On Day 5 of Work Wise Week, the concluding day encouraged people to travel outside peak times: coming into work an hour early, and then leaving an hour early at the end of the day, or going an hour later, and leaving an hour later. This reduced the peak rush hour, and make the commuting experience far more bearable for many.

Congestion-busting measures improve health

On the final day of Work Wise Week 2009, we examined the benefits of smarter travel.

Work Wise UK are suggesting alternatives to commuting by car which will not only save the individual cash, but also save carbon emissions, pollution, stress and wasted time, as well as having a positive impact upon congestion levels.

These include simple steps such as car sharing, cycling and taking public transport, or more fundamentally, adopting smarter working practices to enable home working, flexible working, remote and mobile working, to reduce the amount of commuting and work-related travel needed.

Sarah Stewart, project director of Work Wise North East said:
"In a tough economic climate we must do all we can to cut the massive cost of commuting. Not only is it hitting people's wallets, but Britain is also losing billions in lost productivity through time wasted sitting in traffic."

More than 3.5 million people already work from home in the UK - 12.3 per cent or one-in-eight of the population - an increase of 650,000 since 1997. The highest proportion of home workers is in the South West with 15.4 per cent, whilst home working in the North East is 10.0 per cent of the population, a 38per cent increase since 1998.

Edmund King, the AA president, said:
"In the credit crunch we need to get smarter about the way we travel as car commuting costs some �10 billion per year. We should also consider whether we need to travel at all. Our employees are saving valuable time and money by working from home. Three hundred AA employees are saving 90,000 litres of fuel or 620,000 miles commuting each year by working from home. "

Flexible working definitely contributes to a better overall work-life balance as two local commuters have discovered.

Paul Sutherland, MD of think M Ltd, a Newcastle based marketing consultancy lives in Wylam. He has been commuting smarter for three years now, arriving in work at 9.40am and leaving after 6pm, he explains:

"I spend quality time with my family in the morning, and take my children to school.  Afterwards I park at Wylam train station.  It's only a thirteen minute journey with two stops into Central Station, and a short walk to our office.

 "It is now my company's policy to use the train whenever possible."

Nicola, from Eighton Banks, Gateshead, made a conscious change in career direction last year when bemoaning the lack of an available ethical fashion magazine, her husband suggested she start her own. Nicola took her husband's advice and created her own online ethical fashion magazine and for the past seven months has been working from home. She says:

"I made a conscious decision to work from home. Although I travelled to work every day, I luckily worked in the opposite direction to the traffic. I wanted to improve my work life balance, reduce costs, and reduce my CO2 footprint, as that is what my magazine is all about. It's a way of life now, I even have a green energy provider for my home and my business needs.

"I hardly use my car anymore. In fact I am selling it because I use it so little."  

Smarter Choices, the Government initiative funded by Nexus and the five Local Authorities in Tyne and Wear, which aims to reduce single occupancy cars at congested times is working in partnership with Work Wise North East to encourage people to commute smarter. Steven Psallidas, project manager for Smarter Choices said:

"Working flexibly means that we can noticeably reduce the amount of congestion on the roads within Tyne and Wear. By using public transport to commute at staggered intervals, working flexibly can reduce the stress of trying to get to work 'on time' every day.
"Smarter Choices is all about the way we travel. Public transport, walking, cycling and car sharing are all great ways to get around Tyne & Wear. You can improve your health and wellbeing as well as saving money just by changing the way you travel."