How schools can help reduce car travel
- get teachers and classes out walking the local neighbourhood to identify and resolve issues (letters from pupils to local MP's work well)
- ensure staff living within walk threshold leave their cars at home
- make sure any spare seats on school buses are taken up
- ensure the school has enough cycle parking facilities for pupils and staff
- remove parent parking from the school site and encouraging parents to park and walk
- encourage parents to car share
- promote national walk and bike to school campaigns
- promote the availability of pedestrian and cycle training courses, such as bikeability and get involved in Bike It.
- encourage informal walk buddies or formal walking buses
- make sure the school updates its School Travel Plan
The evidence shows that children who walk and cycle to school are healthier, happier and more alert. In the last few years there has been a decrease in children who attend their nearest school or a school within walking distance. In order to increase rates of walking and cycling, schools should look for ways to promote their walkability to families in the neighbourhood. Schools should look at ways of attracting and accepting more pupils from within walking distance and include this in their travel plan. It's also important that staff are fully involved.
Developing a school plan
Use the following guidance note tools to create a travel plan for your school:
Travel to school strategy
As part of the Education and Inspections Act 2006, the council has a duty to promote the use of sustainable travel to and from schools. We have assessed transport needs, looked at the current infrastructure in place to support sustainable travel and started to promote what needs to be done to see more sustainable travel to school (and also for trips outside of the school day). The sustainable modes of travel to school strategy highlights what we are doing.