Exploring Sustainable Transport: A Guide

Why is sustainable transport important?

Switching to greener travel isn’t a thankless task. Sustainable transport options provide a wealth of benefits for the environment, organisations, and the public themselves.

Think about a typical drive. Each car journey emits CO₂ and other pollutants into the atmosphere. These pollutants not only contribute to climate change, but also negatively impact the air quality of an area, which in turn affects the local population.

This impact is exacerbated when travelling to a big event or popular destination. Conferences, exhibitions, and consumer events can attract tens of thousands of visitors, each of whom can sway the tides of carbon emissions with their choice of transportation.

Ditching the car for public transport, cycling, or walking can have a huge impact on carbon emissions. Net Zero Nation found that public transport can help reduce carbon emissions by up to 70% per person compared to driving alone. That’s huge!

That reduction translates to huge benefits for the public:

●      Cleaner air: reducing carbon emissions in the city centre improves public health, reduces the burden on the NHS, and creates a more pleasant environment for residents and visitors.

●      Less stress: bypassing city-centre traffic and avoiding the hunt for parking means your attendees (and yourselves) arrive relaxed and ready to engage.

●      Cheaper costs: public-transport fares, walking or cycling are significantly cheaper than fuel, parking fees or taxi charges.

●      Wellbeing boost: active travel improves circulation and energy levels. A brisk walk along the waterfront can stimulate creativity.

Fewer cars on the road also helps event organisers in other ways:

●      Smoother logistics: reduced car volume means fewer traffic jams before and after the event, resulting in a more orderly arrival and departure process.

●      Supporting net-zero ambitions: partnering with local transport operators and promoting sustainable options, organisers help to meet environmental targets.

●      Event legacy: choosing more sustainable transport options is incredibly valuable to creating a positive event legacy and social impact.

Top tip: learn more about building event legacy in our blog Event Legacy: What is it and How Can You Create it?

What sustainable transport options are available?

The main sustainable transportation options are: public transport, human-powered movement (i.e. walking and cycling), carpooling, and electric vehicles. Depending on your chosen venue location, a combination of all of these may be available as options for your attendees.

Let’s look at our own Exhibition Centre Liverpool as an example. We’re incredibly fortunate that Liverpool’s transport network is as diverse as it is efficient. Here’s how to reach Exhibition Centre Liverpool with minimal carbon impact.

By public transport

Whether you prefer to travel by rail, bus, or ferry, Liverpool has a plethora of options to help you reach your destination:

●      Merseyrail: services on the Northern and Wirral lines stop at Moorfields and James Street stations, both just a five-minute walk from our site on the docks. Trains run every few minutes during peak periods, linking Liverpool to surrounding districts, and further afield into Chester and wider Merseyside.

●      National Rail: Liverpool Lime Street Station is a great central location to access the city. Frequent services connect Liverpool to Manchester, Birmingham, London and other towns and cities up and down the UK.

●      CityCentre bus station: located on Paradise Street, this hub is a two-minute walk from ECL. Arriva, Stagecoach and New World Travel provide routes across Merseyside, Cheshire, and the wider UK.

●      Mersey Ferries: The iconic yellow-and-white boats sail between Pier Head and Woodside. If you want panoramic views while enjoying a river crossing, the ferry is just a seven-minute walk from our campus.

By foot or bike

If you’re able, Walking and Cycling are some of the best ways to take in what Liverpool has to offer on your way to our venue:

●      Liverpool ONE to Exhibition Centre Liverpool: follow the waterfront promenade from Canning Dock, passing the M&S Bank Arena and ACC Liverpool. The route is fully pedestrianised, well-lit, and packed with places to stop and take in the views.

●      Pier Head to Exhibition Centre Liverpool: stroll past the stunning Three Graces and under the historic Mersey Tunnel ventilation tower for an inspiring five-minute walk to our campus.

●      City bikes, hybrids, and e-bikes: Liverpool is the perfect location to get about by bicycle. Bring your own bike or rent from Hype Urban Bikes, which has locations at Liverpool Cruise Terminal, Sefton Street, and New Brighton on the Wirral.

By electric vehicle

Electric vehicles are quickly becoming popular as a more sustainable option to driving petrol cars. With fewer direct emissions, they are cleaner and quieter than other options. Fortunately, Liverpool is well-equipped to handle this change.

●      Public chargers: rapid-charge hubs are available at NCP Lime Street, Canning Place multi-storey, and St John’s Market.

●      EV bays: Exhibition Centre Liverpool has dedicated electric charging points on every floor in its car park.

●      E-scooters: if you favour fun electric transport, you can hire e-scooters through VOI Scooters to hop around the city. Download the app, scan the QR code and you’re ready to roll.

Encouraging sustainable travel to your attendees

As part of exhibition planning, make sure you offer as much information to potential attendees as possible. This helps them to make more sustainable choices. Helping your visitors to plan ahead will help keep costs low, ensure they travel efficiently, and avoid last-minute headaches (where possible).

Journey-planning tools

When you’re directing visitors to your exhibition, you might want to highlight available journey-planning tools to help make their commute easier. These include:

●      Merseytravel allows users to plan journeys, check live departures and view service disruptions across rail, bus, and ferry.

●      National Rail provides real-time updates on platform changes and delays at Lime Street Station.

●      Mersey Ferries offers notifications for the next sailings and river-traffic advisories.

●      CityMapper is an app that can offer directions for walking or public transport, including different options depending on personal preference.

Ticketing options

Public transport is one of the best options for sustainable transport to events. Think of it like professional carpooling, where individuals can share the environmental impact of their travel by using buses and trains. On the day, make sure your guests are aware of their choices, including:

●      Day-rover tickets are available on Merseyrail and local buses, and are the perfect choice for those attending multiple venues or getting around the city.

●      Contactless and Mobile Pay can help to avoid queuing at ticket machines by tapping in and out with debit or credit cards, Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Stay sustainable at Exhibition Centre Liverpool

Choosing sustainable transport to Exhibition Centre Liverpool makes good sense for the planet, your wallet, and your wellbeing. As a proudly Carbon Neutral Event Campus, we’re passionate about working with you to encourage guests and exhibitors to choose sustainable transport where possible.

Visit the Exhibition Centre Liverpool Getting Here page for more information on public transport, journey planning, and detailed maps, or Contact Us for useful information and support.

Liverpool As a Sustainable City: UN Accelerator City Explained | A Guide to Sustainable Exhibition Materials | Exhibition Planning: The Ultimate How-To Guide