Friday 8 April

Cutting school car travel by 12 per cent was a winning factor for Point Chevalier Primary School taking home a Gold TravelWise award at the inaugural TravelWise awards last night.

Gold, the highest award, goes to schools that achieve a four per cent or more reduction in the number of car trips to school and create a real difference to traffic congestion, road safety and the well-being of their students, communities and the environment.

The school was presented with a certificate by Auckland Mayor Len Brown and Auckland Transport Chief Executive David Warburton at a special award ceremony held at the Civic Theatre.

Auckland Transport Community Manager Matthew Rednall says the school’s sustainable travel initiatives have greatly improved safety for students travelling to and from school.

“Cutting car travel by 12 per cent is a fantastic effort and has positive flow-on effects for their community.

“Less congestion associated with school drop-offs and pick-ups mean less parking hassles, air pollution, pedestrian accidents and increased visibility of students at the school gates.

“Also teaching children how to be safe on roads, cycle ways and footpaths is a skill for life. Encouraging children to walk or wheel to school is a healthy choice which can be carried on into adulthood,” says Mr Rednall.

School travel plans have helped:

• Reduce car travel by 4.76 per cent taking 7,205 car trips off the road in the mornings
• Save 2,596,000kms in car travel, about $20.35m a year on congestion, and about 150,000 litres of fuel
• Reduce CO2 emissions by 735 tonnes each year.

There have also been 48 per cent fewer crashes involving pedestrians around Travelwise schools, and more than $132m has been spent on safety infrastructure like pedestrian crossings and cycle lanes.

A full list of TravelWise schools in the central area and their awards are:

Avondale Intermediate Bronze
Avondale Primary School (Auckland) Bronze
Bayfield School Bronze
Christ The King School Bronze
Edendale School (Auckland) Bronze
Fairburn School Bronze
Freemans Bay School Bronze
Glenavon School Bronze
Hay Park School Bronze
Mt Eden Normal School Bronze
Oranga School Bronze
Parnell District School Bronze
Pasadena Intermediate Bronze
Pt England School Bronze
Remuera Intermediate Bronze
Remuera School Bronze
St Joseph's School (Onehunga) Bronze
St Kentigern Primary School (Remuera) Bronze
St Marys Ellerslie Bronze
Royal Oak Intermediate School Bronze
Three Kings School Bronze
Wesley Intermediate Bronze
Wesley Primary School Bronze
Auckland Normal Intermediate Silver
Balmoral School Silver
Churchill Park School Silver
Cornwall Park School Silver
Diocesan School For Girls Silver
Ellerslie School Silver
Epsom Normal School Silver
Glendowie School Silver
Kowhai Intermediate Silver
Maungawhau School Silver
Mt Roskill Intermediate Silver
Mt Roskill Primary School Silver
Newton Central School Silver
Richmond Road School Silver

St Cuthbert's College (Epsom) Silver
St Francis School (Pt.Chevalier) Silver
Stanhope Road School Silver
Waiheke Primary School Silver
Waterview School silver
Westmere School (Auckland) Silver
Hillsborough School Silver
New Windsor School Silver
May Road School Silver
Marshall Laing School Silver
Kohia Terrace School Gold
Waikowhai Intermediate Gold
Victoria Avenue School Gold
St Heliers School Gold
Royal Oak Primary School Gold
Onehunga School Gold
Owairaka District School Gold
Pt Chevalier School Gold
Gladstone School (Auckland) Gold
Rosebank School Gold

ENDS

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