We are working with schools to support children and families to walk, cycle or consider blended travel when travelling to and from school.
Our project work has included:
- Liaising with schools to encourage and help set up walking buses, park and stride and cycle trains and engaging with school councils and right's respecting groups.
- Working with Traffic and Highway Services to undertake travel plans for all primary schools, leading to improvements to cycle parking, crossing points and pavements.
- Supporting St Martins Primary school active travel project to create Guernsey's first School Street. Listen to the schools journey, how they empowered the children, gathered evidence and showed resilience in the face of barriers here St Martins School. Now no children are dropped off by car at the school gate aside from breakfast club and the playground is no longer used as a pickup point by cars at the end of the day.
- Helping local primary schools take part in the living Streets WOW challenge. Children use a Travel Tracker to record how they get to school each day. If they walk, cycle or scoot once a week for a month they collect a badge.
Email alex.coston@healthimprovement.gg to find out more.
Findings of the Active Travel Survey 21st and 22nd May 2024
The active travel survey was first undertaken in 2020 and is conducted twice a year in May and October. All schools ask children in each class, by a show of hands, how they travelled to and from school over two days.
The survey was conducted during Alternative Transport Week in May, which was also Living Street’s Walk to School Week. The weather was good.
Findings from primary schools showed a significant growth in the numbers of young people who have incorporated active travel into their journeys to and from school.
In May 2023 49% of children in primary schools were recorded as travelling actively to school. This includes walking, cycling. scooting or blended travel. Blended travel is defined as walking at least part of the journey. This year the figure travelling actively to school was 61%. The figure travelling actively from school was 59%, up 10% on this time last year.
The increase was especially impressive at three schools that arranged walking buses for the week. In May 2023 the combined percentage of children travelling actively to Hautes Capelles, St Mary and St Michael and La Houguette was 27%. The figure for the 2024 audit has increased to 42%. At La Houguette the number travelling actively has more than doubled. In May 2023 22% travelled actively compared to 52% this week.
Alex Costen, Active Travel officer at the Health Improvement Commission, commented:
‘It has been a real pleasure to see so many children and parents walking to school. It is a great way to start the day and children have clearly really enjoyed the experience. We are working with schools to make active travel the preferable option for all children. Walking buses are just one example of interventions that enable children to travel actively. The trick is to build upon this increase and make it permanent and sustainable.’
Results from the secondary schools show fluctuations and variations between schools over time, and a small increasing trend for active travel. There has been more impact in schools where students, through the school council, or engaged students, have championed for more walking and cycling amongst their peers. The most recent results show 31% of students recorded as travelling actively to school and 36% from school.
