Do It Different!
"The roads are so much quieter when the kids are off …"
Well it could be quieter all year round. And not just by taking away school traffic. If we could take a share of all traffic off the road? It could be different!
For more information please click on any of the links below.
Do it Different Day (January 2008)
Do it Different in Durham Day 2
Do it Different in Derwentside
How to be Different
Doing it different is easy. Instead of jumping in the car each time you go out, think whether you need to use the car. If you’re going around the corner for a paper, why not walk for a change? Instead of driving to do the shopping, why not try doing it on-line. Walk to the station and catch the train to Newcastle – the kids will love it!
We’re not expecting everybody to change how they travel for every journey every day. Small changes all add up and you’ll soon be playing your part in a big change.
For more ideas on how to Do It Different click on any of the links below.
Do it Different Day
On 15 January 2008 Durham residents and visitors were invited to leave their cars at home and try out alternative means of transport for the day.
Supported by Durham County Council and Durham FM, the day’s events were filmed for a Channel 4 documentary about traffic in UK towns and cities. Kris Murrin fronted the series and having overseen similar days in two other towns, expected the Durham event to be a huge success.
Whether it was cycling, walking, catching the bus, using the Park and Ride or even car sharing, we hoped to see as many people leaving their cars for the day and enjoying new travelling experiences
Other special events on the day included a short lunchtime cycle ride through the centre of Durham and a celebration in the marketplace. The cycle ride was open to everyone, and aimed to show support for cycling in Durham. Everyone who took part in the ride was entered into a draw to win fantastic prizes, including a brand new Cycle Force 2000 Chopper bicycle and a meal for two at Oldfields Restaurant. The ride began at 12.30pm from Palace Green, and ended in the Market Place. The following PDF file shows a map of the route followed 
Route Map.pdf (1 page, 706kb)
Durham FM also broadcast live from their mobile studio in the market place during the day and bike experts from Cycle Force 2000 were on hand to give advice on bike maintenance.
Arriva buses arranged special discounts for the day and there were vouchers available for free use of the 3 Park and Ride sites,
As part of Do it Different in Durham we wanted to encourage as many people from Newton Hall as possible to consider cycling into work on the day, so all of those interested in cycling to Aykley Heads Estate from Newton Hall met on the morning of the 15 January at 8.15 am at the top of the cycle path to Aykley Heads near Fordham Road in Newton Hall. Channel 4 had a film crew there too.
To view the campain poster and flyers click on the thumbnails below. (please note the enlarged versions may take a little longer to load due to their increased size).
Do it Different in Durham Day 2
Last January, residents and visitors in Durham had a chance to consider travelling by a means other than the private motor car.
Now, January might be a time for resolutions but when the weather is temperamental they can be sorely tested. So there is going to be another opportunity on Thursday June 19. Again we are concentrating on the city of Durham and asking major employers to encourage their employees to give up the car for just one day. Schools in Durham are also being encouraged to persuade parents and pupils not to travel to school by car that day.
Anybody who does try travelling by a different means on the day is asked to complete a simple questionnaire to let us know what they did. Anybody travelling differently, has a chance of winning 1 of 5 exciting prizes.
Will being Different on just one day make a difference? Well, in itself, no. But, we are hoping that if some people find it easy to do without the car, they will try being Different on a regular basis. Even if you only travel by other another means one day a week that’s your car use reduce by 20%.
And June won’t be the last chance for you to try being Different. Keep returning to these pages to learn of other opportunities to explore travelling by sustainable means.
