Why isn’t every day a ‘Ride 2 School’ day?
“Together, let’s reclaim our streets for children, families, and local communities—because every kid deserves a safe, active, fun and independent journey to school.”
Why more kids should ride or walk to school – and how we can make it happen
On Friday, 21 March, over 350,000 school students across Australia will take part in National Ride2School Day—an event bigger than the top ten largest running events in the country combined.
It’s a day of fun and colour where students, teachers, parents and carers rediscover the joy of active travel—whether that’s riding something with wheels (take your pick from bikes, scooters, roller skates or skateboards!) or just old-fashioned walking.
But beyond the event itself, there’s a much bigger conversation to be had: why aren’t more kids riding and walking to school every day?
Image source: Better Streets Australia
Safety concerns are the biggest barrier !
Surveys [1] show that most parents think there are clear benefits to children walking or riding to school—but they don’t feel it’s safe.
60% of parents worry about their children crossing roads with high traffic volumes, and almost half believe that driving is the safest option.
This is a self-fulfilling problem—as more families opt to drive, streets become more dangerous for those left riding and walking, reinforcing the cycle of car dependency.
Safe streets = More kids riding and walking
The solution? Better infrastructure.
Cities worldwide [2] have shown that when governments invest in:
Safe cycleways
People-friendly speed limits
More pedestrian crossings and traffic calming measures
Car-free streets immediately outside the school gate
…walking and cycling rates increase significantly.
Australia has an opportunity to transform the way kids travel to school, but it requires serious investment.
If you still need convincing… here’s more on the benefits of active travel to school
The journey to and from school is a golden opportunity for children to enjoy easy and fun daily exercise. Given that nationally…
Half of all primary school students live within 2 km of their school
70% live within 5 km
…many children could be walking or riding instead of being stuck in a car in traffic.
Arriving at school energised from exercise improves concentration and learning outcomes [3]. And the benefits don’t stop there [4]:
Families save money – fewer car trips mean lower fuel costs.
Parents regain time – once kids are old enough to travel independently, parents no longer need to do the school run, and kids can embrace the thrill of independent travel.
Less congestion around schools – fewer cars means calmer, safer and quieter school zones.
Lower emissions and pollution – reducing school traffic helps tackle climate change and air quality issues.
The decline of walking and cycling to school
Despite these benefits, more than 70% of Australian children do not walk or ride to school in a typical week [1]. This is a dramatic shift from the 1970s, when almost 60% of children got themselves to school [5].
This decline isn’t unique to Australia—it’s a global trend, fuelled by:
Increasing car dependence
Urban planning that prioritises vehicle traffic over people
A lack of safe walking and cycling infrastructure.
Support the Better Streets campaign for more funding for our kids’ futures
In the lead-up to the Federal Election, Better Streets Australia - the national charity accelerating the adoption of safe, healthy, people-friendly, climate-friendly streets is calling for a major increase in funding for walking and cycling infrastructure.
Currently, the Australian Government spends just $0.90 per person per year on active transport—one of the lowest rates in the developed world.
Better Streets is asking all political parties and candidates to commit to:
$15 per person per year – or $400 million annually – throughout the coming UN Decade for Sustainable Mobility.
This investment would ensure more children in Australia can ride or walk to school safely and easily.
How you can help
🚶♀️🚲🎒 Organise a Ride2School Day event - see our ‘how to’ guide here.
💡 Sign the open letter to Federal Election candidates, urging them to commit to more sustainable and safer streets.
🤝 Encourage your own organisation to endorse the campaign.
📢 Spread the word on social media and in your community: “Why isn’t every day a ‘ride 2 school’ day?“
Together, we can reclaim our streets for children, families, and local communities—because every kid deserves a safe, active, fun and independent journey to school.
👉 Learn more and support the campaign here: https://www.betterstreets.org.au/2025-federal-election
Author: Kate Ridway is an education researcher with a background in psychology and public health. She has spent the last decade investigating how children and young people develop and how parents, teachers and the broader community can best support.
References:
Larouche, R., Mammen, G., Rowe, D. A., & Faulkner, G. (2018). Effectiveness of active school transport interventions: a systematic review and update. BMC public health, 18, 1-18.
Donnelly, J. E., Hillman, C. H., Castelli, D., Etnier, J. L., Lee, S., Tomporowski, P., ... & Szabo-Reed, A. N. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: a systematic review. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 48(6), 1197.
Ding, D., Luo, M., Infante, M. F. P., Gunn, L., Salvo, D., Zapata-Diomedi, B., ... & Nguyen, B. (2024). The co-benefits of active travel interventions beyond physical activity: a systematic review. The Lancet Planetary Health, 8(10), e790-e803.
Lam, H. Y., Jayasinghe, S., Ahuja, K. D., & Hills, A. P. (2023). Active school commuting in school children: a narrative review of current evidence and future research implications. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(20), 6929.
Ride 2 School Day (Bicycle NSW)
Ride 2 School Day (Better Streets)
