Travel plans for Paraparaumu schools

Kapiti Coast District Council is working with three schools in Paraparaumu to address some of the safety and traffic issues on streets surrounding the schools, Environment & Regulatory Committee chair, Diane Ammundsen said today.

The schools are Paraparaumu College, Paraparaumu Beach Primary and Kena Kena Primary School.

“Council has engaged a consultant to develop school travel plans with each of the schools.

“A school travel plan is a process where students, parents and staff develop an action plan aimed at encouraging safe and sustainable travel to and from the school.

“In recent years there’s been a dramatic shift in the way New Zealand children travel to and from school,” she said. “Between 1990 and 2000, the number of primary school children travelling to school by car nearly doubled and in some schools, the proportion of students travelling by car is now as high as 87%.

“This increase in car use creates traffic congestion, extra vehicle costs for parents and many adverse environmental effects.

“It also affects the children themselves. Extra traffic activity at the school gate makes for an unsafe environment and being driven to school means children are less active. International research shows children who walk or cycle to school are more inclined to have healthier lifestyles than those relying on the car (and their parents) to get them around.

“The Council is keen to see if we can make some positive changes to this situation,” Diane Ammundsen said.

Typically the outcomes of a school travel plan include:

• education within the school, such as walking and cycling safety training
  


• community participation in setting up and coordinating safe and viable student travel options such as walking school buses, ride sharing
  


• coordination with transport and safety agencies e.g. council parking officers and police to provide enforcement, and
  


• the local council providing infrastructure changes, such as pedestrian crossings and footpath repair/upgrades.
  

The first stage of the project is due for completion by the end of April and an application will be made for government funding for the second stage.
Surveys of students and parents will be conducted in all three schools during the first month of the school term to look at how students are currently getting to and from school and where changes could be made.

Other interactive exercises will be run with the school students to ensure that they have a key role in the development of their school’s travel plan. Working groups will also be established in the three schools to oversee the planning and travel plan development process.

ENDS

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