Lord Mayor Graham Quirk today launched the 2018 Active School Travel program, which is seeing more children than ever put their feet to the pavement with one in every two students now actively travelling to school.
Cr Quirk said the Active School Program continued to grow, with around 11,000 students swapping the car in favour of walking, scootering, cycling or catching public transport last year alone.
“This year will see 15 new schools enter the 2018 program, helping to encourage students, parents and teachers to lead a more active and healthy lifestyle, reducing congestion and improving safety around schools,” he said.
“More than 104,000 students at 158 schools have been a part of this program since it began in 2004, and we are now seeing around half of the students from participating schools ditch the car in their daily commute to school“Not only does this have a positive impact on safety and congestion around schools, but we also know that it improves attentiveness and learning in the classroom when students are active and healthy.”
Cr Quirk said there were a number of initiatives that helped encourage students, parents and teachers to change their active travel habits, both during the program and beyond.
“Council works closely with all Active Travel Schools, providing ongoing support so they can make their school environment cleaner, greener, safer and less congested,” he said.
“This support extends to assisting with special active travel days, scooter skills training, travel passports and road safety classes to help the school community realise the benefits of the Active School Travel program.”
The award-winning three-year Active School Travel Program is designed to educate and motivate students, parents and teachers to leave the car at home and actively travel, reducing traffic in and around school areas.
The 2017 program resulted in a 23 per cent decrease in car trips and a 20 per cent increase in families walking to and from school.
The 46 schools participating in the Active School Travel Program in 2018 are:
- Camp Hill Infants and Primary (new)
- Geebung State School (new)
- Ironside State School, St Lucia (new)
- Payne Road State School, The Gap (new)
- St Elizabeth’s School, Tarragindi (new)
- Enoggera State School (new)
- Everton Park State School (new)
- Graceville State School (new)
- Middle Park State School (new)
- Nashville State School, Brighton (new)
- Lota State School (new)
- Moorooka State School (new)
- Oakleigh State School, Ashgrove (new)
- Shorncliffe State School (new)
- St Pius X Catholic Primary School, Salisbury (new)
- Greenslopes State School
- Holy Spirit School, New Farm
- Moggill State School
- Norman Park State School
- St Pius, Banyo
- St Sebastian’s, Yeronga
- Mansfield State School
- Oxley State School
- Petrie Terrace State School, Paddington
- Robertson State School
- Sandgate State School
- St Joseph’s, Bardon
- Belmont State School
- Ithaca Creek State School, Bardon
- Manly West State School
- St Joseph’s, Nundah
- Windsor State School
- Ashgrove State School
- Holland Park State School
- Seville Road State School, Holland Park
- Mayfield State School, Carina
- St Flannan’s School, Zillmere
- Our Lady Help of Christians, Hendra
- Morningside State School
- Salisbury State School
- Our Lady of Dolours School, Mitchelton
- Indooroopilly State School
- Dutton Park State School
- Mitchelton State School
- Kelvin Grove State School
- Ferny Grove State School