People in Nottingham were encouraged to leave their cars at home and use other modes of transport throughout May. Nottingham City Council teamed up with the Walk Wheel Cycle Trust to encourage everyone to go car-free for some of their everyday journeys and try cleaner, greener, healthier ways of getting from A to B.

The Big Nottingham Travel Challenge saw a fantastic response, with more than 500 participants and 45 businesses getting involved and logging journeys on the Big Challenge platform. Together, participants recorded an impressive 11,566 journeys, demonstrating a strong commitment to healthier and more sustainable travel.Even more encouragingly, 1,689 journeys were switched from single-occupancy vehicle trips (including electric cars) to active modes of travel such as walking and cycling. These changes not only helped reduce carbon emissions but also supported healthier lifestyles and contributed to creating more sustainable travel habits across the city.

A celebration event took place today, Friday 10 July, at the Central Library where prizes were awarded to the winners of the Big Challenge. Prizes included two adult Micro Scooters worth over £165 each, a Raleigh Strada City Hybrid bike worth over £450, a 12 -course tasting menu for two at the famous Restaurant Sat Bains worth over £500 and an annual Nottingham City Transport Bus Pass worth over £700. Generous prizes were also donated by transport providers and other supporters including Trent Barton, Broadway Cinema, Mammoth Cinema and Lime Bikes.

The challenge encouraged people to choose active travel options like walking, cycling or scooting and using public transport for a month. If you’d like to be more active, you can find more free walking and cycling activities in your area by visiting the calendar on the Travel Well page.