Transition Exeter

Transport Group

The Transition Exeter Transport Group is pursuing a transition in Exeter to sustainable forms of transportation. This will help mitigate climate change, and build resilience against the threat of peak oil, a threat that is being so keenly felt right now. Exeter is well placed to do this. It is a compact city with good walking and cycling routes, and the city centre is well served by public transport.

In our vision for 2030 Exeter is a much safer, healthier and less noisy place than it is now. Local communities and facilities have been revitalised, and residential streets are once again places where people meet and children can play. You can read our full vision here.

Our main activity recently has been lobbying and grassroots action: responding to local authority consultations, meeting with representatives at the Councils and cross fertilising with other local campaigning groups (e.g. Campaign for Better Transport Devon branch) to address key local issues. Our major project for 2010 was feeding into Devon County Council's Local Transport Plan for 2011-2026 - you can read our final response to the consultation, submitted jointly with Exeter Friends of the Earth, here.

In the future we will be working on our Energy Descent Plan, looking at how Exeter can move to sustainable transport over the next 20 years. We'll also be continuing to press the local authorities to improve facilities for walking, cycling and public transport.

We have lots of ideas for projects to engage the public with ways they can change to more sustainable transport - we just need people to make them happen! If you'd like to take up one of these ideas please get in touch:

• Carfree Day: An exciting project to attempt to close down a major arterial traffic route temporarily and replace it with a street fair.
• Commuter Challenge: Testing how long different modes of transport take to complete various commuter routes around Exeter, and to disseminate the information effectively to change behaviour.
• Historical Journeys: A project to link existing sustainable commuter routes (footpaths, cycle paths etc.) with local history to add new dimensions to the way we interact with our commutes, perhaps with a permanent treasure hunt element (like letterboxing on Dartmoor).
• Corporate Games: Engaging with large employers in Exeter and establishing a competition between them to attempt to promote and increase usage of sustainable modes of transport.
• Pub Quiz: Organise low carbon pub quizzes around Exeter.

Please see our Google Group for our most recent activities. All are welcome to our meetings, which usually take place on the third Monday of each month.  We would love more people to help us develop our vision and strategy, help to implement some of our project ideas, or to bring new ideas to the group. For further information on any of our projects or open meetings, please email transport@transitionexeter.org.uk, or contact Sue Kay on 01392 204253.

Critical Mass is a cycling event happens monthly.

 

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