With the internet it’s simple to plan travel routes using things like Google Maps.

CycleStreets.net is particularly useful for walking and cycling as it tends to know where all the paths are. It uses OpenStreetMap, which anyone can edit and add to, it’s easy to make sure that local information is correct.

ChangingPace is working with some classes at Sciennes (funded by Sustrans) to encourage walking and cycling using maps, iPhone apps for mapping and Geocaching, etc.

The recent snow has made it difficult for everyone to walk and cycle. Fortunately it coincided with the school holidays, so more fun!

Snow clearing and gritting was done first on the main roads and Sciennes Road looked like this for a few days.

Once again Sciennes School had around 90 children taking part in the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme. Sciennes is one of only a small number of Edinburgh schools to provides CT in school time.

This year pupils had the chance to try a new ‘skills course’ developed by ChangingPace. This has three main benefits. It improves bike handling skills. It lets trainers observe how proficient children are on bikes. It’s FUN so it makes CT even more enjoyable.

The idea was to have the course in the open playground, but on the day it was raining so much the course had to be laid out in the shelter shed!

On the first of October we took some photos of people trying to cross the difficult crossing at the Mayfield Road end of West Savile Terrace. In total 120 people crossed between 8:15 and 8:50. This information will be sent to the CEC travel Co-ordinator.

We will be doing a presentation on Road Safety at both assemblies on Friday.

JRSOs

He said it was a shame that all schools didn’t do it still. He also mentioned the fact that Sciennes had bikes for children who don’t have their own – which he thought was great!

Tom is a regular cyclist and even takes his radio show on the road.

Its 14 pages detail how children come to school now and highlights concerns that affect those who currently walk or cycle and also deters some parents from letting their children do the same (even accompanied).

Councillor Marilyne Maclaren, the Council’s Education Convenor, launched the EducatedTravel.info web site at Sciennes today.

She met some of the P6 pupils who are doing Cycle Training and also the School’s two Junior Road Safety Officers.

Sciennes Primary School has been involved in Safe Routes to School work for over ten years.

The new web site will be used by schools throughout Edinburgh to encourage walking and cycling.

It’s Cycle Training time again at Sciennes. One of the few schools in Edinburgh which makes sure that all children can get properly trained in school time. Sciennes has three classes per year, so that’s 90 bikes to be safety checked next week!

This is co-ordinated by the Accessible Transport section of the City Development Department. The officer for Edinburgh South (including Sciennes) is Mark Symonds.