Transport
Around 81% of motorists drive in Nottingham with no passengers on weekday mornings
Why does it matter?
How we move around Nottingham has a big impact on the city’s emissions. Transport contributed 344,000 tonnes of CO2 in 2020, which is equivalent to driving an average petrol car to the Moon and back over 5,000 times! This makes up 33% of Nottingham’s total CO2 emissions.
As well as producing carbon dioxide, vehicles are the largest cause of air pollution in Nottingham. Dirty air has a big impact on health – air pollution causes an estimated 6 million sick days in the UK every year.
By choosing to travel by foot, bike, or on public transport less fossil fuel is burned, so it’s an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint and improve your health at the same time.
What we’re doing
Nottingham has one of the greenest public transport networks outside of London – with a huge fleet of biogas buses and a fantastic electric tram network.
The City Council is also making progress in switching to electric vehicles, and over 50% of the fleet is now electric. We were also the first city in the UK to have electric bin lorries – have you seen Trash Gordon around the city?
Innovative trials have also taken place in the city like our wireless electric taxi charging pilot scheme.
What can you do?
Think of travelling your journeys flexibly, and most efficiently. For example, cycling short journeys could not only get you there just as fast as a car, but also save you money and squeeze some extra exercise into your busy routine. So when planning a journey, don't just jump in the car out of habit, consider what the most suitable mode of travel for a particular journey is. See below for ideas and where you can find further information or support.
Travel actively for short journeys
Aim to travel your short journeys actively, such as by walking, wheeling or cycling. There's loads of support to get you out there confidently.
🚶♀️ Find a local walking route
A free community-based walking app, Go Jauntly invites you into a world of outdoor adventure. Find local walks created by the people who know and love them.
You can download the Go Jauntly app on the App Store or Google Play.
🚲 Getting started cycling
Want to give cycling a try but don't have a bike? You can hire a Lime E-Bike for journeys within the city.
You can get support to grow your cycling confidence by joining an organised ride or course with local community organisations such as Ridewise or Women in Tandem. They will also be able to help you with things such as bike maintenance.
📌 Cycle route planning
You can view recommended roads and paths for cycling in Nottingham on the Nottingham Cycle Map. Most route planning apps now also include an option to plan a cycling route.
🛠 Cycle maintenance
Knowing the basics of how to keep your bike in good shape and feeling confident in fixing minor issues such as a puncture can make all the difference. Ridewise offer free cycle maintenance courses for Nottingham City residents.
Use public transport for local journeys
Nottingham's public transport network is regarded as the best outside of London, with Nottingham City Transport buses consistently achieving high user satisfaction scores. With many buses having USB charging and Wi-Fi, travelling by public transport can help you make the most of those regular journeys.
The NCT website has loads of helpful information to help you plan your journey, and if you're signed up to Green Rewards you can also get 15% off adult day and group day tickets when purchasing tickets through the NCT app!
Much of Nottingham's traffic originates from outside the city, so if you're planning on travelling in to the city centre from further afield, why not consider bus and tram park and ride options. A group ticket from the park and ride is often cheaper than paying for city centre parking.
Make essential car journeys as efficient as possible
🙋♀️ Car sharing
Single occupant car journeys clog up roads and, if travelled in a petrol or diesel car, have the highest carbon emissions of any type of ground transport. If you're making a regular journey to work or study, chances are someone else is making a similar trip too. Car sharing can help you save money and meet new people in the places and communities you are part of. Your work or place of study may already have car sharing arrangements you can join, or if not Liftshare can help to match you with suitable drivers or passengers.
⚡ Switch to an Electric Vehicle
When your car needs replacing consider switching to an EV, or sooner if you drive a lot of miles as there will be a quicker return on financial and carbon savings. Not only do they produce much lower emissions than petrol or diesel vehicles, they can help address public health concerns around poor air quality. Despite rising energy costs, running an EV remains the cheaper option too, costing on average £528 less than a comparable petrol car.
Nottingham has the second highest number of EV charge points per head of the population for any UK core city. You can find public charge points on Zap Map. If you are a landlord, or rent or own a flat, you may be able to get a grant to support you with installation of an EV charge point.
🤸♀️ Living car free
Living car free is one of the best actions you can take to reduce your carbon emissions. The average car spends 95% of it's lifetime parked, so many of us pay to maintain and insure a car that we would be better off without. If you drive less than 7,000 miles annually, you could save as much as £3,500 per year using a Car Club instead. There are even discount offers for Nottingham City residents.
When planning a trip further afield, make the journey part of the experience
Whether it's making your next holiday flight free or using the train for your next UK adventure, taking things a bit slower and savouring the journey can really make the trip.
🚉 Use the train
We're all keen to make the most of a good days weather, we flock to green and blue spaces on sunny weekends and bank holidays, so there's nothing worse than getting stuck in gridlock on the way to that special day out you've been looking forward to. Nottingham is really well connected by rail to places such as Skegness and the Peak District, and because we've got local stations such as at Bulwell, Beeston or Carlton, you might not need to travel to the city centre station first either. By rail you can reach your destination taking in the views and enjoying time with your companions without the stress of queues. Find out about routes and plan your next journey at East Midlands Trains.
🚢 Think differently about international travel
If travelling to Europe, you could travel by the EuroStar, making a stop in London and anywhere else the European train network could take you. Imagine seeing the beauty of the French countryside on your journey, rather than just flying over it!
We live on an island, so we're really well connected by water. You might just be surprised where a ferry could take you, from Ireland and Northern Ireland or the Channel Islands, to southern Europe and Scandinavia. Our seas also offer great opportunities to spot wildlife such as Whales, Dolphins and sea birds, so be sure to take some binoculars with you!
If you must fly to your destination, consider only taking short haul flights no more than every four year and long haul flights no more than every seven years. You can also offset some of the emissions from your flights when you do take them.