Dundee & Angus College

Barriers to cycling

Dundee & Angus College has two main campus sites in Dundee, one in Arbroath and two Learning Centres across the Angus region, and welcomes over 7,000 students to join courses as varied as animation and autism awareness.

Lack of facilities, cycling being seen as inconvenient and low knowledge of infrastructure were all barriers to getting students to cycle.

Funding from the Cycling Friendly Campus programme

In 2017, the college was funded £19,350 to install bike repair stations, three shelters and the refurbishment of shower facilities as well as funding to recruit a Campus Cycling Officer, a dedicated person embedded in the college to promote cycling. On-site facilities have been upgraded with, for example, all cycle racks now covered to protect bikes from the east coast elements.

Fraser Watt, Campus Cycling Officer based at Kingsway campus, and says that the funding “has helped encourage people who cycle to commute to the college by ensuring equal access to showers across our campuses.”

Promotion of the facilities means that more people have started using the infrastructure and facilities, with more people cycling and feedback from staff indicates high usage of showering facilities across the campus.

Increasing access to bikes

The fund, says Fraser, has “helped to reduce the view that active travel is inconvenient” and, through the combined developments of previous years, “transport poverty and inequality has been reduced through the acquisition of bikes for staff and student loan, allowing access to bikes to groups and individuals who may not otherwise have access to one.”

Looking to the future

Fraser added that being involved in the Cycling Friendly Campus programme is “part of the college’s commitment to lowering carbon emissions and increasing modal share of people who cycle to 10% by 2020, a goal that we have made significant strides towards. Our college-wide levels are not far from this, although individual campus’ and groups have lower cycling rates than others, which will be addressed through planned infrastructure and advertising upgrades being made in the next year.” These plans will work to increase road cycling confidence amongst the campus population and further promote the facilities to the student body.

Support from Cycling Scotland

Fraser added “Cycling Scotland has provided key guidance and advice on the development of our funding applications along with advice on the best solutions to problems that we have faced along the way. The fund is an invaluable opportunity to develop key infrastructure that aides in the development of a cycling nation.”

You can find out more about becoming a Cycling Friendly Campus here.