Sustainable School Travel
Sustainable school travel focuses on finding alternative modes
of transport to school, other than the car, such as walking,
cycling, car sharing and public transport.
Walking is still the most popular way of travelling to and from
school. Last year 65% of Cheshire East’s children travelled by
sustainable modes on the school journey, whilst 35% travelled by
car. Car use has been steadily decreasing over the last few years.
However, there are still too many children driven to school and
many more could still travel sustainably.
School Travel Plans
A School Travel Plan is a document that evolves from
consultation with the whole school community and various
organisations such as parish councils and resident groups. The
final plan outlines issues that have been identified as barriers to
walking, cycling or using the bus on the way to school. The Travel
Plan then establishes a partnership between the school and council,
whereby the school takes on the responsibility for encouraging
greener, healthier, safer ways to school, and the council takes on
responsibility for, were appropriate, improving the local
environment by developing a network of safer routes to schools. As
of March 2010, all Primary, Secondary and Special Schools in
Cheshire East have completed a School Travel Plan. To see a copy
of a school's plan, please contact the Policy and
Accessibility Team.
School Travel Plan Monitoring
In order to be effective, a School Travel Plan should be
monitored as often as appropriate – usually once a year, although
some schools meet once a term or twice a year to discuss their
Travel Plan.
Initiatives for School Travel Plans
There are various initiatives that a school can use to promote
sustainable travel. Like many things, what works well in one school
will not work in another. However, the most popular travel plan
initiatives are:
