School Travel Plans
What is a School Travel Plan?
A School Travel Plan is a document that looks in detail at journeys to and from school and at ways of improving the health and safety of all who use the school. It can be geared to the needs of a primary, secondary, SEN school or nursery.
School Travel Plans can be liked to other initiatives to prevent duplication of work and Initiative Overload!*
A plan can include any number of elements and can be produced by parents, pupils or staff but preferably with involvement of each group who form the School Travel Team.*
Each school's plan will be quite different as the environment, current travel patterns and safety concerns will vary considerably from school to school. However, each Travel Plan should:
- Identify the current travel patterns of pupils and staff
- Indicate what the school already does to promote safety, health and sustainability
- Find out what worries parents, pupils, staff and the local community
- Find initiatives to improve the current situation.
A Travel Plan is a living document that requires regular revisiting, for example by carrying out annual "Hands Up"* travel surveys to review progress, and investigating new ways of promoting sustainable and active transport.
Why do we need them?
A School Travel Plan will result in benefits for pupils, parents, teachers and the wider community.
It will assist pupils and parents in identifying active and sustainable transport options. There is a growing concern about the lack of exercise our young people get. By using a Travel Plan to promote walking and cycling to school more children will receive the health benefits of an active start to the day. Teachers claim that children who are active on their way to school are more mentally alert and ready to start their work.
Over the last few decades rising use of cars to transport children has increased pollution levels and congestion around schools. A Travel Plan can help to reduce the number of cars on the road at peak times, making conditions safer for children travelling to and from school and improving environmental conditions around the school, which will also bring benefits to the local community.
All schools are required to have a Travel Plan as part of the School Development Plan.
What initiatives could be implemented as part of a School Travel Plan?
A Travel Plan could include any of the following initiatives.
Travel Awareness
- Advise pupils and parents on travel policies and arrangements in the school prospectus.
- Include school journey details in arrival packs for new families – for example, include a map of the school and the surrounding area, with information about walking and cycling routes, crossing points, paths, lighting etc.
- Set up a school journey notice board with information about active and sustainable travel options.
- Look at travel choices and safe routes to school as part of classwork.
- Establish a Code of Conduct for drivers (parents, staff, delivery drivers) which highlights some do's & don'ts.
Local Safety
- Develop traffic management* proposals for pedestrian safety in the school area.
- Develop proposals for a network of safer cycle routes serving the school.
- Liaise with the local community, residents and businesses.
- There can be big advantages in co-operating with neighbouring schools. This makes it easier to build traffic schemes with limited resources.
Walking and Cycling
- Set up a Walking Bus* scheme.
- Hold regular Walk to School* events.
- Offer practical pedestrian training*.
- Create car-free entrances to schools.
- Hold cars back at the end of the school day until pedestrians and cyclists have left the school safely.
- Review visibility and practicality of the school uniform.
- Review school start and finish times.
- Review the homework timetable to check how much children have to carry home each evening.
- Investigate school crossing patrols* (Lollypop men/ladies).
- Provide adequate storage for books, instruments, cycling gear and outdoor clothing.
- Consider installing shelters for parents and younger siblings waiting to walk children home.
- Install secure cycle shelters.
- Offer on-road cycle training*.
- Advise on cycle safety and arrange regular cycle maintenance* checks.
- Set up a cycle permit* scheme.
- Hold regular cycle events*.
- Encourage the use of helmets when cycling.
- Run cycling awareness sessions for pupils and parents.
- Supply cycle helmets, reflective clothing etc. at discount prices.
- Paint an advisory Zebra Crossing within the school gates near the school entrance.
- Produce a safe cycling code* & policy.
Making Roads Safer* for Children
If you think that any of the following could be of benefit to your school, bring them to the attention of Aberdeen City Council's Road Safety and Traffic Management team:
- 20mph zones around your school
- Additional crossings at busy and dangerous points.
- Pedestrian refuges in the middle of the road
- New footpaths & cycle tracks allowing pedestrians & cyclists to avoid motor traffic
- Cycle lanes and cycle track.
- Parking enforcement outside the school
- Priority measures for school buses
- Toucan crossings for pedestrians & cyclists
- Speed reduction measures, such as speed humps
- Increased pedestrian priority measures - raising the level of the road to the pavement at crossing points, for example
- Additional signage - no stopping during school term time, for example
- Coloured surfacing, for example to indicate a school safety zone or a school warning sign on the road surface
- Safe route trails marked on pavements* and recommended crossing points
- Separate pedestrian and car park entrance, highlighting where pedestrians should enter making it obvious, bright & colourful
- Voluntary one way schemes.
Public Transport
- Provide public transport information for parents, pupils and staff.
- Explore options for new services, better routes and low fare promotions.
- Introduce a code of behaviour for school bus users.
- Consider if bus stops need to be made safer or relocated.
- Provide parent/adult/senior pupil escorts on buses.
- Training sessions e.g. take the bus to your new Academy.
Reduce the impact of car travel
- Set up a car sharing scheme*.
- Set up a parent-run minibus.
- Set up a Park and Stride scheme*.
Parents Support
- Set up a School Travel Team and spread the word.
- Let the school know of their support and/or concerns.
- Drive more slowly and more carefully.
- Walk with younger children; let older children walk independently*.
- Volunteer to help with a walking scheme at school - such as Pedestrian Training or Walking Bus.
- Park farther away from the school.
- Consider car sharing with other families.
- Help raise funds for projects.
Police Support*
Contact your local police officer if you would like them to assist in:
- Enforcing speed limits
- Preventing pavement parking
- Running road safety education/training courses
- Running personal safety courses
Contacts
- Will Hekelaar
Planner (Infrastructure Strategy and Programmes)
Planning and Sustainable Development
Enterprise, Planning and Infrastructure
Marischal College
Business Hub 4
Ground Floor North Broad Street
Aberdeen
AB10 1AB
Phone: 01224 52 33 24
Email: whekelaar@aberdeencity.gov.uk