Transport at the forefront of creating a clean air city
Today is Clean Air Day (Thursday, 19 June) and this week Brighton & Hove is inviting residents to take part in 3 transport initiatives, all of which will contribute to improving air quality and the health of residents.
The first is an active travel scheme. People across Brighton & Hove are being given the chance to have their say on plans to improve active travel along our seafront from Hove to Portslade.
Active travel such as walking and cycling, helps to reduce the amount of air pollution in our streets by reducing the reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles.
Take part in the active travel scheme consultation
Our City Transport Plan
The second is Our City Transport Plan 2035 which aims to transform the way we move around the city to reduce emissions and make the air cleaner.
One of the Our City Transport Plan’s key challenges is to enable more people to live safer, healthier and more active lives. It covers all areas of transport in the city, from electric vehicles, active travel – walking, wheeling and cycling – to public transport transport infrastructure and repairing roads and pathways.
Well-maintained roads enable smoother traffic flow which in turn helps to reduce congestion and stop-start acceleration as well as making routes for active travel more attractive and accessible.
Contribute to Our City Transport Plan 2035
Shape the future of EV travel
The third initiative is expanding the city’s electric vehicle charging network. The city is already one of the best areas in the country for the availability of electric vehicle (EV) charging points and is planning to install more than 7,000 new EV charging points between now and 2040.
Give your views in the survey to help shape the future of EV travel in the city
Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: “Air pollution is a serious public health issue and associated with between 29,000 and 43,000 deaths a year in the UK.
“That’s why we’re ramping up our efforts to provide clean transport and active travel infrastructure. But we can’t do this alone. We want to hear from residents so that what we deliver on the ground works for everyone.”
Managing air quality in the city
Residents can see air quality readings as they happen on the Brighton & Hove and Sussex Real-Time Air Quality portal which was launched last year. Data is fed in from a new network of air quality sensors throughout the city.
Explore air quality in your area through the portal.
Find out more about how we manage air quality in the city
Join the Sussex Air Quality conference
This autumn Brighton will host the Sussex Air Quality conference organised by the Sussex Air Partnership. It will take place on 9 October at the University of Sussex campus in Falmer.
Experts from the worlds of academia, the NHS and Public Health will provide insight into air pollution and examples of projects helping to combat its health effects.
The conference is free and open to all. Whether you work in a related field or are interested in the topic, this event is for anyone looking to learn more about the impact of air pollution on our physical health, our environment and climate change.