What is a school travel plan?
A school travel plan is a practical approach to improving road safety and encouraging the whole school community to use more sustainable and active modes of transport to get to and from school.
What are the benefits of a school travel plan?
Benefits to the school include:
- Improved safety for students on their journey to and from school
- Reduced traffic congestion at the school gate
- Sets an example for being socially and environmentally responsible
- Helps to develop relationships with the local community
Benefits to parents include:
- Reduced time spent in the car
- Cost savings
- Fitter, healthier children
Benefits to students include:
- Improved health and fitness levels
- Increased road and personal safety skills
- Helps to develop confidence and independence
- Creates a greater connection with the local community
- Greater awareness of the environment
Benefits to the community include:
- Reduced air pollution
- Reduced traffic congestion around schools
- Fewer cars on the road
Travel Plan Process
- Set up phase
- A working party - which includes the School Travel Plan Coordinator, Principal and/or teacher(s), parent representative(s), and may also include the RoadSafe HB Coordinator, police education officers, local council roading engineers and other interested parties - is formed.
- Data collection phase
- Students are surveyed to establish current travel habits and modes of transport to and from school.
- Action planning phase
- The working party determines the aims of the School Travel Plan and develops an action plan and strategies to help achieve these aims. Students take part in a fun, interactive ‘Go free’ mapping exercise, which helps them to understand the aims of the School Travel Plan and look for ways of adopting more active modes of travel on their journey to and from school.
- Implementation phase
- Work begins on implementing the aims of the School Travel Plan as identified by the working party and the action plan.
- Monitoring phase
- Ongoing monitoring is carried out by the working party and the students to ensure that the aims of the School Travel Plan are being achieved and the action plan reviewed.
- Parents/caregivers are kept informed of all phases of the School Travel Plan through the school newsletter, noticeboard and/or website.
What actions might we see?
- Walking and cycling initiatives such as a walking school bus, walk-once-a-week, walk to school days, cycle train, cycle day.
- Engineering – work may be needed to improve pedestrian crossings, road markings, signage, trim overhanging trees etc.
- Education – education programmes, road safety initiatives etc.
- Promotion via the school newsletter, noticeboard, website, posters, reward schemes, competitions, activities, student presentations.
- Enforcement – parking and speed monitoring which may identify a need for enforcement around the school gates
To get started…
Contact Megan Welsby - School Travel Plan Coordinator at Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, ph (06) 833 8032.