Children and young people and their parents and guardians are encouraged to share their views in particular, as their experiences and ideas are essential in shaping a transport system that works for them now and in the future.
The consultation runs for 10 weeks, closing on 26thJanuary, 2025.
All feedback received will help shape the final School Travel Strategy which will be shared along with the outcomes of the consultation in the Spring next year.
Active Travel Commissioner, Dame Sarah Storey, said: “Enabling journeys to places of education to be made using the Bee Network is a priority for myself and our Transport Commissioner, Vernon Everitt.
“Over the past two years, we have been jointly working with TfGM to develop a School Travel Strategy and this consultation is to better understand where the Bee Network is getting things right and where improvements can be made.
“It's crucial that a range of views are captured as part of this process because journeys to places of education cover a wide range of age groups from the youngest travelling to school with families, through the years of gaining independence and on to those who attend further and higher education.
“Vernon and I are confident that the Bee Network can adapt and be the integrated public transport system that supports everyone's needs, especially at the busiest times of the day when everyone is headed out to start their day."
In the draft strategy, Greater Manchester is aiming for 70% of primary school students in the city-region to walk, wheel, scoot or cycle to school by 2030, up from 63% at present.
At secondary schools, the goal is for 80% of pupils to walk, wheel or cycle or use public transport to travel to school, up from 74%. The target for young people going to college or further education is also 80%, up from 66%.
Targeted areas of proposed activity include:
Creating safer streets around schools
Continuing to deliver walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure
Increasing access to cycle and secure cycle storage
Supporting young people to become travel champions
Improving the customer experience on public transport
Making the Bee Network safe and secure
Engaging schools and local communities
In addition, the School Travel Strategy sets out how the Bee Network can support improved bus services to help students get to school and college as well as supporting the wider community.
By creating a more integrated network using Greater Manchester’s bus franchising powers public transport connections for education can be optimised.
People can access the draft School Travel Strategy and consultation documents at: GMConsult.org
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