Walking Buses

Quoted message said:

Won't this just move the school run congestion around a bit?

Colin

I expect it will. Hopefully the parking area will be such that it does not cause congestion on the
road. My wife yesterday was complaining about congestion on the pavement outside the school as the
mothers were stood gossiping after dropping the kids off.<rant> Of course the buggies containing
the younger children were obsuring the narrow pavement causing Mrs Series to have to push her way
through facing the wrath of West Yorkshire mothers who consider the fact that they have children
makes them more worthy of pavement space than those of us who don't. </rant>

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The Reply & From email addresses are checked rarely.

Colin Blackburn said:

Won't this just move the school run congestion around a bit?

I guess if you think that you would also take the view that Park & Ride doesn't help in a city.

Tony

--
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." Mark Twain

in theory I suppose the journey will at least be shortened, and spread between several points, all
well away from the main congestion affected areas

"MSeries" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Won't this just move the school run congestion around a bit?

Colin

I expect it will. Hopefully the parking area will be such that it does

not

Quoted message said:

cause congestion on the road. My wife yesterday was complaining about congestion on the pavement
outside the school as the mothers were stood gossiping after dropping the kids off.<rant> Of
course the buggies containing the younger children were obsuring the narrow pavement causing Mrs
Series to have to push her way through facing the wrath of West Yorkshire mothers who consider
the fact that they have children makes them more worthy of pavement space than those of us who
don't. </rant>

--
The Reply & From email addresses are checked rarely.

Tony Raven said:

Colin Blackburn said:

Won't this just move the school run congestion around a bit?

I guess if you think that you would also take the view that Park & Ride doesn't help in a city.

How on earth do you come to that conclusion? In the cities I have lived with P&R schemes, Oxford,
York and Durham (limited but expanding) there is the potential to keep visiting cars and longer
distance commuter cars out of city. This helps *in* the city even if it would be preferable that
some of those visitors used trains to get there in the first place. In the case of a walking bus the
distance walked will mean that, in London particularly, the cars will still be *in* the city. The
two are completely different cases.

Colin

Getting the cars away from the school gates is a significant improvement in safety of other children attending the school. Also even walking part of the way will improve the health of the cadger kids, if not the parents. In terms of overall congestion the effects are probably more likely to be positive than negative. Its walk to school week in East Lothian this week. A scheme which to my mind is designed to ostracise children who go to school in metal boxes. Well done East Lothian Council I say.

R

robbiew said:

Getting the cars away from the school gates is a significant improvement in safety of other
children attending the school.

But not of those children arriving at the walking bus rendezvous point.

Quoted message said:

Also even walking part of the way will improve the health of the cadger kids, if not the parents.

Not if most parents simply drop off their kids at the rendezvous point. Yes, getting children to
exercise is important but I thought the walking bus scheme was about more than *just* exercise.

Quoted message said:

In terms of overall congestion the effects are probably more likely to be positive than negative.
Its walk to school week in East Lothian this week. A scheme which to my mind is designed to
ostracise children who go to school in metal boxes. Well done East Lothian Council I say.

Well done to all the places that have used Walk to School week but let's hope it isn't just this
week and let's hope that the schemes can do more than just alleviate congestion around the
school gate.

Colin

"MSeries" <[email hidden]> writed in :"]news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Won't this just move the school run congestion around a bit?

Colin

I expect it will. Hopefully the parking area will be such that it does not cause congestion on
the road. My wife yesterday was complaining about congestion on the pavement outside the school
as the mothers were stood gossiping after dropping the kids off.<rant> Of course the buggies
containing the younger children were obsuring the narrow pavement causing Mrs Series to have to
push her way through facing the wrath of West Yorkshire mothers who consider the fact that they
have children makes them more worthy of pavement space than those of us who don't. </rant>

<rant> You want to try living next to a Bl**dy school like wot I do <\rant>

Mike Leicester

Quoted message said:

Colin Blackburn said:

robbiew said:

Getting the cars away from the school gates is a significant improvement in safety of other
children attending the school.

But not of those children arriving at the walking bus rendezvous point.

It isn't clear from the article how the rvp works. It is possible that parents could walk with
children to the rvp and leave their children there in the control of a responsible other adult. In
fact I have an idea that might be the case, having talked with my sister about this at the weekend.
She's a teacher and parent at Latchmere school (one of the ones involved). I'll phone her up for
more info.

Quoted message said:

Well done to all the places that have used Walk to School week but let's hope it isn't just this
week and let's hope that the schemes can do more than just alleviate congestion around the
school gate.

My son is doing whatever they call Cycling Proficiency nowadays. He cycles to school with my wife to
do so, but told her they should be walking as it's Walk to school week. Which shows a grasp of other
modes of transport that the Walk to School people seem to have missed.

Tim
--
In space no one can eat ice cream

Tim Hall said:

It isn't clear from the article how the rvp works. It is possible that parents could walk with
children to the rvp and leave their children there in the control of a responsible other adult. In
fact I have an idea that might be the case, having talked with my sister about this at the
weekend. She's a teacher and parent at Latchmere school (one of the ones involved). I'll phone her
up for more info.

Please do. It isn't clear but the line after the ones I quoted suggests that this is for the
convenience of driving parents rather than walking ones.

Quoted message said:

My son is doing whatever they call Cycling Proficiency nowadays. He cycles to school with my wife
to do so, but told her they should be walking as it's Walk to school week. Which shows a grasp of
other modes of transport that the Walk to School people seem to have missed.

Doh! Schools, places of education!

Colin

Colin Blackburn said:

Tim Hall said:

It isn't clear from the article how the rvp works. It is possible that parents could walk with
children to the rvp and leave their children there in the control of a responsible other adult.
In fact I have an idea that might be the case, having talked with my sister about this at the
weekend. She's a teacher and parent at Latchmere school (one of the ones involved). I'll phone
her up for more info.

Please do. It isn't clear but the line after the ones I quoted suggests that this is for the
convenience of driving parents rather than walking ones.

Ok, the deal is:

The World Record Breaking bus reported in the article was just that. Specially put together for that
day and calling at four schools. It assembled at a new housing development (on the site of the old
British Aerospace factory for those that know). It was more of a way of publisising Walking Buses
rather than being a practical thing. My sister and her children didn't take part as the start was
too far in the wrong direction. It is likely that some parents drove to the start.

Several schools in the area have regaular walking buses - my sister's has two routes, each about
half a mile long. They get around 12-20 regular children. The parents of the children on the route
have a rota to ensure adult coverage is shared out. They get sponsorship from a local supermarket
who dish out yellow tabards (with logo I imagine). The routes have four or five stops with a strict
schedule. If you want your child to "catch" the bus, you get them to the designated stop on time -
the walking bus is like the time and tide, it waits for no man. The plan is that you walk to your
nearest stop.

There has to be a certain ratio of adults to children, at a level proposed, my sister thinks, by
the borough.

Interestingly, the buses are a one way trip. There is no bus on the way home. Why this is we don't
know. Whether people who walk to school get collected by car isn't known.

Tim
--
In space no one can eat ice cream