Sustainable travel campaign wins national award
WINNER: Tom Murray, Modeshift STARS programme manager (business), presents Caitlynne Picot, travel plan officer (business) at Hull City Council, with the authority's TravelWise Week 2023 certificate for best local authority campaign. Picture credit: Scott Akoz Photography
By Simon Bristow
A sustainable travel campaign run by Hull City Council has won a national award.
The campaign, which encouraged residents to make more sustainable and active travel choices, saw the city become one of 17 locations in the UK to put on a programme of events for TravelWise Week in September.
In Hull this included a bike library and secure bike-marking event, promotional activity for guided walks run by Hull Maritime volunteers, as well as the council-funded Rusty Riders programme to help adults get back into the saddle, and culminated in a bus surgery in Queen Victoria Square on World Car Free Day.
The 2023 TravelWise Week Awards, organised by Modeshift, the not-for-profit sustainable travel organisation, were presented at a ceremony at York Racecourse as part of the Team Modeshift National Sustainable Awards.
Hull beat strong competition from Darlington Borough Council and Islington Council to win the award for best local authority campaign.
Councillor Mark Ieronimo, cabinet portfolio holder for transportation, roads and highways, said: “We are very proud to have secured this award and would like to thank our staff, our partners, including Humberside Police, R-evolution, Neighbourhood Network, First Step Sports Group, East Yorkshire Buses and Stagecoach, and most importantly our residents and businesses for their support and for engaging so positively with the campaign.
“TravelWise Week provided us, as a council, with the perfect opportunity to present realistic travel alternatives to employees, students and the wider public over private car use as well as raise awareness around the impacts of travel choices on an individual’s health and wellbeing and on the environment.
“Not only is this award a testament to the hard work of our staff, our partners and volunteers, it also highlights our commitment to encouraging and supporting active travel choices in Hull.”