Hertfordshire County Council has reminded its residents about making sustainable travel choices folllowing several investments over the last few years in the county.
Better Transport Week is a week-long celebration of sustainable transport, taking place from Monday 17 to Sunday 23 June.
“Inspiring sustainability in our county is at the heart of our vision for a cleaner and greener environment. This aims to deliver clean air for all and achieve a net zero greenhouse gas Hertfordshire before 2050. There are many initiatives and ways that allow us to consider how we can better travel in a more sustainable way, which can also improve quality of life and help protect the environment,” said the council.
Bus Travel
The Intalink Enhanced Partnership is a collaboration between Hertfordshire County Council, the bus companies who operate across the county, and the ten local district and borough councils. It has benefitted from Bus Service Improvement Plan funding, which has led to a number of initiatives encouraging passengers to use the bus, including:
- Connect Herts – Improving the frequency of buses between major towns. Starting in January, this has been achieved with more buses on routes between Stevenage, Hertford, St Albans, Hemel Hempstead and Watford.
- Intalink Connect – A soon to be introduced new ticketing offer to replace Intalink Explorer and BUSnet tickets, which will offer unlimited travel from £2.50 a day and £9.50 a week if bought in conjunction with a SaverCard, or from £5 a day and £19 a week without. Check Intalink ticketing for updates.
- The Adult SaverCard – Another soon to be updated offer with the discount to be increased from 15% to 50%. SaverCards for all ages are available
- Through working with local communities, schools, colleges and businesses, the Community Shelters project aims to improve each bus shelter and the space around it. The project will also bring awareness to the bus network through highlighting shelters within their environment.
Since its launch in North and East Hertfordshire in 2021, HertsLynx has offered a flexible, on-demand way to travel by bus. The service was extended in to Dacorum in December 2023, while Hertford and Ware have also been added to the original service area. To date, 80,000 trips have been taken on the North and East Hertfordshire service and 9,000 in Dacorum.
Rail Travel
Rail only accounts for just over one per cent of carbon emissions from transport, with all passenger train services in Hertfordshire running on electrified lines. Hertfordshire’s Rail Strategy sets out its future role within the county, which acts as an important location for travel both north and south as well as into the capital.
The council works closely with the rail industry on projects to improve access to stations for sustainable and active travel modes, ranging from the provision of cycle storage to improved bus interchange facilities.
Community Rail Partnerships (CRP) bring together local groups and partners along railway lines to work with industry. Two such partnerships are New River Line covering Hertford East to Broxbourne and the Abbey Line linking Watford Junction to St Albans Abbey.
Cycling, Walking and Wheeling
In recent years a number of new walking and cycling routes have been delivered in Buntingford, Stevenage, Welwyn Garden City and Watford, with more to come throughout the county.
Comprehensive information on Cycling, Walking and Wheeling in Hertfordshire is available, providing suggested cycling routes, training and club details. There’s also information on walking and sports disability groups. Hertfordshire Health Walks offer year round walks, which are free, friendly and safe to enjoy.
Ongoing refurbishment of subways makes them more attractive and user friendly, encouraging people to walk and cycle for shorter journeys.
Clean Air Day
Clean Air Day is on Thursday 20 June, highlighting how air pollution is one of the biggest health risks facing everyone in the UK. In Hertfordshire we’ve supported community groups to deliver idling action events and provided schools with resources to help spread the message around the dangers of air pollution and the action that can be taken to reduce exposure and contribution to air pollution.
The council has also recently completed a project to install air purifiers in every single classroom in 29 schools across the county. This pilot project will help deliver cleaner air for our school children by removing particles from the air in classrooms, as well as viruses, bacteria, and other allergens, helping to reduce the spread of illness.
Sustainable Car Journeys
In partnership with all local districts and boroughs councils, the council is introducing more and more public Electric Vehicle Chargepoints throughout the county, with over 1,000 now available and many more to come.
Car Clubs provide access to a range of fuel efficient, hybrid and electric vehicles at various locations in Hertfordshire. Cars can be hired by the hour or by the day, providing a convenient, flexible and cost-effective solution, as well as helping to improve air quality and alleviate congestion.
PIC-ERTFORDSHIRE CC
