An Evaluation of the ‘Travelling to School Initiative’ Programme

The Travelling to School Initiative (TTSI) is a joint undertaking by the Department for Transport (DfT) and the former Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), which comprises a series of measures to increase the use of healthy and sustainable modes of transport and reduce congestion in relation to pupils’ travel to and from schools in England.

This evaluation draws on a range of new and existing data sources to examine issues of process (how the Travelling to School Initiative has been implemented in practice) and impact (the extent to which the intended outcomes of the Travelling to School Initiative have been achieved). These quantitative and qualitative sources of evidence include the annual School Census, an online School Survey, School Travel Adviser Survey, workshops with key stakeholders, and in-depth case studies of schools exhibiting good practice in terms of process and outcomes.

The main achievements of the Travelling to School Initiative can be described as follows:

Inputs
The Government has provided extensive capital and revenue funding to support the TTSI. By March 2010 this included approximately £120 million of capital investment to local authorities and schools to help implement school travel plans, and £35 million of revenue funding, principally for the Travelling to School Initiative staffing roles.

Outputs
This has funded approximately 250 school travel advisers (including 68 in London Boroughs), 11 regional school travel curriculum advisers, and two regional school travel curriculum advisers; and resulted in 81% of schools in England (primary, secondary, special and independent) having a school travel plan in place by March 2009. In addition, a range of minor capital improvements such as cycle parking, storage facilities and local safety equipment have been delivered.

Evidence from a subset of the School Census data for the period 2006/07 to 2008/09, for example, identifies small decreases in the proportion of pupils travelling to school by car, an increase in car share activity and small, but statistically significant, increases in walking and cycling.

It is not possible, however, to attribute these changes directly to the Travelling to School Initiative: a comparison of data for schools with and without a school travel plan suggests that STPs have not had a significant impact on average mode share figures, at an aggregate level, to date.

It should be noted however, that the School Census may underestimate the effect of the Travelling to School Initiative on travel behaviour, and further analysis of the data in 2010/11 may identify a more significant change in average mode share following school travel plan implementation.

Evidence from other sources, such as the School Survey, stakeholder workshops and case studies, provides a more positive picture with respondents perceiving that school travel plans may support substantial mode shift in certain circumstances.