School travel modes: Factors influencing parental choice in four Brisbane schools

Abstract

This study investigates school travel from four schools in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Documented evidence reveals that far fewer children are cycling or walking to school than in previous generations, and that more and more are being driven to school by car. This shift in travel behaviour is claimed to be contributing to declining levels of physical activity in children, and the associated detrimental effects on health. Regular cycling or walking to school is held up as providing an important opportunity for children to stay active. In this study, links between school travel modes and the built environment are investigated. The study additionally investigates the role that parents play in determining the mode their children travel by. Results show that the majority of students travelled by car both to and from school. Further analysis was able to demonstrate that children in schools in different locations have different travel patterns, with those in suburban areas having higher percentages of car travel, compared to those in the inner city and in a master planned development. However, despite the influence of the built environment, the most common reasons for car use cited in parental surveys related to parental safety concerns.