Transport for Greater Manchester has outlined its ambitions for children and young people across the region to increase their use of active and public transport.
Alongside the environmental and health benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling to school or college, active travel also has the potential to boost their attainment in lessons. Increased use of public transport can also support better air quality within communities and reduced congestion during peak pick-up/drop-off times.
This push comes as the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Transport for Greater Manchester, and the ten local authorities in the region are coming together to develop a new draft School Travel Strategy. Part of the strategy will see Greater Manchester aiming for 70% of primary school students across the region using active travel to get to school by 2030 – representing an increase of 7% on the current numbers. This figure increases to 80% for secondary schools and further education, however, it will include public transport.
The strategy will see certain areas given an increased focus, including:
- Creating safer streets around schools
- Continuing to deliver active travel infrastructure
- Improved access to bikes and bike storage
- Supporting young people to become travel champions
- Improved experiences on public transport
- Improving the Bee Network to become safer and more secure
- Delivering an integrated network
- Engaging with schools and local communities
Dam Sarah Storey, Active Travel Commissioner, said:
“School Travel is one of my six priorities in the Active Travel Mission and it is important that we build on the positive impact of School Streets and broaden the scope of the work to make better use of all modes within the Bee Network for journeys to and from places of education.
“In order to enable young people and families to travel to school and further education on foot, bike or public transport; those choices need to feel safe, easy and accessible - and the draft School Travel Strategy sets out how we will be aiming to do this.
“A public consultation is being launched as part of this work so that we can better understand everyone's journey needs and I hope pupils, parents, teachers and support staff at all of our education establishments will feed into this so that we can refine the plans and make it work for everyone."
Greater Manchester’s powers over bus franchising will also be used to make sure that children and young people can access more reliable, accessible and affordable bus services.
Image credit: iStock
