TU Dublin awarded Silver by National Transport Authority's Smarter Travel Mark
On Friday 21 March, TU Dublin was formally awarded with Silver accreditation by the National Transport Authority's (NTA) Smarter Travel Mark.
TU Dublin is the first multi-campus institution to make a single application and be awarded the Smarter Travel Mark as a whole of University award. The Silver award represents a score of 78% which is the average score of five campus and location specific applications.
Presenting the award on the day was Paul McGartoll, Senior Programme Manager, Active Travel Investment, NTA, Louise Culliney Smarter Travel Manager, NTA, and Shane Hayes, Senior Smarter Travel Officer, NTA. A gathering of students and staff who work to advance sustainable travel and mobility at TU Dublin and the greater Dublin region joined the event and included Smarter Travel Coordinators, Faculty Staff, researchers, TU Dublin Student’s Union, and committee and council members such as the Green-Campus Committee, Green Team, and Sustainability Council.
Speaking of TU Dublin's success in the Smarter Travel Mark, Vice President for Sustainability, Jennifer Boyer said: Through teaching and learning, research, policy making, campus development, and engagement for behaviour change, our students, staff and researchers work with stakeholders to help reduce Ireland’s carbon emissions and support a shift away from car dependency to more active and sustainable travel modes. We are delighted to achieve this Silver award and join the many campus institutions and public bodies nationwide who have already achieved this new sustainable travel accreditation with the NTA.
Speaking on TU Dublin's success in achieving the Smarter Travel Mark, Louise Culliney, Smarter Travel Manager at the National Transport Authority, said: TU Dublin has been awarded the Smarter Travel Mark at Silver level across all five of its Dublin campuses, recognising their strong commitment in promoting active and sustainable travel to staff, students, and visitors. This achievement reflects TU Dublin’s continued, ongoing efforts to reduce car dependency and lower carbon emissions. We would like to congratulate everyone involved in this great achievement.
TU Dublin, as Ireland’s second largest university, is one of the largest journey-generators to a Higher Education Institution in Dublin; with its five campus locations around the Dublin region, TU Dublin is uniquely positioned to drive societal changes and support and influence more than 30,000 people to make more sustainable travel choices and improve our towns and city centre region to be healthier, safer and more liveable.
Through TU Dublin’s Strategic Objectives, the University has put in place robust key performance indicators (KPIs), milestones, and policies to showcasing a living lab for environmental sustainability as one of the World’s most sustainable universities. Where transport and mobility is concerned, TU Dublin is progressing plans to develop high quality campus environments which promote healthy and active lifestyles while offering transport and mobility choices for the University community in conjunction with the National Transport Authority (NTA), local authorities and other statutory authorities.