A travel plan enables schools, workplaces and communities to better understand current travel choices, and to find ways to make sustainable transport choices more attractive. Auckland's world-class TravelWise programme is based on similar programmes in the UK, Canada, Europe and Australia. The Auckland travel plan programme (TravelWise) is managed by ARTA in partnership with the regional councils, and has won both national and international awards.
While each travel plan is unique, the founding principles are common to all:
Along with walking and cycling improvements, travel plans are an important part of Auckland’s Regional Land Transport Strategy.
A school travel plan works with children, parents, teachers and the whole school community to give more children the option of a safe, healthy and sustainable journey to school. As at term 1 2008, over 150 schools are actively developing travel plans.
To date there has been an average decrease in car trips to TravelWise schools of 3.4%. Schools that have been part of this programme for a longer period generally have better results.
The Walking School Bus network forms part of this programme; already over 4,000 Auckland children regularly walk to school on a Walking School Bus.
Trips to work make up just over half of morning peak trips and are the most significant contributors to congestion. The 2001 Census shows that most cars travelling to work have only a single occupant, and this creates traffic and parking problems for the employer as well as for workers and visitors.
Large Auckland workplaces are enthusiastically taking up the opportunity to prepare travel plans. Since ARTA began work with Vodafone in 2004, the concept has spread very rapidly. Currently three universities, one district healthboard and 31 workplaces totalling over 65,000 participants are already actively involved in travel plans.
