Rushcliffe Borough Council (RBC) is encouraging residents to walk, wheel or cycle when making journeys into Bingham and other town centres in the Borough for a healthier and greener future.
Active travel methods boost physical activity and provide numerous health and wellbeing benefits, such as maintaining a healthy weight, reducing stress, and improving heart health. It can also help save money by lowering travel costs compared to driving and parking.
By choosing to leave the car at home, residents can help to play their part in reducing their carbon footprint by improving air quality, reducing pollution and preventing traffic congestion.
To support active travel in Bingham, RBC is delivering a project to encourage more sustainable journeys into the town centre with new ‘Step into Bingham’ walking and wheeling map routes that are available to download at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/stepintobingham
The maps have been developed with partners RideWise to identify safe walking routes from all of the major residential areas of Bingham to the town centre and all routes will be waymarked using colour coded arrows.
Hard copies will also be produced and placed in community venues and businesses in the town for residents to access and large maps will also be displayed at Newgate Street car park.
Pupils and teachers from Toot Hill School joined officers at Bingham Buttercross to mark the launch of this new health and wellbeing initiative.
Toot Hill School Head Teacher Dr Chris Eardley said: “At Toot Hill School and Sixth Form College, we are very proud of our students for the manner in which they access public transport. The majority of our students travel to school via bus. The remainder tend to walk to school.
“Our curriculum teaches students about the importance of reducing the carbon footprint and their part in ensuring that we protect the environment for future generations. Furthermore, our students understand the importance of exercise to their long-term health and wellbeing.
“Consequently, we are delighted to support the local community with this great initiative as we would love to see an increase in safe and active travel for our school community.”
The project has also overseen improved cycle storage installed in the marketplace and further cycle storage will be installed at Newgate Street car park.