As part of the Big Bike Sale in September, where students and staff were able to purchase good quality bicycles at affordable prices, Green Lancaster held its first Big Bike conversation competition. We asked students and staff to suggest ideas and actions to make travel at Lancaster University more sustainable, with the chance to win a bike worth up to £500 for the student with the most insightful and innovative suggestions. The winner was chosen by the Green Lancaster panel of sustainability experts from hundreds of submissions.

Congratulations Hanna Schmueck, a Graduate College, PhD Linguistics student. Hanna was chosen as the winner for her well thought out and practical ideas that could be adopted or implemented by the University. Her suggestions followed useful sustainability themes and her insightful feedback aligned with the University’s agenda for sustainable travel.

We sat down with Hanna to find out more about her ideas on sustainability and how her new bike will change the way that travels to, from and around campus.

Green Lancaster: “Hi Hanna, before you won the Big Bike Conversation competition, how long would it have take you to get to and from campus by bus?”

Hanna: “It takes me about 25 minutes on average, but the buses can be rather unreliable. In addition to that I can’t travel during rush hour without serious delays, sometimes for over an hour!”

Green Lancaster: “So will you be using the bike to get to and from campus from now on?

Hanna: “Yes, but only when it’s safe to do so in terms of the weather. Too much snow and ice can be a challenge to ride on, particularly in the morning. I’m used to riding a bicycle from my days as an undergraduate in Germany where I cycled to work/uni every day, so I’m looking forward to getting back on the saddle.”

Green Lancaster: “What made you enter the Big Bike Conversation competition?”

Hanna: “I really feel like there is a lot we can do as a community to make the commute to and from campus greener, quicker, and more affordable for staff and students. I really hope the university will recognise that making more investments in a sustainable infrastructure is essential.”

Green Lancaster: “What do you think about the action Lancaster University has taken on sustainability so far?”

Hanna: “I think a good amount of work has been done – particularly the divestment of fossil fuels, but there is always plenty more to do still.”

Green Lancaster: “Do you have any other thoughts or about travel and sustainability at Lancaster?”

Hanna: “I really love Lancaster, but I do feel like the bus services between campus and town currently aren’t functioning as best as they could. I'd like to see an affordable and flexible bike loan scheme and I think we should look at pass prices and bus driver wages, which can result in some students walking to campus instead of using buses. I’d like to see more safe cycle paths between the town and campus, preferably away from main roads.

Thank you Hanna for your sustainability thoughts and ideas, and congratulations on your new prize. Each term we offer guided cycles to campus from town centre, with the latest event taking place on Thursday 26^th January. Find out more and register your place here.

Lancaster University has undertaken extensive works to improve cycle paths and secure storage on campus, including expanding the intersection at the Health Innovation Campus on to Bailrigg Lane and adding lighting to multi-use pedestrian and cycle paths, but recognises that the Council owned and operated cycle track between campus and the city needs requires improvement.

The Big Sale returns to campus on Tuesday 24^th and Wednesday 25^th January, with affordable bikes sold by local vendors between 11am and 2pm on both days. Find out more here. For more information on Lancaster University’s sustainability actions visit our webpages and find your way to get involved.