement walking route maps in collaboration with ‘Sustrans’ and the local authority.
• Pedestrianise more areas of the campus and increase public realm.
• All parking – except for non-ambulatory and blue badge parking – moved to carparks at the periphery of the campus.