Active travel to school

The Active Travel to School Roadmap 2023-2030 aims to reverse the declining rate of walking and riding to school in Perth (see section below).

It recognises that quality time spent walking, riding and scooting at the start and end of the day has known health benefits, but also reduces local traffic congestion around schools and pressure on parking creating a safer road environment for everyone.

The Roadmap has been developed by a dedicated Active Travel to School Working Group, established by the across government Bicycle Riding Reference Group.

Commencing in 2023, the Roadmap aims to address barriers preventing active travel to school including:

• poor path accessibility
• traffic around schools
• safety
• distance
• parent/carer time constraints.

The Roadmap has been endorsed by the:

• Department of Transport
• Main Roads WA
• Public Transport Authority
• Department of Education
• Department of Health
• Road Safety Commission
• Western Australian Local Government Association
• Institute of Public Works and Engineering Australasia.

Read the full media statement here.

Fewer Australian children walk and bike ride to school than ever before. 

Over the past 40 years the national rate of active travel to school has declined from 75% to 25%. In Perth, the rate is as low as 20% and one half of children travel to school by car despite living less than one kilometre away.

Prepared in consultation with state government agencies, industry representatives and peak bodies, The declining rate of walking and cycling to school in Perth paper defines the problem of declining rates and includes a summary of the benefits of addressing the problem, its underlying causes, and opportunities and challenges for reversing the decline.

The paper led to the development of the multi-year Active Travel to School Roadmap 2023-2030 enabling collaboration across government and industry to improve rates of children walking and riding to school (see above section).

Your Move Schools is a free program that helps students get active by increasing walking, scooting and riding to school. 

The program helps develop and reinforce an active travel culture within the school community. Schools signed up to the program gain access to a comprehensive range of resources and assistance to help plan and run activities to encourage active travel. Through the Your Move online platform, schools earn points for activities which can be redeemed for active travel rewards.

Visit the Your Move website for more information and to find out how to register your school. If you would like the Your Move program to contact you, please make contact here.

Hundreds of schools in WA are already benefiting from participation in the program which can also unlock other benefits including eligibility for Connecting School Grants. 

Program Evaluation

The Your Move Schools program is continually monitored and evaluated to guide ongoing development and improved program delivery. Through various methods, including recording changing numbers of students walking and riding to school, we are able to gain insight into program impact and how best we can support schools.