School Travel Planning in Dunedin

Abstract Remit

As part of Dundin City Council's Transportation Strategy and Community Plan delivery programmes, the Council has prioritised sustainable development and transportation solutions in order to support a balanced approach to promoting social, economic and environmental well being for Dundin's existing and future generations.

Following its review of best practice approaches developed here in New Zealand and internationally that have placed a high emphasis on providing improved travel choice for children, especially on the journey to and from school, the Council has commenced an innovative School Travel Planning partnership programme with a cluster of enthusiastic schools and kindergartens in the northern part of the city.
This paper will discuss how the Council believe effective partnerships with schools and local communities are crucial to meeting the community's high level objectives of improved well being and the health of Dunedin citizens, through delivering innovative travel planning.

It will discuss in turn how the Council's programme, delivered in partnership with its consultants, MWH New Zealand and the local north Dunedin School Council are reflecting New Zealand and international best practice in the types of intiative (a de facto Neighbourhood Accessibility Plan) under consideration.
The paper will also discuss the synergies that exist with the Ministry of Transport's Safer Journeys road safety strategy to 2020 and the emphasis that is placing on improved management of safer roads and roadsides and safer speeds.

The schools contributing to the project directly access a busy arterial route into the city and therefore the project also offers opportunities to explore innovative measures for better managing all road user activity on this mixed use artial route. Safer Journeys has again identified that the treatment of mixed use corridors has much potential for improvements to urban road safety, particularly for the active travel modes of walking and cycling.

Importantly, the paper and presentation is being partnered by the Principal of one of the partnering schools, who will discuss the importance of promoting and enabling active travel in improved child heath to both school and local communities.

Author Profile

Charlotte Flaherty is Safe and Sustainable Travel Coordinator at the Dunedin City Council. School travel planning for Dunedin is beginning with this Valley cluster project.

John McKenzie is Principal of North East Valley Normal and a founder member of the Edcuation Council, part of the project in  North East Valley, Dunedin.

Tim is National Discipline Leader for Road Safety with MWH New Zealand. He is the consultancy technical lead for this project and has led on School Travel Planning and Safer Routes to School programmes with a major United Kingdom local highway authority.