School and foreign student awareness raising campaign
Summary
The main objectives of this measure were to develop mobility plans, improve the accessibility to schools, reduce the conflicts of the different modes in the access to schools, reduce traffic congestion around schools, improve children’s security and parent’s perception of children’s security, raise awareness and change behaviours of schools’ communities and promote the attractiveness of the city.
Implementing sustainable mobility
Elaboration, implementation and monitoring of action plans for six schools in Funchal
Sustainable mobility action plans were developed for 6 schools in Funchal. The plans analysed the current situation of the use of private and public transport (PT) and the use of soft modes (pedestrian and bicycle), carried out the evaluation of the routes in schools and in their surroundings and proposed a set of recommendations for improving the mobility and safety of the schools.
Implementation of safer routes in the areas surrounding the six pilot schools
Despite the spatial constraints in the surrounding area, namely narrow roads, that hampered a wider intervention to improve multimodality, the Municipality of Funchal managed to outline 3 traffic calming design projects to reinforce road safety and pedestrian accessibility to schools, namely a Kiss and Ride dedicated corridor, elevated crosswalks, enlargement of sidewalks and introduction of low traffic zones.
In addition, the Municipality of Funchal implemented 11 traffic calming measures in 5 schools that contributed to improved road safety for students and pedestrians in general, namely the implementation of low traffic zones through the deployment of speed bumps, traffic signs, raised crosswalks, enlargement of sidewalks, improvement of accessibility for PT through the reinforcement of traffic lanes dedicated to pedestrians.
Raise awareness of the benefits of sustainable urban mobility behaviour
Horários do Funchal (HF) and AREAM carried out several communication activities in schools and universities, in order to make the school communities aware of sustainable mobility behaviours. 20 awareness actions were carried out in 11 schools in Madeira, with the participation of 540 persons (400 pupils, 140 teachers) from the schools community. Moreover, in the beginning of the school year in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020, HF developed specific promotional campaigns to promote the use of PT in schools and universities. The local partners used a wide variety of communication material and methods, such as roll-ups, flyers, promoters, and website information.
“Pick-Up & Ride” Application
In January 2021 AREAM launched the Pick-Up & Ride application with the goal to reduce congestion at schools after classes and during peak hours. Two promotional videos were created (PT and EN). A tutorial video about the functioning of the application was also developed. A marketing campaign was launched on media and social media addressed to schools and the public in general, using the promotional videos.
Online bilateral contacts were made with the regional education authority and schools, demonstrating the functioning and the objectives of the application. From the contacts made with schools in Madeira, 13 schools adopted and use the app “Pick up & Ride”.
More information
- Measure evaluation report
- 6 Sustainable Mobility Action Plans in schools:
- Pick up & Ride application (android and iOS): https://www.pickup.ptservidor.net/download/
- Videos:
- Promotion video of Pick up & Ride application: Short version EN | Long Version EN; Short version PT | Long Version PT
- Tutorial video of Pick up & Ride application: Link video (PT)
- Promotional activities:
Outcomes
- Less energy consumption - Saved 38 MWh of energy in 2019 compared to 2017, due to the transfer of students from private to PT.
- Less environmental pollution around schools - Reduction of 10 t CO2 in 2019 compared to 2017, due to the transfer of students from private transport to PT.
- Reduced private car use and increased PT use among students - Increase of 0,5% of the use of PT in the 6 pilot schools.
- Improved pedestrian safety and urban landscape quality - Decrease of 6% on the medium and high risks in routes, bus-stops and schools’ surroundings.
- Increase the number of students in PT - Increase of 48% of students adhering to PT in the beginning of school year, between 2016 and 2019.