As part of a wide initiative to get more people walking and cycling to work and study at Forth Valley College, travel route planning is now being offered for staff and students.
With help from Heather Davis, FVC’s Campus Cycling Officer, and Ciara Newell, the College’s Active Travel Officer, staff and students can get in touch and state where they are looking to commute from, and Heather and Ciara can then offer advice on the best route for them to take and can even accompany applicants as they cycle the route for the first time.
The College also currently has four ebikes, which are funded by the Energy Savings Trust and their eBike Grant Fund, and these have been a great asset to FVC in the route planning process.
Staff and students have the opportunity to rent a pool bike or an ebike for a three month period, allowing them to trial commuting by bike before committing to buying their own. One member of staff, Jasmin Hodge FVC’s Learning Technology Coordinator, has already reaped the benefits of the route planning on offer. Jasmin, Heather and Ciara all cycled Jasmin’s commute together, starting from the Falkirk Campus along the Canal to Denny, cycling a total of 8.7 miles.
Jasmin, said: “I enjoyed being shown the safest and quickest route to take. I had previously tried to cycle the commute myself, but wasn’t confident. Going on the route planning ride increased my confidence and is a great opportunity for staff and students to use cycling to get fitter and learn the route in a safe way.”
Jasmin currently uses an ebike for her commute and added: “The ebike is great for long routes and takes the pressure off of big hills and the battery lasts for ages. There is also the benefit of being able to strap my bag on to the back of the bike.”
Heather, said: “I look forward to helping other staff and students with any route planning queries they may have and thoroughly enjoyed being able to assist Jasmine with her commute. There are so many great cycle paths surrounding all three of the College campuses which I will look to promote as much as possible.”
Anyone interested in route planning or that has any other cycling related queries can contact Heather Davis at heather.davis@forthvalley.ac.uk or Ciara Newell at ciara.newell@forthvalley.ac.uk