Travel and transport - Overarching aim
To provide viable and accessible sustainable travel options for staff and students for travel to work, travel at work and travel for work which results in a reduction of carbon emissions
Targets
- At least 75% of staff to be regularly commuting to work by sustainable modes of travel.
- By 2020 to have reduced the per capita carbon emissions from flights by 25%.
The University's Travel Plan exists to improve access to and between sites, and to enable staff to find alternatives to driving. The annual travel survey of staff helps us to measure progress in this area.
Sustainable travel at the University of Cambridge
With over 11,000 staff, 19,000 students, more than 20 sites of University departments and other buildings, and fewer than 5000 car parking spaces, travel to and at work is a key issue for the University to manage.
On this page, and in the links to the left, you'll find information on sustainable travel at the University, and what's on offer to staff. You can also subscribe to our quarterly travel newsletter to receive regular updates.
Commuting to work
Cycling and walking
Discounts and savings; Cycle to Work Scheme; pool bikes; find out how to stay safe on your bike; top tips on how to try and avoid bike theft; online interactive cycle route-finder
Buses and trains
Subsidised travel on the Universal bus route; Cambridgeshire bus services; Park and Ride information
Car clubs and Carshare
Share the commute and save money through the camshare.co.uk online tool and use the University's Carshare accounts.
Car parking
For general information on car parking, please see the EM website.
Travel plan
The University Travel Plan sets out a package of measures to support sustainable travel initiatives at the University of Cambridge for staff, students and visitors.
Travel to work loan
Site travel guides
Use the maps below to find the easiest way to travel to work and between the major University sites.
Downing Cambridge Biomedical Campus West Cambridge
Madingley Rise Sidgwick Old Addenbrookes/Mill Lane
Business Travel
Business travel is a key part of our work but also of our carbon footprint, incorporating emissions from any travel undertaken on University business. Without negatively impacting on necessary research collaboration or other University activities, we encourage staff and students to think about how they could reduce their personal impact in this area.
If you travel for your role:
- Travel between University sites using your building's pool bike scheme, if your building does not have a scheme you can contact travel@admin.cam.ac.uk.
- Consider alternatives to travel where possible. Conference calls save on travel time as well as cost and carbon: Could you use a departmental meeting room, or UIS videoconference facilities?
- If you're thinking of flying, consider whether it's possible to travel via train instead. This can provide the opportunity to get some additional work done, and if booked in advance can be surprisingly cheap. Have a look at ‘The Man in Seat Sixty-One’ for tips on reaching even far-flung locations via train. Tickets can then be booked through the University's travel account.
- Make sure that you and your colleagues are aware that free travel insurance is available from the University. Anonymous data from this system helps us to measure our carbon emissions from business travel.