| Re: Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 Posted by TaplowGreen at 08:47, 13th June 2026 |     |
The latest available data has 50% of children being driven to school - that's a 23% increase over 20 years ago.
Probably no coincidence that children are getting much fatter too - 1 in 5 10 year olds are obese, that's frankly terrifying for future health.
| Re: Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 Posted by grahame at 06:22, 13th June 2026 | |
Why not aim higher?
I'd say it was closer to 80% in my day.
I'd say it was closer to 80% in my day.
As I understand it, there I much more freedom to choose your child's school these days and so the travel distances have gone up, and walking and cycling may be practical for less. I was, perhaps, unusual but not unique in travelling by train to school - Petts Wood to Sydenham Hill and then to Sevenoaks, totally beyond walking distance - but walking to and from the stations. On rare occasions, I cycled to Sevenoaks but even in those days the roads were far from cycle friendly. I have vague recollections of there being Mum's or Dad's taxis used for some at both schools, but as I used other entrances, I have no idea of volume.
Just on Thursday afternoon, I saw the 555 bus arrive at the top of our street and drop off half a dozen school children from Corsham. This is a double deck school service and I understand it is very fully loaded - to the extent that there is no encouragement to market it further though general public may use it if they wish. Other buses and coaches pick up from Melksham Market Place and it's educational to see the volumes picked up there on a school day for various other towns on both early service buses and special school runs.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
Dead right. It needs to be safe and practical. Our local secondary school has recently had a "new" path opened from the new build estates to the school, at massive expense (many consider it over-engineered) and that save a long walk around 3 sides of a square, including o a shared cycle and walking path on the side of the A365 which is really far too narrow for the traffic it was taking. Interesting, I write "new" - there has been a public footpath across the fields since before the school was located there, but it was rarely used by any school child; I can recall just one occasion when out walking the dog, mid-winter - seeing a boy using it, and stepping in and through the mud getting his shoes and trousers covered.
Drop off time may be an issue; pick up time is worse with all the parents arriving early to be there and close to save the little darlings having to walk too far. Car parking is inadequate for pickup, and unrestricted roads close to the school become linear car parks for a while.
The primary school which is about half a mile from our home (and was in my ward when I was a Town Councillor) has a serious issue. It's on a residential cut-de-sac off the main road into / out of town - loads of "no parking" bollards and there is - now - a new pelican crossing over the main road, so that people park in the housing opposite with the residents there less than thrilled. Talk of yellow lines, work being done on getting more children to walk, etc. The pub on the corner which has a large car park and the school community don't get on - I don't know the history in detail - but there's a chain across at school times and a large virtually empty tarmac area that should really be dual-use IMHO.
Other primary schools, such as the newer one in the East of Melksham estates, have similar problems with not only healthy getting to school but safety with all those cars and frustration from the residents (who knew the school was / would be there when they bought / rented). I recall an approach from one of the school teachers looking to introduce her class to bus use and asking me where she could take them. But the nearest and only practical bus stop only has services at 10:15 and 12:15 and they only go to the Town Centre - there are 3 return services in the afternoon that *will* go round past that stop if there are passengers on board to be dropped off.
| Re: Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 Posted by TaplowGreen at 21:57, 12th June 2026 | |
Why not aim higher?
I'd say it was closer to 80% in my day.
| Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035 Posted by Chris from Nailsea at 21:01, 12th June 2026 | |
From the BBC:
Ministers want 60% of children walking or cycling to school by 2035
At least 60% of children in England should be walking or cycling to school within a decade under the government's new active travel plans.
Ministers say millions more five-to-16-year-olds will be able to travel by foot or bike using thousands of safer routes promised under its "record" £4.5bn investment strategy.
At least half of all short trips in towns and cities should also be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2035 and a "national walking and cycling network" will be available on route mapping apps within five years, under the plans.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the strategy sought to make active travel "a practical choice for millions more journeys".
The latest government data, from 2023, suggested that 47% of children aged five to 16 usually walk or cycle to school.
Some 5,000 walking, wheeling and cycling routes and 10,000 "safer" crossings will be built by 2030 to meet the new target, the Department for Transport (DfT) said, which will be delivered alongside local authorities and Active Travel England.
There will be £135m spent on programmes training children to walk and cycle safely to school, and to help schools develop travel plans - although it is already commonplace that they encourage pupils to avoid car journeys.
Ministers also want 55% of short trips to be active by 2035 - including what is described as a "stage" of a journey, such as walking or cycling to onward public transport. The current level is 48%, according to the DfT.
The increase would mean 5.3m more people being physically active in towns and cities, ministers say.
The strategy also sets out plans to develop a national active travel network that is "usable at a national scale", including consistent signage and availability online alongside the road network.
The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, which promotes active travel, welcomed the "ambitious" new schools target, "that rightly includes secondary school pupils and explicitly recognises cycling".
"This represents a significant step forward in creating lasting benefits for children and young people," policy chief Rachel White said.
The Cycle to Work Alliance said safe infrastructure and affordable access to such travel routes were needed to change behaviour, "and this strategy is an important step towards delivering both".
Charity Living Streets described the plans as "bigger and braver" than previous strategies.
The announcement "recognises the power walking and wheeling holds to improve public health, boost local economies and bring communities together," the group's chief executive, Catherine Woodhead, added.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
Health Secretary James Murray said the plan would "help more people build exercise into their everyday lives, improving public health and supporting our ambition to reduce pressure on the NHS".
Transport is largely devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning the plan does not apply to these parts of the UK.
The previous Welsh Labour government had said 45% of journeys should be by "sustainable modes" by 2040, with active school travel playing a key part - though a Senedd committee warned in December that progress towards that figure had been "painfully slow".
Northern Ireland had set a target for 20% of all journeys shorter than one mile (1.6km) be cycled by 2025 and, under its 2022 Climate Change Act, committed to spending 10% of its transport budget on active travel. Its national audit office warned in September that neither target appeared to have been met.
Scotland is aiming for walking and cycling to be the most popular choice for short journeys by 2030. Government data suggests levels have stayed roughly the same since 2012, at 1-2% for cycling and around 50% for walking respectively.
At least 60% of children in England should be walking or cycling to school within a decade under the government's new active travel plans.
Ministers say millions more five-to-16-year-olds will be able to travel by foot or bike using thousands of safer routes promised under its "record" £4.5bn investment strategy.
At least half of all short trips in towns and cities should also be walked, wheeled or cycled by 2035 and a "national walking and cycling network" will be available on route mapping apps within five years, under the plans.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the strategy sought to make active travel "a practical choice for millions more journeys".
The latest government data, from 2023, suggested that 47% of children aged five to 16 usually walk or cycle to school.
Some 5,000 walking, wheeling and cycling routes and 10,000 "safer" crossings will be built by 2030 to meet the new target, the Department for Transport (DfT) said, which will be delivered alongside local authorities and Active Travel England.
There will be £135m spent on programmes training children to walk and cycle safely to school, and to help schools develop travel plans - although it is already commonplace that they encourage pupils to avoid car journeys.
Ministers also want 55% of short trips to be active by 2035 - including what is described as a "stage" of a journey, such as walking or cycling to onward public transport. The current level is 48%, according to the DfT.
The increase would mean 5.3m more people being physically active in towns and cities, ministers say.
The strategy also sets out plans to develop a national active travel network that is "usable at a national scale", including consistent signage and availability online alongside the road network.
The Walk Wheel Cycle Trust, which promotes active travel, welcomed the "ambitious" new schools target, "that rightly includes secondary school pupils and explicitly recognises cycling".
"This represents a significant step forward in creating lasting benefits for children and young people," policy chief Rachel White said.
The Cycle to Work Alliance said safe infrastructure and affordable access to such travel routes were needed to change behaviour, "and this strategy is an important step towards delivering both".
Charity Living Streets described the plans as "bigger and braver" than previous strategies.
The announcement "recognises the power walking and wheeling holds to improve public health, boost local economies and bring communities together," the group's chief executive, Catherine Woodhead, added.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: "Too many people would like to walk, wheel or cycle more often but don't feel they have safe and convenient options to do so."
"This is about creating healthier communities, helping households keep more money in their pockets and building a transport network that works better for everyone."
Health Secretary James Murray said the plan would "help more people build exercise into their everyday lives, improving public health and supporting our ambition to reduce pressure on the NHS".
Transport is largely devolved in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, meaning the plan does not apply to these parts of the UK.
The previous Welsh Labour government had said 45% of journeys should be by "sustainable modes" by 2040, with active school travel playing a key part - though a Senedd committee warned in December that progress towards that figure had been "painfully slow".
Northern Ireland had set a target for 20% of all journeys shorter than one mile (1.6km) be cycled by 2025 and, under its 2022 Climate Change Act, committed to spending 10% of its transport budget on active travel. Its national audit office warned in September that neither target appeared to have been met.
Scotland is aiming for walking and cycling to be the most popular choice for short journeys by 2030. Government data suggests levels have stayed roughly the same since 2012, at 1-2% for cycling and around 50% for walking respectively.
