transport
To and From Uni and beyond
There is much advice we can give to students regarding transport to and from university that helps add to a green lifestyle.
As a first preference, students would best be advised to bike or walk, depending on their personal choice. Obviously, neither cycling nor walking adds anything to each individual’s carbon footprint. Both offer clear benefits in terms of exercise and health.
Colchester is not that big of a town, so most journeys within the town can be usually be realistically achieved by either means. There are a number of bike shops across town, some of which are second hand offering good prices for students to get a bike. On campus there are numerous points where students can safely lock their bicycles.
If the journey is too far or the time taken too long to walk or bike, there is a acceptable fallback to get a bus. A bus is better in terms of greenhouse gases than going by car, on the basis of the amount of people using that service as well.
It is worth noting that from a ethical perspective, the SU has recently passed a motion entitled ‘first (the bus company) comes last’ due to the perceived shoddy service of first buses. The SU also runs their safety bus and there is always the option for a taxi.
We respect that certain students, especially those who commute from outside Colchester do not really have much of an alternative to driving in.
Trains would be an environmental preference, but we understand if they are not an always feasible option.
The university car parking spaces are limited and the costs of doing so add up, in some way acting as deterrence to those unnecessarily driving. We advice those who insist upon driving, to carpool with others who live near them or are on their route to campus.
Similarly, for those students living in Colchester who travel home at certain points in the year, carpooling with friends and acquaintances makes good sense in terms of costing, time and living green.
It is also worth drivers considering buying new cars that have lpg fuel. These are lower on carbon emissions and actually save petrol money in the long term, so it makes sense on both levels.
transport
If you are walking or cycling then the Wivenhoe trail runs along the river between Colchester and Wivenhoe and is a nice route to take and there are others. Colchester has also recently won a large lottery grant to improve its cycling routes so watch this space.
For more information about cycling routes and biking in Colchester try these links:
For information on car-sharing:
Lift share
The University is pretty well serviced with buses to and from town and elsewhere and the no. 62 bus has recently been re-branded as the University Bus. University students can get a bus pass for use on First Buses that lasts a year for £109.00.
For bus information: