Employees at Quorum, one of the North East’s leading business parks were encouraged to look for sustainable ways to get to work at a Green Transport Showcase event on 14th September. The event was part of the park’s Sustainability Month campaign, celebrating all things green.
Exhibitors helped raise awareness about the importance of sustainable transport and highlight the range of transport initiatives in place at Quorum to encourage employees to walk, cycle, use public transport and drive smarter.
Supporting businesses at Quorum over the summer, Go Smarter have been surveying staff and helping free active travel initiatives such as Cycle Confidence Courses, Fit it Yourself Bike Rides, lunch time Nordic Walking sessions and an innovative Bike Train project which offered people working on the park the opportunity to join a guided ride from their home to work.
Oliva Hannah joined the train from Heaton to Quorum said, “The Bike Train guided cycle into work went really built my confidence. It was useful to see the route, but also to observe things like where to position myself on the road and how to respond to cars. It was handy to get advice there and then. I hope other people do sign up for it because it’s a really good way to get started with cycle commuting.”
Phil Freestone from Go Smarter said “The on-site team at Quorum have done a great job engaging tenants and their staff to participate. Results showed that people working at Quorum are already a sustainable bunch with 1/3 of people travelling to work by public transport and we are confident that we can increase the number of people participating in active travel.”
Quorum Business Park has been a pioneer of electric vehicles with five electric charge points located on the park and there is a growing number of electric car owners. Lookers Nissan and Tesla gave employees from the park, the opportunity to book themselves in to test drive a Nissan Leaf or a top of the range Telsa electric car.
Quorum also announced the arrival of two Toyota Auris cars managed by Co Wheels car club. The hybrid cars will be sited on the park from October 2016, available for short term hire for business or leisure purposes. The project will enable people to leave the car at home and travel to work more sustainably.
Laura McVittie, Commuter Centre Manager at Quorum Business Park said “promoting sustainable travel and healthier lifestyles to the tenants and their employees is a key part of the park’s ethos and the activities we have organised for the Green Transport Showcase forms part of the 300 on-site events we have planned throughout the year.”
Laura continues. “The survey results showed that we now have 3 times more people cycling to work than the regional average. This growth has been supported by the monthly Bike Hub events that we host on site with free Dr Bike services, reconditioned bike sales and guided bike rides.
Quorum occupiers, Gtech set up a mini shop at the event to offer test rides and promote an exclusive offer to purchase one of their new hi-tech eBikes. Gtech are providing 2 new eBikes to add to the fleet of ten hybrid pool bikes available for workers to borrow free of charge.