Hands Up survey results....

We did start the year with a long Facebook post that outlined some changes to access to the school with the new STEM building that has begun and a Day Care Centre being built opposite our neighbouring Primary School. The FB post did suggest students walk, ride a bike or scoot to school in an attempt to decrease vehicle congestion around the school. The new bike racks were mentioned and our grant from Your Move.

We had excellent numbers of bikes in the bike compound at the beginning of the term, we also had excellent attendance numbers at the beginning of term as well. It did feel a little like we were bursting at the seams. On the 14 of February, we had 60 bikes and 9 scooters and then on the day of the Hands Up survey, we had 61 bikes and 14 scooters. This is the most bikes and scooters that we have had in the compound for years! I am not sure that our FaceBook post has made the behaviour change or whether it is the increased congestion out the front of school at the end of the year. I have watched the traffic out the front at the end of the day and it is crazy!!

This year we have tipped back into more than 50% active travellers at school, with 52.3 % using active travel, and 47.7% coming to school by car. This is so exciting when we compare it to last March, with a 14% decrease in driving and a 72% increase in cycling, 21 % increase in the public transport use and a 5% increase in walking!

When we compare the data to November 2022's data, our car travel has decreased from 52% to 47%, bike riding has increased 1%, public transport usage has increased 1% and walking has increased 1%. The number of students surveyed was greater this year. When we survey students in November, our year 12 students have finished their high school journey.

When we looked the results of the first hands up survey that we have done at the beginning of the year (2020) and compared it to this years, our car travel percentage is still higher, but it has begun to come down. I don't know if Covid has had an impact or whether it was something else.

I have counted bikes in the compound this morning and we have 53 bikes and 5 scooters. Our attendance is down today, maybe some have begun holidays early. When I crunch the numbers, I have 7.4% of the school population riding or scooting today. This maybe a little inaccurate because when I do the Hands Up survey and count the bikes, more students say they ride or scoot than I have bikes and scooters in the compound. I am not sure if students are storing bikes or scooters elsewhere in the school.