Find the best routes to school with new online journey planner

Source - news release from Hertfordshire County Council on 20 Feb 13

An innovative, easy-to-use online school journey planner has been launched by Hertfordshire County Council to help parents and pupils find the best way to get to school, which should help to reduce congestion. 

Frances Button, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: “Is your child starting school this September? Do you know what the travel options are to their new school? The Hertfordshire School Journey Planner is an invaluable tool for parents of children starting school for the first time and for older pupils planning their journeys to new secondary schools. 

“Driving – even short distances – is often the choice families make. However, by simply entering your home postcode and your child’s school into the journey planner you’ll be able to compare a range of travel options so journeys can be planned effectively and efficiently.” 

The journey planner offers a range of routes either on foot, by bike, by public transport or by car. The planner also shows the approximate amount of calories burned on each route and the amount of carbon emissions produced to help families to pick the best way to get to school. 

Stuart Pile, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “The Hertfordshire School Journey Planner finds the quickest and safest routes to school and helps parents to find alternative ways to get to school other than by car. This in turn should help to ease congestion on our busy roads as well as reduce emissions.” 

Walking routes take into account unsafe sections of a journey and if possible these will be avoided. For cyclists there are three options to suit the levels of experience and confidence – fastest / quietest / balanced. Public transport options use the up-to-date information from the Traveline web services. Driving routes are also displayed and parents can see potential alternatives to using the car everyday for the school run.

The system is available on your local county council’s website www.hertsdirect.org/mapit There are also other useful online services such as the school locator to find the nearest schools to where you live by entering your postcode and the type of school you want to find.