Walking and riding to school

Active travel is the term used for non-motorised travel - walking, cycling, scootering or skating.

Travelling actively to school is fun, healthy and good for the local environment.

Research shows that students who travel actively to school socialise and learn better and are typically fitter, less overweight and more independent. It saves time for busy parents too.

Pedestrian safety improves when there are fewer vehicles on the streets around a school at peak drop-off and pick-up times. Traffic impacts such as noise, congestion, emissions and dangerous parking are also reduced.

The Resilient Willoughby Primary Schools Active Travel Program has been developed by Willoughby City Council in partnership with the NSW Department of Education Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre, Bicycle Network and Willoughby Public School.

Implementation of the Program at Willoughby Public School, with a population of 1000 students, has resulted in a 7% to 11% increase in the number of students walking and cycling to the school on a typical day, which has meant up to 80 fewer vehicles on the streets around the school at peak times.

In 2022 The Willoughby Public School P&C (Parents and Citizens Committee) approached Willoughby City Council for help in addressing serious traffic congestion around the school and concern over the safety of students and pedestrians during peak drop-off and pick-up times.

Council initiated the Willoughby Public Schools Active Travel Project to help tackle the problem. The project aims to promote and encourage more walking, cycling and scootering to school, known as ‘active travel’.

Year 5 students addressed the challenge through three geography lessons delivered by staff from the NSW Dept. Education’s Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre.

The students identified four proposed ‘active paths’ to school, using existing footpaths and street crossings, which were assessed by Council for safety. Some minor improvements to some of the footpaths were undertaken by Council and the routes were then confirmed, marked with decals and a Willoughby PS ‘active map’ was developed and promoted widely to the school community.

The active paths were launched by Willoughby City Council Mayor Tanya Taylor at the Senior School Assembly on 7^th August 2023.

You can read the Willoughby PS project flyer and watch a 9 min video on YouTube.

Find out about Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre programs and the Bicycle Network Ride2School Program.

In FY 2025/26, Transport for NSW is funding $10 million towards local council infrastructure projects which encourage walking and riding to school. Of the $10 million, there is $500,000 for behaviour change interventions that support and encourage uptake of active travel to school and use of the new infrastructure.

This new initiative is modelled on the successful Resilient Willoughby Primary Schools Active Travel Program developed by Willoughby City Council.

Interested councils can now apply for funding via the Get NSW Active program and opt in to be part of the behaviour change initiative. Councils can apply for funding for changes to infrastructure around participating schools, such as improved signage or raised pedestrian crossings, to make it safer, easier, and more fun for students and their families to walk or ride to school. Applicable to councils across NSW, successful applicants will receive funding as well as teaching and administrative support.  

The school associated with the successful application will be provided with teachers from their local NSW Department of Education Environmental Education Centre who will deliver an authentic learning experience aligned to the year 5 and 6 geography curriculum.  

Find out more about Get NSW Active

Implementation of the student active travel project has resulted in a 7% to 11% increase in students travelling actively to Willoughby PS on a typical day, which means up to 80 fewer vehicles in the streets around the school at peak times. On Ride2School Day on 22 March 2024, 76% of students walked, cycled or scootered to school.

“I’m proud of the work done by our Year 6 students to help tackle traffic congestion and pedestrian safety issues around our school. It’s a great example of thinking globally and acting locally!” Jennifer Simmonds, Principal, Willoughby PS

A survey completed by 48% of parents showed that 92% of parents supported efforts by Council and the School to build an active travel culture at Willoughby Public School. In a follow-up “tell me what you think’ student survey conducted by the NSW Dept. Education, 59% of students thought that the active paths encouraged them to walk, cycle or scoot to and from school. Read the survey summary findings.

Follow-up activities initiated by Council and the school to maintain and build support for active travel at the school include student competitions and reward programs, safe walking and cycle training sessions for students and ride and walk to school events. Additional year 5 geography lessons will be delivered by Observatory Hill Environmental Education Centre in late 2024 inviting students to design streetscape improvement schemes along the routes of the four active paths.