In 2018, Milton Keynes Council declared a climate emergency. Councillors came together, cross-party, to recognise the detrimental impact that climate change is having on our planet. Since then, across the globe there have been awful wildfires, severe drought and flooding. In Milton Keynes, we must all do our bit to mitigate the impact of climate change on our community all while making greener and more sustainable choices.
Clean air and biodiversity are key to a sustainable and liveable city. Milton Keynes’ unique grid road structure and 200 miles of redways actually help to maintain air quality for residents, and a major pollution report has found that the city has cleaner air than any other urban area in the UK.
Milton Keynes Council is committed to tackling climate change, but we can’t do it alone. There are plenty of things residents and businesses can do to reduce their carbon footprint, such as sustainable travel across MK, and I have outlined some ideas below.
Drive electric
Milton Keynes is one of the best places in the country to own an electric vehicle. We have over 400 charging points, with even more in the pipeline. Those who cannot afford an electric vehicle or would simply prefer to rent one at a low cost, can make use of the council-backed Car Club.
Enterprise’s electric car share scheme gives people and local businesses the chance to borrow an electric vehicle on a pay-per-use basis. The cars can be accessed 24/7, 365 days of the year and you can even rent them by the hour. The purpose of the Car Club is to reduce car ownership levels, as you may find that you or your company only need to use a car once a week. This unique rental option allows you the convenience of a car without the hefty cost and offers the community benefits such as eased parking pressures and congestion. There are Car Clubs in areas across the city including Central Milton Keynes, Wolverton, Bletchley and Monkston Park.
Make use of our extensive cycle network
Milton Keynes is one of the most cycle-friendly places in the UK due to our redway network, secure cycle parking, changing facilities and over 300 public bikes available to hire.
Currently, we also have a trial running where you can borrow an electric bike for free. The sustainable travel trial has seen people cycle around 4,000 miles on the borrowed e-bikes in the past year, and we are extending this trial even further. There are five bikes available, and they can be used for up to four weeks. The trial has been launched with Fully Charged, an e-bike centre, and applications for the bikes must be made to them.
Milton Keynes has ambitions to become carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon negative by 2050. I encourage residents, businesses and local organisations to continue making greener, more sustainable choices to help us reach that goal.
If you would like to find out about sustainable travel options, such as those mentioned above, visit Get Around MK.
