Improving accessibility
We continued to invest in initiatives to make it easier for people to travel to and from our properties.
Subsidised bus service at Teesside Shopping Park
Improving accessibility is a key part of our efforts to meet our customers' needs, with commuting identified as the fourth most important aspect of a workplace, according to a survey of over 4,570 people by YouGov. Encouraging alternatives to the car also cuts carbon emissions and eases traffic congestion.
At Broadgate in London EC2 and Regent's Place in London NW1 we improved online access to travel information, as well as increasing cycling facilities and enhancing pedestrian routes. We also offered Transport for London use of the estates for their new cycle hire scheme, which they plan to introduce in 2010.
At our shopping parks, an estimated 139,000 people used bus services which we part-funded. At Meadowhall Shopping Centre in Sheffield, our team worked with local transport providers to offer 10% public transport discounts to all 7,000 retail employees.
We also commissioned travel studies at Broadgate, Regent's Place and our Head Office, York House, to improve understanding of travel habits. We will review the findings as part of our efforts to identify further opportunities to make it easier for people to travel by public transport, cycle or walk. We will also use them to benchmark performance and monitor the impact of initiatives.
Next year, we aim to have Green Travel Plans for 25% of our portfolio.
