How safe will it be for your children to walk or cycle to a new school if your neighbourhood school closes?
You can assess the safety of routes to the new school by using a Walking to School or Cycling to School Checklist. Sample checklists can be downloaded from: http://www.walkinginfo.org/cps/checklist.htm & http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/resources/education_bikeability-checklist.cfm
As you walk or cycle, use the checklist to describe problem areas and things to change. After the walk or bike ride, answer all of the questions and you’ll see how the route to the new school rates on a convenient scale. The checklist can be adapted as required to meet your local needs.
You can use this assessment as part of your submission on the Towards 2020 Plan. It can also be used as the basis for a media release to highlight the lack of planning by the Stanhope Government to provide traffic calming or pedestrian and cycling safety infrastructure for students travelling longer distances to and from school as a result of school closures.
A range of other resources on safe routes to school is available from the US National Center for Safe Routes to School .