During September 2023, a survey was run as part of a wider piece of work by the Sustainability, Policy and Comms team to shift current staff and student commuting trends in Manawatū.
The survey was for staff and students who currently use the Horizons Regional Council buses to commute to and from the Turitea campus. There were 65 responses, 80% of whom are current Massey students. It explored commuting behaviour and reasons for the choices made. This data will be used to design a series of interventions during Orientation Week 2024 aimed at influencing other commuters towards more environmentally-friendly modes.
Our survey found that 74% of staff and student respondents use buses for most, or all, of their commutes to and from campus, with 94% using buses for at least half of their trips. The top four reasons why they choose to commute by bus are convenience, cost (it’s free!), better for the environment and a pleasant journey. When they’re not commuting by bus, 38% travel in a shared vehicle, 18% run or walk and 18% cycle or e-scooter. 44% of respondents consider they could commute by bus more often.
As one of our PhD students put it, “I use the bus 5 days a week, Monday through Friday and it has been quite convenient for me. It helps me get to Massey for my research during the work week and is a great option for the environment. The bus stop is not far from my flat, so it makes it quite convenient if I am ever in a rush. I think the idea of having all electric buses will be fantastic for the future of the environment and shows the community that there are moves being made to support climate change efforts.”
On 19th February 2024, a new 100% electric bus fleet is arriving in Palmerston North that promises to address many of the issues our current system has, and hopefully will result in more people choosing the environment for their commute to campus.
And after all, it’s a FREE service! Massey collaborates with Horizons to finance the bus service connecting our campus with Palmy city, benefiting all our students and staff.
So why not join them?