Are we there yet? Imagining travel in Lewes 2030

Saturday 17 June – Saturday 1 July, 11am-3pm Lewes Climate Hub, Lewes House, 32 High Street Lewes, BN7 2LX

Join Lewes Climate Hub for three weekends of thought-provoking talks, displays and interactive sessions asking: What do we want travel in and around Lewes to look like by the end of the decade? Plus bike rides and bike security-marking.

Saturday 17 June: What would get you out of your car?

What stops us leaving the car at home and using other, greener ways to get around? What would help us walk, cycle or get the bus more? And what does Lewes need to be accessible for all?

12pm – Access all areas: A wishlist for the less mobile
Lewes presents particular challenges to the less-abled. So what does the town need to enable everyone to get about? Jean Lawrence of Lewes Area Access Group presents a wishlist.

1pm – What’s the future of buses in Lewes? – With no working bus station and the introduction of ‘demand responsive transport’, how do we safeguard Lewes’ bus services? Imogen Makepeace, Town and District Councillor, takes a look.

2pm – How do we put people before traffic? Chris Todd, Director of Transport Action Network, explores the approaches and interventions that help keep towns like Lewes great places to get around but also great places for people.

PLUS: 3pm – Bike ride with Dr Bike A 45-min bike ride for all ages with Lewes’ Dr Bike showing how anyone cycle can more confidently around Lewes. Assemble outside Lewes House.

Saturday 24 June:Is there too much traffic in Lewes?

Do you think the level of traffic in Lewes needs to reduce? If so, what could help cut it? How much of a problem is air pollution in Lewes – and would less traffic really help?

12pm – Air pollution in Lewes: How bad is it? – Given the level of traffic in Lewes, what is that doing to our air quality and, in turn, our health? Rachel Sadler, Air Quality Officer at Lewes District Council, presents the facts.

1pm – Last-mile delivery and the e-cargo bike solution – Getting deliveries to our door has led to an explosion in ‘last-mile’ traffic in the UK. Matthew Bird of Get Bikery shows how electric cargo-bikes are providing a zero-carbon delivery solution for Lewes.

2pm – Reducing through-traffic in Lewes – Half of vehicles going up Lewes High Street are not stopping in the town. So how do we persuade this through-traffic to take a different route? Steve Pearce of Low Traffic Lewes presents some bold ideas.

Saturday 1 July: Lewes 2030: What should travel look like?

What would make it easier to get around Lewes and beyond? Be inspired by what other towns have done and have your say at our People’s Assembly.

12.30pm – How are other towns enabling greener travel? – Andrew Simpson, planning consultant, explores what other places are successfully doing to enable and encourage cycling and walking and reduce the need to travel by car.

1.30pm-3pm People’s Assembly: Seven Years, Seven Changes – What seven key transport changes do you want to see in Lewes by 2030? Join our facilitated People’s Assembly to share what matters you, with comments fed back to the ESCC Local Transport Plan

PLUS: 3pm – Bike ride with Dr Bike: Another 45-minute cycle ride to get more bike-confident around Lewes. Assemble outside Lewes House, 32 High Street.

Also happening:

FREE Bike Marking
On Saturday 24 June and Saturday 1 July, 11am-midday, Cycle Lewes will be on hand at Lewes Climate Hub to security-mark your bicycle or e-bike and register it with Bike Register for FREE to help deter theft.

Put a pin in it
Drop into Lewes Climate Hub, 11am-3pm, Wednesday to Saturday, 24 June to 1 July, to take part in our Big Town Map. Tell us the good, the bad (and the ugly) of getting around our town and beyond!