Smarter Travel
Transport for Ireland (TFI) Smarter Travel Behaviour Change Programme is a national voluntary programme which supports third-level educational institutions and workplaces to implement voluntary travel plans. These plans focus on promoting and encouraging students and staff to sustainably and actively commute to campus. The National Transport Authority (NTA) Smarter Travel Survey is an integral tool that is used in this process.
As programme partners, TU Dublin engages in a series of Smarter Travel activities, and students and staff are encouraged to get involved. Find an event or project below and get involved.
Smarter Travel Awards Student Competition
The Smarter Travel Student Awards invite students to develop a project that supports, facilitates and/or enables sustainable and/or active travel modes to, from, and on campus that is relevant to their field of study and interest.
Ready, Set, Cycle for Summer
The Ready, Set, Cycle programme provides a toolkit and resources for Smarter Travel Partners to encourage and support students and staff to begin, continue or increase cycling on their commute and beyond. Participants will have the chance to win some great prizes.
Light Up Your Life Campaign
With the mornings and evenings getting darker as we head into the winter months, it’s important that cyclists are visible on their bikes with front and rear bike lights. As Smarter Travel Programme Partners TU Dublin has free bike lights to share to students and staff who commute by bike
Walktober
Walktober is the Smarter Travel walking challenge that takes place annually in October. Campuses and workplaces across Ireland take part in the challenge and teams compete to win prizes.
Marchathon
The Smarter Travel Marchathon step challenge takes place each year in March. Campuses and workplaces across Ireland take part in the challenge. Set up a team now and compete to win prizes
Join a lunchtime walking group
Following on from the success enjoyed by teams during Smarter Travel for campuses Walktober and Marchathon step challenges, TU Dublin Sustainability wants to encourage and support walking groups all year-round.
Cycle to Work Scheme
TU Dublin staff can purchase a brand-new bike and accessories tax-free through their payroll. The amount of the purchase is capped at €1,250 for push bikes, €1,500 for E-bikes and €3,000 for cargo & e-cargo bikes.
European Mobility Week
Try a new sustainable travel mode this European Mobility Week - the theme for 2024 is 'Shared Public Space'.
Bike Week
Bike Week is celebrated nationally each year in May
How we travel to TU Dublin
In 2022 TU Dublin was given the opportunity to input into a revised survey design that could better inform our needs as we plan towards being carbon neutral by 2040. With three campuses across five locations, each with different geographical contexts, there was a need for the survey to capture the diverse needs of those travelling to each. In addition, under the Public Sector Mandate for Climate Action TU Dublin has a responsibility to develop a Sustainable Mobility Plan to reduce scope 3 carbon emissions, which constitute a substantial portion of TU Dublin’s carbon footprint. Any such plan requires that we take a University-wide approach to our transport and mobility supporting actions. The TU Dublin Sustainability Office worked in conjunction with the NTA to distribute and analyse the survey in order to inform a University overview of requirements. This 2022 Travel Survey report outlines the key findings.
Between February and May 2023, TU Dublin conducted a Travel Survey Feedback Roadshow to 20 staff and student leadership groups across the University. This roadshow served to feed back the results of the data collection and to note what data was most interesting to support more students and staff to travel sustainably to campus.
As part of actions outlined in the recently published TU Dublin Climate Action Roadmap March 2023 TU Dublin is endeavouring on an ambitious plan to support more students and staff to arrive to campus by sustainable and active travel.
