Promote Sustainable School Transportation

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Globally, 1 in 8 people set foot in a school daily- what mode of transportation do they use, and how environmentally friendly is it? Do they have a more sustainable option available to them, and if so, how can they be encouraged to make the greener choice?

A sustainable transportation activity can help you find the answers to those questions at your school. Whether it’s a campaign to organize carpools, encouraging individuals to take the bus, or a weekly walk or ride to school promotion, the objective should be to get your school community to think about how transportation choices impact their carbon footprint.

Get started

  • Determine an activity that makes sense for your school community and location.
    • In some areas, organizing a carpool might be safer or more realistic than asking individuals to walk or ride bikes to school.
  • Conduct a survey with participants and get students involved in the survey process if you can. Ask participants about the length of their commute to school, and how they usually get to school versus how they came to school on the day of the project.
    • If your school uses the Arc platform to collect and manage sustainability data (including transportation data), consider using this day as an opportunity to conduct a transportation survey.
    • Have student volunteers collect responses from people as they enter the building. Station them in areas where people may be arriving – the parking lot, bus line, or bike/walk access points.
    • You can conduct a couple surveys during the school year and see how continued awareness about sustainable transportation impacts your performance score.
    • Make sure you consider pedestrian safety and/or bike safety as you plan, and communicate safety considerations to participants.

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