Pioneering green travel programme delivers 75 per cent increase in cycling

Smarter Travel Sutton also sees bus journeys rise by 16 per cent and the proportion of residents’ journeys made by car fall by six per cent

The final report for the programme, published today, shows that Smarter Travel Sutton met each of its key objectives, achieving:

A 75 per cent increase in cycling in Sutton which far outstrips growth in other outer London boroughs, and outperforms the experience of other towns across England with transport behaviour change programmes;

A 16 per cent increase in the number of people travelling by bus,

A six per cent reduction in the proportion of residents’ journeys made by car;

All of Sutton's 68 schools had a travel plan in place by March 2008, two years ahead of government targets. The borough now has the highest number of schools in London with plans meeting the London benchmark standards, at 39;

More than 16,000 employees in Sutton work for organisations that have a travel plan;

Every household in Sutton has been offered free, personalised travel advice and information to help them make informed choices about the way they choose to travel.

In addition, 27,000 people attended Smarter Travel Sutton events throughout the course of the final year, 10,000 primary school children regularly participated in the WoW initiative (Walk Once a Week) and over 1,000 Sutton residents have had a first appointment with an Active Steps advisor in an initiative which aims to improve health by encouraging people to change their travel habits.

Click here to download the report.