Ahead of this month’s CiTTi Awards 2024 ceremony, City Transport & Traffic Innovation Magazine is profiling each of this year’s finalists – continuing with those shortlisted for The Active Travel Award!
This award recognises transformative walking and cycling initiatives that redefine urban mobility, emphasising holistic design and community impact.
Entries showcased a commitment to sustainable development, featuring initiatives such as expanded pedestrian zones, innovative bike-sharing systems, and green corridors that connect people with places in environmentally friendly ways.
This year’s finalists are:
City of London Corporation
City of London Corporation is nominated for its redevelopment of Bank Junction through the All Change at Bank Project. Once dominated by traffic, the City of London Corporation has reimagined this space, transforming it to prioritise pedestrians and cyclists. Carriageways have been narrowed and pavements expanded to create more public space above the busy Bank Underground station. Two of the seven arms leading into the junction were closed to motor vehicles, enhancing the area for walking and wheeling. The project aims to reduce casualties, alleviate pedestrian crowding, improve air quality, and create a more inviting environment for people to enjoy, rather than just pass through. Completed in July 2024, it is part of the ongoing regeneration of the Bank area, helping to reshape its identity as a vibrant, people-friendly space.Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership
Greater Cambridgeshire Partnership is nominated for the transformation of Milton Road, a key route into Cambridge that faces significant congestion, which impacts economic growth. The Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) is transforming this route to prioritise active and sustainable travel. Scheduled for completion in late 2024, the project includes new Copenhagen-style crossings, improved junctions, and over 200 new trees. It will also feature the city’s second Cycle Optimised Protected Signals (CYCLOPS) junction and floating bus stops, improving safety and accessibility for walking, cycling, and public transport users, particularly for access to Cambridge North station and the Chisholm Trail. Additionally, the Greater Cambridge Greenways network is expanding to provide 12 sustainable routes from surrounding villages into the city. Currently, around 70% of the Linton Greenway is completed, with new crossings, traffic signals, and safety upgrades. Future work will continue to expand these greenways, including routes to Barton, Foxton, and Waterbeach, further supporting sustainable travel options across the region.Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust
Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is nominated for its Green Travel Plan, aiming to cut carbon emissions and support the NHS’s Net Zero goals by 2031. This plan includes promoting active travel, such as walking, cycling, and wheeling, as well as encouraging staff to use e-bikes and e-cargo bikes for work-related travel. A successful e-bike trial with community nurses, started in 2021, was made permanent in 2022. These bikes help staff in the @home service, including nurses, doctors, and therapists, visit patients at home, freeing up hospital beds. Staff must complete Bikeability training and wear safety equipment, ensuring road safety. The initiative is expected to save 30,000 tonnes of CO2 annually in Greater London by 2030, while improving staff physical and mental health, reducing costs, and cutting road congestion. Feedback from staff and patients has been overwhelmingly positive, with plans to expand the initiative across more locations and teams.HITRANS
HITRANS is nominated for its HI-BIKE on-street eBike share scheme. Launched in October 2021, the scheme started with 30 bikes and expanded rapidly, gaining popularity across Inverness. Initially operated by Bewegen, the scheme faced closure in 2023 when the company declared bankruptcy. However, HITRANS stepped in, took over operations, and saved the scheme from shutdown, becoming the only publicly owned and operated eBike share scheme in the UK. The team quickly adapted, bringing in external maintenance and ensuring minimal disruption. The scheme has continued to grow, adding new docking stations in Inverness and extending to Elgin and Aviemore. HI-BIKE now serves over 1,000 regular users, with 13,000 total users and 57,000 unlocks. The system has saved over 40,000 kg of CO2 by providing a sustainable alternative to car travel.London Borough of Waltham Forest
London Borough of Waltham Forest is nominated for the creation and long-term maintenance of the Enjoy Waltham Forest programme. In 2014, Waltham Forest received £30 million from Transport for London to create a “Mini Holland” project, which evolved into the broader Enjoy Waltham Forest programme. Over the past decade, LBWF has built over 55 km of protected cycle routes, transformed streets into pedestrian-friendly zones, and introduced green spaces. The borough also implemented training programs, created School Street zones, and promoted zero-emission cargo bikes for businesses. The project has led to higher cycling and walking rates, improved air quality, and has made Waltham Forest a leader in sustainable transport. Research shows significant health benefits, with residents gaining life years due to reduced pollution. Looking forward, the borough will continue to expand active travel infrastructure to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Acclaimed Irish stand-up comedian Andrew Ryan has been announced as the special guest host of CiTTi Awards 2024. He will reveal all the winners on Tuesday November 26 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in central London.
The ceremony will be attended by 200 of the UK’s leading transport professionals from local, regional and central government and other place stakeholders – including landowners, developers, and business improvement districts – and their project partners, such as architects, planners, contractors, and technology companies.
Guests will be greeted with a drinks reception held in the Balmoral Suite ahead of the winners being announced within the impressive surrounds of the Grand Hall, which features arched ornate ceilings, beautiful wood-panelling and dramatic chandeliers.
November’s trophy-giving ceremony and public announcement of the winners follows a thorough and exacting shortlisting and judging process, which saw more than 20 transport industry experts evaluate written entries and Zoom-based presentations from nearly 90 organisations across 20 categories.
Tables of 10 and individual tickets can be purchased here. Each seat booked includes a ticket that grants each guest access to the pre-ceremony drinks reception, a three-course dinner, the trophy-giving presentation and invaluable networking opportunities.
Anyone is welcome to attend CiTTi Awards 2024. You do not need to be an finalist to book, so secure your place now for this year’s most exciting social event in the UK transportation sector’s calendar!
The third annual CiTTi Awards will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector – and to book your table!
