6 November
It’s hard to believe November is already here; it feels like just yesterday we were basking in the summer sun. As the winter season begins to wrap its frosty fingers around us we’re more inclined than ever to ditch our bikes, put away our Robin Hood travel cards and retreat to the safety of our cars.
Statistically, November is the worst month for traffic jams and has the slowest journey times. We work hard all year round to keep the city moving thanks to our renowned public transport system. With your help and consideration, we can avoid those crippling traffic jams that add hours to your journey, contributing to unnecessary air pollution this Christmas. Remember, you’re not stuck in traffic, you are the traffic!
Why November?
The clocks have gone back and darkness is taking over. With longer nights and a chill in the air, it’s understandable why people favour cars over walking or cycling. Bad weather conditions and decreased visibility means cars move slower than ever. Combine this with an increase in drivers and watch the traffic jams begin.
Festive season is well on its way and social calendars are filling up fast. Be it a Christmas party or a catch up with friends it may seem more than ever that now is the time to use your car. With festivities comes celebration, and with celebration comes drink drivers. Drink driving is a massive problem this time of year with many traffic jams being the result of irresponsible drivers. Stay safe, leave your car at home and enjoy a glass of wine.
The curse of Wednesdays!
Wednesdays evenings particularly are the worst for traffic – statistically, more part-time workers are in the office on a Wednesday which means more commuters. Add to that late night shopping and cinema discounts and you have a perfect storm of gnarled up roads and crawling queues. Avoid the Wednesday woes and rethink how you travel – at least one day a week!
What are we doing to help?
Roadworks can cause delays, so to keep Nottingham moving we ban all non-essential roadworks from 22 November till New Year. This leaves more room on the roads to get you where you need to be.
Our traffic control centre works round the clock to monitor the roads, intervening when accidents and build-ups occur. By watching the roads and changing signals when needs be we can keep traffic moving.
We’ve invested millions of pounds into public transport to make it as good as it can be and prove to everyone travelling in and out of our city that public transport is the way forward. We’ve built an extensive tram network, have 9 Park and Rides and an extensive bus network to connect our communities. We provide real time information to remove uncertainty and allow you to make informed decisions about your journey.
We offer a journey planner on our website so you can plan your journey ahead of time and find the most effective route for you to complete your journey and avoid getting stuck in traffic.
What can you do?
While we provide the groundwork, you need to fill in the gaps. By changing your travel behaviour, even just a few days a week, we can reduce traffic and congestion within the city, clean up our air and get you home quicker.
Instead of driving to work every day, use public transport. Our tram network spans from Hucknall to Beeston and we have dedicated bus lanes all over the city – whilst everyone else is sitting in traffic our trams and buses have clear lanes to move through to skip past all the queues. A full bus can carry 50-80 people and a tram 200. Imagine how much more traffic and road space would be taken up if these people were in cars instead!
If you can’t get into the city with public transport alone, try out the park and ride. The city centre will be kept clearer of cars and any potential traffic is pushed further out where there’s more road space and less likelihood of congestion.
If the above still isn’t suitable for you and you absolutely have to drive, have you considered carpooling? Whether it be with friends, co-workers, or a companion found through Nottingham Liftshare, one full car is better than 4 with single occupants! If your workplace offers flexibility, take advantage and avoid peak times by travelling slightly earlier or later.
No one wants to spend their Christmas stuck in traffic. That’s why we work year-round to provide alternative options to help people rethink their travel choices so that when the time comes, we can keep traffic to a minimum. So, let’s keep Nottingham moving and avoid the biggest nuisance of November this year!
