Tips and inspiration
- Ease into it. You don’t need to immediately start cycling to work or throw your car keys away. Start with what feels doable for you, whether that’s popping to the shops or doing the school run on foot once a week.
- Listen to Ying’s story: How I learned to ride a bike as an adult.
- Find cycle training in your local area.
- Download apps such as CityMapper or Komoot to discover new routes and shortcuts. If you’re cycling, you can check the elevation of your route so you can pick the flattest option. You can also choose CityMapper’s quiet mode to stick to back roads and cycleways.
- Contrary to what you might assume, active travel is often faster than car journeys, as you can skip past traffic jams and take shortcuts.
The big picture
Car trips under five kilometres make up 43% of all car journeys.
Choosing to commute by walking or cycling once a week could save around 30 kilogrammes of CO2 a year.
Sources:
Sustrans Net Zero Report PDF (360KB)
Energy Saving Trust
Why is this action beneficial?
Save money
Replacing your short car journeys with active travel saves on fuel and public transport costs.
Reduce emissions
Walking, wheeling and cycling don’t produce emissions and so don’t contribute to climate change. So, every time you leave the car at home you can feel good that you’re doing your part to reduce emissions.
Reduce pollution
Breathing in exhaust fumes and road particles kicked up by vehicles is bad for us, especially children. It increases breathing problems such as asthma. By swapping out the car, you’re helping reduce air pollution in your town or city.
Improve health
Exploring your local area on foot or wheels allows you to discover new routes and green spaces in your local area while also exercising.
Learn a new skill
Don’t know how to cycle or feel nervous on the roads? It’s never too late to learn! Many councils offer cycle loan schemes, beginner lessons and road proficiency courses to get you started.
Similar actions
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