Maynooth University announced as Car-sharing Campus of the Year at Smarter Travel Awards

 

 

 

The winners of the inaugural Smarter Travel Awards were announced last week with Maynooth University announced as Car-Sharing Campus of the Year. Partners of the Smarter Travel Workplaces and Smarter Travel Campus programme from around the country submitted entries to the awards competition which recognise and celebrate the efforts that workplaces and campuses make to promote sustainable travel.
 

Lar Byrne, Maynooth University: “We are delighted with the recognition of being the carshare campus of the year. The GLH (Guaranteed Lift Home) scheme and our all day carshare spaces was a great incentive for people to try carsharing. Our outdoor banner campaign with catchy tag lines was also very successful. We hope to improve and continue our commitment to carsharing and sustainable travel on campus. All this is made possible with the fantastic assistance from the Sustainable Travel Campus and Workplaces team within the National Transport Authority.”

 

Anne Graham, Chief Executive Officer at the National Transport Authority said: “A growing number of Irish organisations are engaging in Smarter Travel, working with their staff and students to facilitate travel choice in favour of more sustainable transport, resulting in reduced costs, enhanced employee wellbeing, better access and more effective parking management. Smarter Travel Plans can reduce an organisation’s car use by 18% on average. The promotion and facilitation of cycling in particular both on campuses and in workplaces made for strong competition, which highlights the growing interest in cycling across Ireland. The Awards are well placed to act as inspiration and leadership as we recognise organisations that are paving the way for more sustainable travel options.”

 

Awards were presented in 14 categories across different modes of transport, sustainable champions and overall workplace and campus. University of Limerick took the lead amongst third-level institutions, taking home the award for Cycling Campus of the Year, Student Union of the Year, Sustainable Champions of the Year and Smarter Travel Campus of the Year award. Winners in the workplace categories included St. Vincent’s University Hospital who won Cycling Workplace of the Year and Sustainable Champions of the Year and ebay Inc. who won the Public Transport Workplace of the Year.

 

Full List of this year’s winners:
 

Smarter Travel Workplace of the Year – Galway University Hospitals

Walking Workplace of the Year – SSE Airtricity

Cycling Workplace of the Year – St. Vincent’s University Hospital

Public Transport Workplace of the Year – ebay Inc.

Car-sharing Workplace of the Year – South Dublin County Council

Business Travel Workplace of the Year – Cork City Council & EirGrid

Sustainable Champions of the Year – St. Vincent’s University Hospital

Smarter Travel Campus of the Year - University of Limerick

Walking Campus of the Year – Dublin City University

Cycling Campus of the Year – University of Limerick

Public Transport Campus of the Year – IT Blanchardstown

Car-sharing Campus of the Year – Maynooth University

Student Union of the Year – University of Limerick

Sustainable Champions of the Year – University of Limerick

 

Smarter Travel Workplaces and Campuses is a public awareness programme working with large employers to implement voluntary workplace travel plans. A growing number of Irish employers are engaging in Smarter Travel, working with their employees to facilitate travel choice in favour of more sustainable transport, resulting in reduced costs, enhanced employee wellbeing, better access and more effective parking management.