19 December
As the year draws to a close we thought we’d take a look back at some of the transport highlights of 2018. It’s been a big year, here’s a few of the best bits…
We battled the elements
2018 started rather cold! With the ‘beast from the east’ bringing freezing temperatures and a lot of snow! Our gritting teams had the busiest winter in over six years, completing more grit runs then in the previous two winters combined! As winter sets in once again the teams are ready for when the next round of cold weather hits.
We kept Nottingham moving
Remember when a digger fell of a lorry back in June? Luckily, no one was hurt but this incident caused major knock on effects. Due to the size of the vehicle and the damage to the road surface there wasn’t a quick fix, so our team of traffic officers set up signed alternative routes to help keep traffic moving – particularly during rush hour. In the meantime, our highways team assessed the damage to the road surface so repair could begin as soon as the digger was clear. Just over 12 hours after the accident, the road was good as new.
We got a new website!
Making sure that traffic and travel information is clear, concise and easy to find is a big priority for us, and our shiny new website launched in February. If you have any thoughts on things that could be improved online, drop us an email – we’d love to hear from you.
We worked behind the scenes
Imagine you’re in charge of keeping Nottingham moving and a gas company tells you they urgently need to close half of one of your busiest roundabouts for five days to repair a gas leak. That’s what our network management team were faced with back in May. A lot of work went on behind the scenes so that the repairs could be made whilst keeping Crown Island clear to move 70,000 vehicles a day.
We’re set to breathe more easily
In November our Clean Air plan was approved by ministers. This is HUGE because it means that the measures we’ve taken to clean up the air in the city are working, such as the biogas buses, tram network and improvements to cycling routes. All of this means Nottingham won’t currently need to introduce a clean air zone.
We gave our older buses a new lease of life
We were awarded funding to help NCT retrofit more than 160 diesel buses with cleaner exhausts, meaning cleaner air for everyone. This is a really important project – not only did it help our clean air plan get approved, but it helped NCT take home four prizes at the UK Bus Awards!
We welcomed cleaner taxis
The first electric hackney cabs hit the streets of Nottingham this year, and in September the council bought three of its own – which we’re lending to drivers so they can see the benefits. Since then, we successfully bid for £1m funding to offer more incentives, including licensing discounts and the creation of an ULEV taxi rank as we continue our ambitious plans for one of the greenest taxi fleets in the country!
We lived life in the fast lane
In May we completed the Daleside Road improvement scheme. This major route into/out of the city has seen fast journey times and has a new cycle path and bus lanes in both directions. These bus lanes are the first in the country to also allow Ultra Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) too. To top it off, the road gained three new ‘neigh’bours…
We got a new bridge!
A new pedestrian and cycle bridge was lifted over the railway during one night in August, ready for the opening of a new path linking businesses with bus and tram services on University Boulevard. Due to open next year, the new path will also join up cycle routes through the city, giving commuters more options to get to work.
We won awards
In November there was awards success for our Go Ultra Low team, as Nottingham was crowned City Hero at the Fleet Heroes awards, and team leader Rasita earned the title of EV Champion at the Green Fleet News Awards. The team works incredibly hard making technical, challenging and bold projects a reality, reducing the impact of transport on our environment for the long term.
We gave businesses a boost
Our Workplace Travel Service celebrated its first anniversary this year. It’s given out more than £200,000 in grants to local businesses, used to install 72 charge points and 13 cycle shelters. The team offers all sorts of support, from fully funded fleet reviews and vehicle loans, to staff travel planning and direct grants, and they’ve got more funding to give out next year!
Merry Christmas from everyone in the transport team at Nottingham City Council.
There are lots of exciting projects on the horizon for 2019 – we’ll see you then.
