Schools
About TravelSmart Schools
The TravelSmart Schools program encourages school communities to consider environmentally-friendly transport options as an alternative to motor vehicle use. In doing so, the program helps school communities to deal with local traffic congestion, road safety and health issues.
What happens in a TravelSmart schools project?
A working group of school leaders and volunteers is established. Parents are surveyed and site assessments are conducted at each school. This information helps to identify risks and informs the development of a travel plan and site access guide.
Travel plans for TravelSmart schools
A travel plan is a package of environmentally-friendly travel options schools can use to encourage drivers to consider new ways to transport children to/from school.
The project working group works with the school community, local government and Queensland Transport, to come up with a range of strategies to influence the school community across three spheres:
The travel plan is tailored to meet the needs of individual schools. Implementing a plan is facilitated by a school's travel coordinator (a member of the school community).
Sample activities for travel plans:
- conducting classroom activities and bicycle skills education
- promoting bus use and good behaviour on public transport
- rostering volunteer parents, carers and teachers to accompany clusters of children to the bus stop or as they walk or cycle to/from school
- ensuring that the school entry/exit adequately favours the movement of pedestrians, cyclists and buses over cars
- establishing parent car-pooling clubs with social activities
- raising awareness about how easy it is to TravelSmart
- working with stakeholders such as local government, police and transport providers, to play a role and address some of the local barriers to safe walking, cycling and public transport use or enhance the physical environment for travelling smart.
- new parent/student orientation procedures to assist with travel decisions
- sunsmart practices and perspiration management
- school uniforms that allow physical movement
- appropriate school bag design and weight limits (and/or lockers)
- codes of conduct in relation to travel arrangements
- class finish/start times that align with bus timetables
- a mandated minimum number of hours for physical activity each week
- enforcing the use of bicycle helmets
- locked and covered bicycle storage
- signage or banners to discourage those driving to the school gate.
Queensland Transport helps TravelSmart schools with:
- parent consultation, including forums
- classroom materials
- 'how to' information about public transport, walking, cycling and car pooling through a transport access guide for their site
- newsletter articles, posters, brochures and incentives
- promotional events and competitions
- working with key stakeholders such as local government, school transport operators and road safety advisers
- ideas about ways to shift the dominant car culture and challenge misconceptions about travelling to and from school.
Many TravelSmart schools undertake an event called the 'TravelSmart Family Challenge'. Students are encouraged to try walking, cycling, car pooling and public transport to get to and from school each day and record their travel patterns on a class log. At the end of the two-week challenge, a celebration day is held at the schools to acknowledge achievements. Parents and local councillors are invited to join in the fun. A prize draw is conducted and certificates of appreciation are presented.
Further information about kids and walking.
For further information contact the TravelSmart team
Last updated 27 August 2008
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