Creating a safe space to walk, cycle and scoot school journeys
In 2023, Torfaen Council built a new 180-metre-long path from Court Farm Road to Llantarnam Community Primary. This formed part of a larger Active Travel Network in Oakfield, Cwmbran.
The aims were:
- To encourage behaviour change and increase the use of active travel by pupils, staff and parents.
- To help improve the health and well-being of pupils, staff and parents.
- To reduce car congestion.
Description
An Active Travel School Plan was used at Llantarnam Community Primary to find out the barriers to travelling actively to school. The Active Travel School Plan consists of:
- Hands up surveys: to gather data for the Active Travel Network Map (ATNM) routes.
- Parent surveys: to understand how they choose to travel to school and why.
- Assemblies on active travel journeys.
- Lesson plans relating to active travel and road safety for years 4, 5 and 6.
The Active Travel School Plan has proved useful in capturing the needs of the school community. The data collected was analysed against the local authority’s Active Travel Network Map routes. Any problems that were identified were dealt with immediately or fed into possible future funding. It revealed challenges of congestion in front of the school and the need to provide additional access to the school.
By working closely with Safe Routes in Communities and the Active Travel Fund, the council’s bid to provide additional access to the school was successful. The council secured funding from Welsh Government Active Travel Grant and Safe Routes in Communities.
Cost
The total cost of the scheme was £159,500.
Lessons learnt
- Collaboration between the council and the school was key to successfully delivering Active Travel School Plans and developing active travel routes that are safer and more enjoyable for everyone to use.
- More Llantarnam Community Primary pupils are walking, cycling and scooting to school.
Outputs
The new path and school entrance has successfully contributed to an increase in the number of pupils and parents walking, cycling and scooting during everyday school journeys.
The number of cycle and scooter parking provision at the school has increased. Itis full on a daily basis.
The WOW travel tracker - measuring how pupils travel to school - shows the school’s active travel rate is 71%.
