Greater Manchester outlines plan to encourage active, sustainable school travel

People are being urged to have their say on how children and young people travel to school and college in Greater Manchester.

The new School Travel Strategy being developed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), and the region's ten local authorities, targets a shift toward walking, wheeling, cycling, and public transport for primary, secondary, and further education students across the region.

Every day around 460,000 pupils travel to over 1,200 schools and further education establishments across Greater Manchester. Around 15% percent of Greater Manchester's daily trips involve accessing education, and nearly half of all trips during peak hours (8am - 9am and 3pm - 4pm) are school-related.

A 10-week public consultation on the School Travel Strategy has now launched, and is open to everyone who lives or travels in Greater Manchester.

Children and young people and their parents and guardians are encouraged to share their views in particular, as their experiences and ideas are essential in shaping a transport system that works for them now and in the future.  The consultation runs for 10 weeks, closing on 26 January, 2025.

Active travel commissioner Dame Sarah Storey said school travel is a core priority in the region’s Active Travel Mission, building on the success of initiatives like School Streets, which restrict traffic around schools to improve safety and air quality.

She 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.”

She added that the strategy outlines steps to make walking, biking, and public transport safe, accessible, and straightforward for families: “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."

Targets outlined in the strategy include increasing the percentage of primary school children using active travel methods to 70% by 2030, up from the current 63%. For secondary students, the target is 80%, an increase from 74%, while for college and further education students, the goal is also 80%, rising from 66%. Proposed activities to support these goals include:

• Creating safer streets around schools
• Expanding walking, wheeling, and cycling infrastructure
• Increasing access to secure cycle storage
• Supporting students to become ‘travel champions’
• Improving customer experiences on public transport
• Enhancing safety and accessibility across the Bee Network
• Building an integrated transport network

The strategy also proposes enhancements to Greater Manchester’s Bee Network, aiming to create a more reliable, accessible, and affordable public transport service for young people.

Vernon Everitt, transport commissioner, said the Bee Network has a crucial role in facilitating safe, dependable school journeys. “Supporting journeys to school is a key function of the Bee Network. Our draft School Travel Strategy sets out how we want to enable young people and their families to make these essential journeys safely and reliably while making the most of the opportunities presented by the Bee Network.”

He encouraged feedback from the local community, saying: “Engaging with schools, colleges, and communities will be key to the draft School Travel Strategy, and we have launched a public consultation to progress with these conversations. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or part of a school community, we welcome your views.”

The 10-week public consultation on the School Travel Strategy is open to everyone who lives or travels in Greater Manchester: www.gmconsult.org