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Kent's first 'In town without my car day' took place on
Friday 19 September, as part of Maidstone Goes Green week. Kent
County Council and Town Centre Management asked people who work,
live, shop or are on the school run in Maidstone to leave their
cars at home and find another way to travel.
Traffic flows were measured by Kent County Council's Traffic
Management Centre (TMC). They measured Maidstone's Gyratory, which
is a key section of road that influences traffic movement and
congestion levels throughout the rest of the town centre.
Congestion was reduced around the Maidstone Gyratory by an
average of 4.34% in the morning and an average of 2.05% during the
evening peak.
During the course of Maidstone Goes Green Week, congestion was
also reduced around the Gyratory by an average of 7.95% in the
morning and 1.97% in the evening peak.
The improvement in travel time shows that the event was
successful in its aim to reduce congestion. Staff at the TMC were
also watching the CCTV cameras around Maidstone town centre
arterial routes and noticed that the roads were generally much
quieter than a normal Friday and that the Park and Ride was busier.
Arriva buses confirmed that bus use on Maidstone routes increased
by 6% compared with the previous Friday and over 130 discount
vouchers have been redeemed so far with the chance for more people
to do so with the weekly discount offer valid until 30
September.
From the exhibition stands during Maidstone Goes Green Week, in
Fremlin Walk and the Mall Chequers Centre, the partnership found an
encouragingly positive reaction from shoppers and businesses in
Maidstone. Many pledged to rethink their travel habits to help
reduce CO2 emissions and congestion in Maidstone and save
themselves money at the same time.
In Fremlin Walk, Royal Star Arcade, the Mall and online, more
than 400 people pledged to change the way they travel into
Maidstone, or continue travelling in a green way. More than 600
free mini breakfasts were given out at the three finish points in
town to people who left their cars at home and travelled into
Maidstone in an environmentally friendly way. Pledges made by
participants included: to cycle to work, to continue to walk to
work into Maidstone, to use the park and ride, to try the bus, to
walk to school, to try carsharing, to walk to the train station and
catch the train and to shop in Maidstone without the car.
Maidstone Borough Council's air quality monitoring team
confirmed that air pollution in Maidstone was low on Friday 19
September, as it was throughout Maidstone Goes Green Week.
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