• Improve walking, cycling, and active travel infrastructure on and around campus.
• Achieve a 5% reduction by 2030 in carbon emissions associated with business travel and University fleet operations (Scope 3) from baseline 2024/25.
• Ensure travel options are inclusive, accessible, and equitable.
• Support long‑term behaviour change through engagement and partnerships.
• Using the University's submission to the 2024 Suffolk County Council's Travel Data as a baseline, aim to achieve modal shifts in the following by 2030:
  • Increase walking/ wheeling from 42% to 44%
  • Increase cycling/ e-cycling from 4% to 11%
  • Increase bus (including park and ride) from 14% to 17%
  • Increase rail from 10% to 12%
  • Increase car sharing/ passenger from 9% to 11%
  • Decrease single driver car use from 53% to 43% 

Promoting sustainable and active transport contributes directly to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including:

• SDG 3 Good Health and Well-Being
• SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
• SDG 13 Climate Action

Travel continues to be one of the largest contributors to domestic greenhouse gas emissions. The University of Suffolk recognises its role as a major generator of travel within the local area, whilst also recognising that our location is an opportunity to promote the benefits of walking, cycling, and public transport services

Our 2026 to 2031 Sustainable Travel Plan and Travel Action Plan focuses directly on modal shift, demand reduction, and partnership working. The Sustainable Travel Plan provides the strategic framework, while the Travel Action Plan delivers annually reviewed actions covering infrastructure, engagement, business travel, and monitoring. Travel decisions follow a hierarchy that prioritises avoiding travel, choosing low‑carbon modes, and using vehicles efficiently where travel is unavoidable. Together, our approach supports students, staff, and visitors to make healthier, low-carbon, and more sustainable choices, whilst supporting our net-zero ambitions and wider commitments through:

• Our Sustainability and Environmental Policies
• Our Carbon Management Plan; and
• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: SDG 3, SDG 11, and SDG 13

Additionally, the University works with Suffolk County Council’s Transport Planning Team to support the implementation of their Ipswich Area Transport Plan and Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, which will see the facilitation of several active travel improvements created.

Central to our Sustainable Travel Plan is also a commitment to creating an inclusive and people-centred campus environment. This means ensuring:

• Equality of access for students, staff, and visitors
• Safe, convenient walking and cycling routes
• A welcoming public space that promotes wellbeing
• Collaboration with local authorities and transport providers

There are 858 spaces for parking (includes disabled and motorcycle parking), however, it is encouraged to use alternative more sustainable means of travel when planning your journey to the university.

Listed below are several schemes that can help with making your travel greener: 

Schemes

• Cyclescheme The University of Suffolk works with Cyclescheme to offer an affordable and greener way to travel. The scheme allows members of staff to purchase a bicycle with equipment to help reduce the need to travel by car and to improve health and wellbeing. Cycling - The Way To Go Suffolk. 
• Tusker – The Electric Car Benefit Scheme from Tusker is the smarter and greener way to run a car.
• University of Suffolk Pool Bikes Our workplace bike pool provides two bikes, which are well-maintained and safe to ride, with safety equipment and panniers for staff to use.  

Commuter Travel Schemes

• RAIL Greater Anglia offers a 10% reduction on a monthly or longer ticket going to Ipswich See Greater Anglia Business Season Ticket.
• BUS First Eastern Counties Buses Ltd offers subsidies for block booking as part of their Commuter Travel Club. 

There are several tips and tricks that can help make your travel greener, whenever and where ever your traveling:

Buses

• Ipswich Buses Ltd: Mainly operating the town centre-based routes, with a few county routes to Shotley, Manningtree, and Colchester, Ipswich Buses has an extensive and reliable network, with cheaper day, weekly, monthly, and yearly tickets available through their app. Network map here: Maps – Ipswich Buses and timetables here: Timetables & Routes – Ipswich Buses.
• First Eastern Counties Buses Ltd: the route 800 bus directly connects the University with both parks and ride at a frequency of up to every 20 minutes, Monday to Saturday. Additionally, First buses operate many county-based routes. Network map here: Ipswich_Network_map-WEB and their routes and timetables here: Ipswich Reds - frequent links into Suffolk's county town | First Bus. 
• Suffok On Board: Lists all of the bus routes, here: Bus timetables - Suffolkonboard and timetable updates Bus timetables updates - Suffolkonboard. 

Cars

• Car Sharing: A great way to reduce your carbon emissions, it can be fun, and you could potentially make a new friend. Liftshare is free and matches drivers and lift seekers to their destination: Car share with trusted, reviewed and rated Liftshare.com members.
• University of Suffolk Car Sharing and EV Charging Spaces: If you do have to travel by car, consider car sharing – we have dedicated spaces, and if you have an EV, we have on-site EV Charging Facilities, provided by Plug ‘N’ Go.
• Fuel Economy: A free calculator which allows you to work out how much car trips cost and how much fuel is needed: Fuel Calculators » Fuel-Economy.co.uk. 
• Co Wheels: A pay-as-you-go community car hire scheme, members can hire vehicles from convenient locations across the UK: Car Share: Co Wheels Car Club | Co Wheels | Co Wheels.

Cycling

• For students: the Student Union operates a cycle hire scheme for students for both leisure and regular commuting use, and there are lockers and shower facilities for both students and staff cyclists to use.
• CycleStreets: Designed by cyclists, for cyclists, CycleStreets is a UK-wide cycle journey planner system which helps you plan routes. It caters to all abilities. CycleStreets: Cycle journey planner and Photomap: Cycle journey planner.
• Cycle Travel Map: A UK-wide and International cycle journey planner systems, helping you plan routes. Bike map | Cycle route planner | cycle.travel.

Walking

• Visit Suffolk: Lists a number of walking routes in and around Suffolk: Visit Suffolk website. 

• First full year of business travel emissions captured, establishing a robust Scope 3 baseline of 176.72 tCO₂e.
• Launch of a refreshed five‑year Sustainable Travel Plan and re‑issued Travel Action Plan.
• Ongoing collaboration with Suffolk County Council and transport providers to improve services and active travel links.
• Travel survey results show increasing uptake of more sustainable modes, while car use remains a key focus area for further reduction