Trinity College Dublin launches Smarter Travel Initiative/ Tionscnamh Taisteal Níos Cliste á sheoladh ag Coláiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath

Posted on: 11 November 2011

The Smarter Travel Trinity initiative, which encourages students and staff to use sustainable and healthier modes of transport was launched recently by the Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast. The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague and President of the Students’ Union, Ryan Bartlett were also in attendance.

Trinity College Dublin has been working with National Transport Authority and its Smarter Travel Workplace scheme to develop the Smarter Travel Trinity initiative.  In implementing the initiative Trinity joins other education institutions NUI Galway, NUI Maynooth, UCD and DIT, which have also implemented the programme. They have seen increased use of smarter travel options by students and staff as a result of their participation in the scheme. 

Trinity has had good success with the Tax Saver and Bike to Work schemes for staff with approximately 10% availing of the Bike to Work Scheme and another 20% taking up the Tax Saver Travel schemes. By implementing Smarter Travel Trinity, which aims to make walking, cycling, using public transport and car pooling easier travel options for both students and staff, the College hopes to further develop the numbers using smarter travel. One of the first elements of the programme to be implemented in the coming weeks is the installation of an additional 40 Sheffield Bike Hoops on the main TCD campus which will provide 80 extra places for bike parking.  

Both staff and student representatives turned out to support the Smarter Travel Trinity initiative. 

As part of the initiative a college-wide travel survey was recently conducted to gain an understanding of how students and staff currently travel to TCD campus sites and how they could be supported to travel more sustainably in the future.  The initial results of the survey , issued to over 2,800 staff and 16,800 students, show that rates of walking, cycling and public transport use among the College community are well above the Dublin average. Figures indicate that 28% use buses and coaches; 22% use bikes; 22% travel on foot;  14% by train or DART; 6% by Luas; 4% travel by car; and 1% use Dublin Bikes; responses under 1% represented those that travel as passengers in cars or on motorbikes.

On the basis of the results of the survey and to encourage further ways in which the College community can make smarter travel decisions, the initiative will run a number of activities throughout the year for students and staff including bike training and maintenance workshops, a cycling challenge, information sessions on tax saver travel schemes and a lecture series on a selection of topics including Walking & Walkable Neighbourhoods, How to get off the couch and into Running and Dublin Bikes. 

“Promoting Smarter Travel in Trinity makes sense for a university that is as centrally located as Trinity College.  It also supports the fact that Trinity is committed to sustainable development throughout its activities as well as being a university that encourages health and well being,” stated the Provost, Dr Patrick Prendergast at the launch of the initiative. “I am encouraged by the preliminary results of the college-wide travel survey showing that we are already making smarter travel choices and I look forward to the activities being planned by the Smarter Travel Trinity initiative building on this success to encourage more students and staff to use sustainable means of commuting. I used to cycle to work myself, but I am close enough to walk now.”

As part of the launch event on the day a range of smarter travel information stands will be present for staff and students to visit and learn about the events that will be running throughout the year as well as information on smarter travel products and accessories, with representatives from Greenaer, Eurocycles, Go Car, The Spokesmn.ie, City Cycles , Bike to Work, Georgia in Dublin, Dublin Bus, and Irish Rail.  A raffle also took place on the day for all those who attended the launch with a prize of a reconditioned BEAR bike from Greenaer along with the announcement of the winners of the travel survey competition prize of a Eurocyles Felt Bike for students and a voucher for the 1592 restaurant for staff.

Tionscnamh Taisteal Níos Cliste á sheoladh ag Coláiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath

Sheol an Propast, an Dr. Patrick Prendergast tionscnamh Taisteal Níos Cliste Choláiste na Tríonóide, a spreagann mic léinn agus baill foirne chun modhanna taistil inbhuanaithe agus níos sláintiúla a úsáid.  Beidh Ard-Mhéara Bhaile Átha Cliath, Andrew Montague agus Uachtarán Aontas na Mac Léinn, Ryan Bartlett i láthair chomh maith.

D’oibrigh Coláiste na Tríonóide Baile Átha Cliath leis an Údarás Náisiúnta Iompair agus leis an scéim Taisteal Níos Cliste chuig an Áit Oibre, chun tionscnamh Taisteal Níos Cliste Choláiste na Tríonóide a fhorbairt.   Leis an tionscnamh a chur i bhfeidhm, tá Coláiste na Tríonóide ag déanamh mar atá institiúidí oideachais eile ÓG, NUI Má Nuad, UCD agus DIT, a bhfuil an clár curtha i bhfeidhm acu. Tá méadú tagtha ar úsáid na roghanna taistil níos cliste ag mic léinn agus ag baill foirne mar thoradh ar a rannpháirtíocht sa scéim.  

D’éirigh go maith le scéimeanna Choláiste na Tríonóide do bhaill foirne ina measc an scéim Sábhála Cánach agus Rothaíocht chun na hOibre. Bhain thart ar 10% leas as an Scéim Rothaíochta chun na hOibre agus ghlac 20% leis na scéimeanna Taistil Sábhála Cánach. Tá súil ag an gColáiste cur leis an líon daoine a bhaineann úsáid as taisteal níos cliste trí Thaisteal Níos Cliste Choláiste na Tríonóide, ar aidhm léi roghanna níos éasca a dhéanamh de siúl, rothaíocht, úsáid iompair phoiblí agus roinnt carranna, do mhic léinn agus do bhaill foirne. Ceann de na chéad ghnéithe den chlár atá le cur i bhfeidhm sna seachtainí amach romhainn ná 40 seastán rothair den chineál Sheffield a chur isteach ar phríomh-champas TCD, rud a chuirfidh 80 áit bhreise ar fáil chun rothair a pháirceáil.  

Mar chuid den tionscnamh rinneadh suirbhé* ar fud an choláiste le déanaí chun tuiscint a fháil ar an tslí a dtaistealaíonn mic léinn agus baill foirne chuig láithreáin champais TCD faoi láthair agus faoin tslí a bhféadfaí tacaíocht a thabhairt dóibh maidir le taisteal ar bhealach níos inbhuanaithe amach anseo.  Léiríonn na chéad torthaí ón suirbhé, a eisíodh chuig os cionn 2,800 ball foirne agus 16,800 mac léinn, go bhfuil na rátaí siúil, rothaíochta agus úsáide iompair phoiblí i measc phobal an Choláiste i bhfad níos airde ná an meánráta i mBaile Átha Cliath. Léiríonn figiúirí go mbaineann 28% de na daoine úsáid as busanna agus cóistí; baineann 22% úsáid as rothair; siúlann 22%; téann 14% ar thraein nó ar an DART; téann 6% ar an Luas; taistealaíonn 4% i gcarranna; agus 1% a bhaineann úsáid as Dublin Bikes; b’ionann freagraí ó níos lú ná 1% daoine a thaistealaíonn mar phaisinéirí i gcarranna nó ar ghluaisrothair.

Ag éirí as torthaí an tsuirbhé, reáchtálfaidh an tionscnamh roinnt gníomhaíochtaí do mhic léinn agus do bhaill foirne i rith na bliana, le tuilleadh bealaí a spreagadh ina bhféadfaidh pobal an Choláiste cinntí taistil níos cliste a dhéanamh. Ina measc sin beidh oiliúint rothair agus ceardlanna cothabhála, dúshlán rothaíochta, seisiúin eolais faoi scéimeanna taistil sábhála cánach agus sraith léachtaí ar rogha ábhar lena n-áirítear Siúl & Comharsanachtaí Coisithe, An tSlí le hÉirí den Tolg ag Tosú ag Rith agus Dublin Bikes. 

Luíonn sé le réasún go spreagfaí Taisteal Níos Cliste i gColáiste na Tríonóide de bharr na háite a bhfuil an ollscoil. Treisíonn sé tiomantas Choláiste na Tríonóide d’fhorbairt inbhuanaithe trína ghníomhaíochtaí chomh maith le bheith ina hollscoil a spreagann sláinte agus folláine,” a dúirt an Propast, an Dr Patrick Prendergast ag ócáid seolta an tionscnaimh.

 “Tugann chéad thorthaí an tsuirbhé ar thaisteal a rinneadh ar fud an choláiste misneach dom. Léiríonn siad go bhfuil roghanna taistil níos cliste á ndéanamh againn cheana féin agus táim ag súil leis na gníomhaíochtaí atá beartaithe faoin tionscnamh Taisteal Níos Cliste Choláiste na Tríonóide a chuirfidh leis an rath sin chun tuilleadh mac léinn agus ball foirne a spreagadh chun modhanna comaitéireachta inbhuanaithe a úsáid.”

Mar chuid den ócáid seolta ar an lá beidh raon seastán eolais faoi thaisteal níos cliste ar fáil le go bhféadfaidh baill foirne agus mic léinn cuairt a thabhairt orthu agus foghlaim faoi na himeachtaí a reáchtálfar i rith na bliana chomh maith le heolas ar tháirgí agus oiriúintí maidir le taisteal níos cliste. Beidh ionadaithe ó Greenaer, Eurocycles, Go Car, The Spokesmn.ie, City Cycles , Bike to Work, Georgia in Dublin, Bus Átha Cliath, agus Iarnród Éireann i láthair.

*Ba iad Coiste Taisteal Níos Cliste Choláiste na Tríonóide agus clár Taisteal Níos Cliste chuig an Áit Oibre de chuid an Údaráis Náisiúnta Iompair a chuir an suirbhé taistil le chéile. Eisíodh é ar phobal iomlán an Choláiste, eadhon os cionn 2,800 ball foirne agus 16,800 mac léinn. Fuarthas líon iomlán de 3859 freagra, 666 acu a tháinig ó bhaill foirne agus 2954 a tháinig ó mhic léinn.  Is ionann sin agus ráta freagartha 23% ó bhaill foirne agus 18% ó mhic léinn.