Bicycle Network: Government

The aim of the Ride2School program is simple; to increase the number of children actively travelling to school (ride, walk, skate or scoot) and decrease the number of children driven to school.

The Ride2School program works closely with, and supports stakeholders including schools and local government, as well as state government departments including VicRoads, the Department of Planning and Community Development and the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development.

Each year the Ride2School program coordinates National Ride2School Day. The challenge for us is how to maintain the momentum of student active travel that National Ride2School creates. The key to succeeding in this challenge is for the Ride2School program to work with local government to build the culture of active travel in primary and secondary school students across each municipality.

The Ride2School program can help local government achieve their objectives of healthy people and healthy environments by working with sustainable transport officers, transport planners, engineers, health promotion officers and recreation officers to find the best solutions for each school. This can be in the form of either infrastructure and facilities, or behaviour change program development. A key to ongoing sustainability is for regular evaluation and follow-up to measure the effectiveness of the intervention- a speciality of the Ride2School program.

The benefits to local government of working with the Ride2School program:

• Highly visible way to demonstrate a commitment to improving the health of the community.
• Receiving expert advice, guidance, and support regarding active travel.
• Advice and guidance on tools and resources to influence change.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of interventions to gauge their effect on active travel.
• Promotion on the Ride2School website as an active travel-friendly council.
• Councils have access to the HandsUp! data entered by schools within their municipality. This important data helps shape and guide strategies tailored to each school.
• Schools will have reduced congestion and fewer parking problems, leading to healthier local environments and communities.

Ride2School recommendations for local government include:

• Investment in crossing points
• Links to shared paths
• Measures to reduce traffic congestion
• No car zones
• Increased parking restrictions around schools
• Reduction of speed limits in streets near schools

If you know of any schools where you think we can change behaviours to get more children riding and walking to school, or if you have a burning issue that you would like to raise, please call us on (03) 8376 8888 or email ride2school@bicyclenetwork.com.au.