Safer Routes to School

The number of children driven to school has increased dramatically over the last 15 years. This has reduced the number that travel on foot, by bicycle or by bus. This trend is concerning. To address it, Safer Routes to School projects provide safer routes for walking and cycling and give more priority to public transport.

What is a Safer Routes to School project?

It is a way of making it possible for more children to travel to school safely by improving street design, calming traffic and creating traffic free environments. A Safer Routes to School project may include one or more of the following:

• safer crossing points;
• slower vehicle speeds;
• facilities to help pupils cycling to school;
• improvements to footpaths and pavements;
• ideas to encourage the use of public transport or car sharing; or 
• new or more direct routes to schools.

Safer Routes to School projects involve co-operative working between some or all of the following:

• the local authority;
• school staff;
• governors;
• pupils;
• parents; and
• local residents.

Why do we need Safer Routes to Schools?

Too many children are taken to school on their own by car. This can affect health, road safety and results in more traffic on the roads at peak times when the roads are already congested. Safer Routes to School aims to:

• reduce the number of car trips to school by increasing the number of people walking, cycling, car sharing or using public transport; and
• make the journey to school safer, easier and healthier for everyone.

What are the benefits?

The benefits include the potential for improving the safety of school journeys, reducing car use and cutting traffic congestion and pollution. The number of child casualties may be cut and the perceived risks associated with walking and cycling to school are reduced. Projects may also result in improved children's health, confidence and independence.

What are we doing about Safer Routes to Schools?

We organise a Safer Routes to School Challenge. All schools in the city are invited to bid for funds to introduce Safer Routes to Schools projects. We help schools create a solution and develop School Travel Plans. These are an essential part of a project and set out how the school will reduce car journeys and educate the children about transport and the environment. Follow the link from this page for more information.

How do I find out more?

For more information email: transportation@stoke.gov.uk or contact our School Travel Plan Co-ordinator on 01782 234968.

Follow the links from this page for information on Safer Routes to School.

To download a copy of the Safer Routes to Schools application form please use the link below.  To read the file you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader.  To download a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader please click here.  If you are using access technology please follow this link to convert the file into html.