A methodology for evaluating walking buses as an instrument of urban transport policy

Walking buses are a relatively new phenomenon to encourage children to use an alternative to the car to travel to school. They consist of a group of children walking in a line along a set route, escorted by adults, and stopping to collect children at specific stops. There have been few systematic evaluations of their effectiveness as policy instruments. This paper describes a methodological framework to evaluate walking buses that is being developed as part of a larger project on children’s car use. The paper uses preliminary data from five schools to demonstrate the types of outcome that can be considered within the framework.