School Travel Plan
What is a School Travel Plan?- Why do we need a School Travel Plan?
- Aims and Objectives of a School Travel Plan
- How to prepare a School Travel Plan
- Solutions
- Benefits of a School Travel Plan
- Useful Websites
- What a School Travel Plan may include
- Who can I contact for further information?
What is a School Travel Plan?
It is a plan that identifies a range of practical measures to encourage the use of public transport, cycling and walking to school.
It should include measures to improve road safety and reduce the number of children driven to school by car.
It should include clearly stated aims, objectives and targets. Targets must be specific, measurable, supported by the school community, realistic and have target deadlines.
Progress against targets would be reported annually. Monitoring of the plan is essential to determine success levels and to evaluate effectiveness by all involved.
it should include a description of the transport problems in and around the school, particularly those affecting the children, parents and teachers. It may also consider the impact of through traffic in the local area.
To be successful the plan should demonstrate wider-ranging support among the community.
Why do we need a School Travel Plan?
Too many parents are driving their children to school. For some, there is no practical alternative to the car, with long distances to travel and no suitable public transport available. However, many parents are driving their children to school over extremely short distances, where escorted walking is a real alternative.
Not long ago most children walked to school, but this is no longer the case.
Concerns about road safety- Fear of stranger danger
- increase in car ownership or availability
- Increase in number of parents at work
- School journey as part of a car based journey to work
- Increase in school choice and wider catchment areas.
Greater dependence on the car for the school journey has serious implications including:
- Children's lack of hazard awareness as independent road users
- Road Accident risks
- Reduced level of physical activity (children & parents)
- Less social skills through reduced interaction with other children and parents
- Increased congestion and air pollution around schools
- Tension with local residents (parking)
It should be noted that two out of three children who either walk alone or are escorted to school will benefit from a reduction in traffic. During term time 18% of cars on the roads towns and cities at peak times are taking children to school. In congested, slow moving traffic, pollution levels can be three times higher inside cars than outside. One in seven children now suffer from asthma, which is aggravated by traffic pollution.
By encouraging less use of the car, the environment for everyone can be improved.
Aims and Objectives of a School Travel Plan
A School Travel Plan should aim to encourage more walking, cycling, use of public transport and car sharing on journeys to and from school.
It should also aim to reduce the number of cars commuting to the school and to improve the health and safety of children, parents and the school community.
Its objectives should be to:
Increase walking and cycling to school and promote healthy lifestyles- Increase safety near schools and in neighbouring areas.
- Reduce the number of cars travelling to and from school.
- Improve children's awareness of road safety.
- Promote greater use of public transport on longer school journeys.
How to prepare a School Travel Plan
What are the important transport issues at your school?- Identify problems and needs e.g. how people travel, what routes are used and the difficulties they experience.
- Identify the walking and cycling routes people use. Audit the routes for safety, convenience and attractiveness.
- Survey traffic outside school and on main feeder routes to the school.
- Consider the local and school environment.
- Identify any competing objectives such as increasing the number of entry points into schools whilst maintaining security.
- Parents, schools, community, local authorities and other agencies.
Solutions
Choosing the right solutions and what can help?
A. Transport and Road Safety
- School charter or policy to encourage walking, cycling (where appropriate) and car sharing (School & Parent).
- Action to encourage parents to reduce the use of the car by involvement in Road Safety and travel Awareness projects e.g. poster design, theatre productions, ask parents if their employers have commuter plans (School, Local Authority and parents).
- Involve parents and children in child pedestrian and cycling training.
Increase awareness of public transport services available.
B. Traffic Management
- Consider car, bus and cycle parking issues (School, Local Authority and parents).
- Consider new or additional school pedestrian entrances (School, Local Authority).
- Establish parent escorts for walking and cycling routes (School, Local Authority and parents).
C. Infrastructure
- Identify, maintain and provide (where appropriate) walking and cycling routes. Adopt policies to address problems e.g. lighting, cleansing, surface conditions and widening (School and Local Authority).
- Safer crossing points provided where appropriate (School and Local Authority).
Issues to consider
- Realistic and achievable targets with an agreed timescale, should be set by parents and schools.
- Road Safety should be considered when promoting travel change e.g. appropriate cycle routes should be available before encouraging cycling to school.
- Identifying 'champions' amongst parents, staff and the community to carry forward the aims of a School Travel Plan, will contribute much to its effectiveness, particularly if they are representative of the whole school community.
- Sustaining interest is vital. Monitoring data should be published at regular intervals and activities promoted which will stimulate further interest e.g. newsletters.
Benefits of a School Travel Plan
Implementing a successful School Travel Plan will give some of the following benefits:
For the school it can:
- Improve safety
- Lessen congestion and pollution
- Establish safer walking and cycling routes
- Improve community relationships, with the school seen as a 'good neighbour'.
- Contribute to an environmental policy
For the Children it can:
Improve travel awareness and road user skills from an early age- Improve fitness by increasing walking and cycling
- Improve knowledge of community surroundings
For parents and staff it can:
Improve community awareness by working together- Build links - parent, school to school
- Increase parent and child contact
- Lessen driving stress and improve journey quality
For the community and environment if can:
- Lessen congestion
- Identify and promote walking and cycling routes
- Lessen pollution
Useful Websites 
| www.dft.gov.uk | Department for Transport |
| www.walktoschool.org.uk | Walk to School |
| www.travelwise.org.uk | National Travelwise Association |
| www.wiredforhealth.gov.uk | Wired for Health |
| www.timeforcitizenship.org | Primary School Citizenship |
| www.sustrans.co.uk | Sustrans |
| www.larsoa.org | Local Authority Road Safety Officers Association |
| www.asthma.org.uk | National Asthma Campaign |
| www.roadcode.co.uk | Highway Code for Young Road Users |
| www.walkingbus.com | Walking Bus Information |
| www.arriva.co.uk | Arriva Buses |
| www.dptac.gov.uk | Disabled Persons Transport Advisory Committee |
| www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk | Safe Routes to Schools |
In order to assess the success of a plan it is essential that monitoring and evaluation is carried out. This will be useful in identifying which solutions are effective and what further measures are required. This may be a 'partnership' activity between the school community and the local authority and include:
- Survey data on travel modes prior to a School Travel Plan being established
- Monitoring of travel modes at regular intervals (termly or annually)
- Identification of new problems
- Evaluation of progress (by all parties) after an agreed period
- Report results (good or bad)
What a School Travel Plan may include
| Road Safety Education and Publicity | Highway Measures | School & Pupils Parents |
| On Road Cycle Training | Cycle and Pedestrian Priorities | Car Sharing |
| Child pedestrian Training | Crossing Facilities | Escorted Walking |
| Parent Advice Packs (0-5 years) NCC Resource | School Zones | Cycling Facilities |
| Moving On Year 6-7 | Upgrade SCP Sites | Walking Bus |
| Walk to School Day | Personalised Signing of Routes | Walk to School Day |
| Theatre Workshops | Street Lighting | School 'Charter' for plan |
| Fact File: Accident Investigation NCC Resource | Footpath Surfacing | Newsletter/Website |
| How Far, How Fast Stopping Distances NCC Resource | Sustaining the Route | Support and Nurture Plan |
Who can I contact for further information?
01925 443414 
arichards@warrington.gov.uk or write to:
School Travel Plan Officer, Environment Services, Palmyra House, Palmyra Square North, Warrington, WA1 1JN
