Cycling and walking to school

The mode of travel chosen for a child's journey to school is recognised as having an impact not only on their safety but their health and personal development and of course the environment in which they live.

With concern mounting about obesity levels amongst children, a sensible choice about transport modes to and from schools is required.

To help promote sensible travel choices, we are assisting schools in developing School Travel Plans and Safer Routes to School programmes. Together we can make a difference to the journey children make to get to and from school by making it safer, healthier, sustainable and more interesting.

Safer routes to school

The Safer Routes to School Initiative aims to promote safer, more environmentally sustainable and healthier ways of getting to and from school, with particular emphasis on walking and cycling. To achieve this, we need to improve conditions (both in safety and the environment) on the main walking and cycling routes to school. Schemes can include physical measures such as safer crossing points and may involve work within the school grounds.

Projects usually involve the investigation of school travel patterns carried out with the commitment to a School Travel Plan. this often identifies engineering and educational measures to improve safety and reduce car use on the route between home and school.

These measures can be considered as part of a Safer Routes project and may include:

pedestrian crossings, improved pavements.
school zones, traffic calming, parking restrictions.
cycle routes and cycle parking.
road safety education, training and publicity.
health information.
personal security advice.

Walking

If you live close enough, encourage your children to walk to school. It will help them keep fit, be alert and become more street-wise:

provide bright and reflective clothing along with supportive shoes.
for younger children, either walk with your children, or get together with other parents and take it in turns to accompany other children (a "walking bus")

Walking bus

A walking bus is an initiative to encourage more children, accompanied by adults, to walk to school and by doing so reduce traffic and congestion outside schools.

Walking as a group and using an agreed route the children are under the supervision of at least 2 responsible adults - a "driver" and "conductor" - who are known to the school. Any volunteers involved with a walking bus have to complete a Criminal Records Bureau Check.

Some walking buses operate every school day while others operate one to two days a week - this depends on the number of adult volunteers involved.

Road Safety Officers will risk assess routes and provide necessary training for all volunteers.

Cycling

Encourage your children to cycle:

provide bright and reflective clothing and supportive shoes.
buying a bike: it's better to buy the right size rather than get one that is too big that your child can "grow into". An oversized bike could be dangerous and is likely to put your child off cycling.
provide bright, fluorescent and reflective clothing.
enrol your child on a cycle training course to develop their cycling skills and help them to become more confident.

Use this link to obtain information on cycle training.

School travel plans

A school travel plan is a document which sets out a number of practical ways to reduce the number of car trips made to a school, to encourage more walking and cycling and to improve safety on the school journey.

The travel plan aims to raise awareness among pupils and parents of the harmful effects of increasing car use on children's health, safety, and independence. The travel plan also aims to encourage more sustainable means of travelling to school.

For further information about walking and cycling to school contact the road safety unit on (01902) 551155, or e-mail us at road.safety@wolverhampton.gov.uk