ARTA Annual Report 2009 - Auckland Transport

Travelwise
TravelWise is a partnership between ARTA, councils, schools, workplaces and community groups. It helps
schools, universities and workplaces to develop travel plans that support viable, sustainable travel choices
for students and employees.
TravelWise – educating kids in schools
There are 550 schools in the Auckland region. So far, 180 of those schools have, or are actively
developing, a TravelWise plan and by 2014 we aim to offer every school the chance to develop
a plan.
In the 2009 school year 25 new schools joined the programme. A school travel plan resource kit for lead
teachers in primary schools was prepared, and introduced to over 100 schools during Term 1 this year.
In the first week of March, 70 schools participated in ARTA’s Walk to School Week promotion.
This meant 28,000 primary and intermediate students being encouraged to walk to school.
Nine schools won book voucher prizes for recording consistently high levels across the week, which ranged
from 50% to 80% of their total school roll walking to school.
Over 2,000 adult volunteers now walk more than 5,000 children on 254 Walking School Bus routes
throughout the region. By volunteering one day a week, the other four days are free.
A promotion called Men on the Move, held over the Father’s Day period in September 2008,
encouraged more fathers to volunteer. Up to then, only one in seven volunteers were male.
Callum O’Neill volunteers at Northcote Primary School and won a $500 voucher for participating:
“For one it’s good exercise and also one less car at the school gates dropping off the kids.
I’m working shift work myself and when time permits I love joining the Walking School Bus.”
The schools’ programme is evaluated annually. This year, 36,846 students at 77 schools provided feedback.
Primary schools have increased their walking and Walking School Bus participation, while secondary schools
show a significant increase in walking, public transport use and carpooling.
RESULT: Each year, 5,010 fewer cars are on the road each morning. This result is above
the level required to reach the 2014 ARLTS target of 12,600 fewer car trips each
morning peak.
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