Date: 10 October 2007 18:55

BUSINESSES INVITED TO BIRTHDAY BASH TO COMBAT CONGESTION

Businesses across Cambridgeshire are invited to the 10-year birthday bash of 
a partnership which has helped improve the health of employees, reduce 
congestion and cut pollution.

In November the nationally recognised Cambridgeshire Travel for Work 
Partnership will be 10 years old and to celebrate its birthday is inviting 
employers to a special conference.

The birthday party goers will be given the chance to learn about travel 
planning and contribute to discussions on how travel plans can help cope 
with congestion and growth.

The event, entitled "Travel Planning Then, Now and into the Future", takes 
place at Churchill College on Thursday 22nd November. The conference will 
look at the developments in travel planning, the services available to 
businesses now with examples of current best practice, and take a crystal 
ball look into the future to see how travel plans can help employers cope 
with and benefit from Cambridgeshire's growth over the next decade.

Travel for Work says that if organisations join the TfW network and are 
supported to promote cycling, bus use, car sharing etc then they can also 
benefit from fitter employees, reducing their carbon footprint, an improved 
corporate image and reduced congestion.

Travel for Work began in 1997 helping 15 Cambridge organisations; today the 
partnership supports a network of more than 50 employers from around the 
County with a total of nearly 48,000 workers.

The partnership has had much success in assisting businesses. For example 
the last TfW employer survey (2006) showed that over a fifth (22%) of all 
the 6,000 respondents cycled to work. This compares with a national figure 
of around 3 per cent cycling to work.

Travel for Work Development Manager Mark Webb, said: "Anyone who drives on 
the County's roads knows how congested they can get and with thousands of 
new homes being built this can only get worse unless we take action. We are 
hoping to help many more businesses over the next ten years. Studies show 
that well implemented travel plans that encourage cycling, car sharing, bus 
use and walking have an average 18% reduction in the number cars arriving in 
the car park. These plans are inexpensive and lead to increased staff 
health, productivity, positive publicity and improved company image. So 
there are sound business benefits. Joining Travel for Work is free and we 
would encourage all employers to consider this sooner rather than later."

Brian Smith, Deputy Chief Executive of Cambridgeshire County Council, which 
hosts Travel for Work, will Chair the event. He said: "I am delighted that 
Stephen Joseph, of the Campaign for Better Transport,
and Professor John Whitelegg of York University, both internationally 
respected thinkers in this field, will be joining local business leaders at 
the conference."

This conference will be looking at issues in the most interesting context of 
Cambridgeshire's growth agenda and development of local transport 
initiatives. Much new commuter traffic will be generated bythe planned 
growth (24,000 homes already built and a further 33,000 by 2016). It is 
clear that workplace travel planning will be developing apace over the 
coming period - but which is the best way to go? The conference will 
contribute to this debate.

To find out more and to register for the conference please 
visitwww.tfw.org.uk  or call Travel for Work on 01223 712429

John Reynolds