Mobility plans for school/university communities

Summary

Rethymno is combining new infrastructure and strategic plans with public engagement and behavioural change activities to increase safety and the use of sustainable transport modes within the school community.

Implementing sustainable mobility

Rethymno is aiming to address traffic congestion around schools during peak hours, which constrains traffic flow and limits pedestrian safety.

New studies on mobility plans for schools and the university, the redesign of public spaces around schools, improved PT routes and bus stops aim to improve urban mobility.

Targeted training activities are building the capacity of younger generations to commute safely and use more sustainable modes of transport.

The main objectives of this measure are to:

• improve accessibility and PT services to the municipality’s schools and the university.
• increase capacity of safe driving and awareness of sustainable modes of transport.
• eliminate road accidents close to schools and university.
• increase walking and cycling of students to/from the university and schools.
• reduce traffic and noise in the city centre.

The main planned actions are to:

• Analyse mobility patterns of pupils/students /parents for travelling to schools/sports/other educational activities during the day.
• Conduct a study on mobility plans and improvement PT routes for schools and university.
• Redesign public spaces to increase road safety around schools.
• Transform the main bus stop serving the university, so as to inspire use of PT.
• Training, awareness and behavioural change activities within schools.
• Road safety training sessions and workshops with parents’ associations.
• Development of signs, communicational and training material.

Progress

Activities implemented so far include:      

• Data collection, interviews and questionnaires with school teachers, parents, university students and staff to analyse mobility patterns, users’ perceptions and needs to formulate the baseline for the schools’ mobility plans.
• Development of Mobility plans for 18 schools and the University. Feasibility study for proposed interventions around schools.
• Research on best practices and materials to enhance students’ road safety.
• Consultation meetings with Educational Directorates, school directors, teachers and parents’ associations.
• A two-year holistic plan was launched, to challenge behavioural change to promote safe commuting and the use of sustainable mobility modes.
• Targeted campaign including experiential road safety and behavioural change games, thematic events, interactive workshops for teachers and parents, training materials, schools’ competition, first-aid seminars and the organisation of the “Road Safety Week”.
• A user-friendly app, for children and adults, is developed comparing environmental impact and cost of different transportation modes and promoting the benefits of walking, cycling, PT and shared vehicles.

Outcomes

The outcomes of the measure are:

• Increased safety and transportation around schools’ areas.
• Feasibility study on intervention projects to enhance road safety around schools.
• School communities (teachers, students, parents) educated and motivated to adopt road safety culture and to change their mobility habits towards using more sustainable mobility modes.
• A two-year holistic action plan in operation, including experiential road safety and behavioural change activities, schools’ networking and competition, thematic events and interactive workshops.
• An app for tablets / smartphones, designed for children and adults to drive change of mindsets, showcasing the potential savings of choosing walking, cycling, PT and shared vehicles.
• Promotional and informational material developed and distributed during educational activities and informational workshops; flyers, posters, t-shirts, hats, teachers’ material.
• More than 4.500 students and 30 schools involved to experiential activities implemented so far.