'I'd paint rainbows and unicorns on it': Understanding children's school travel behaviours and the impact of a new shared path

Introduction: Evidence shows there is a clear link between active travel to school and children's physical activity levels. Active school travel (AST) in New Zealand has declined while car travel to school has increased. The aim of this research is to understand the factors related to travel mode to school from the perspectives of children, their parents and school representatives, through the evaluation of a shared path in Whangarei, New Zealand. Methods: Children, their parents and school representatives were recruited through four schools located close to a new shared path intervention. Children's mode of travel to school before and after the construction of the new shared path was measured using repeat hands-up surveys. The study was conducted using a child-centred approach. 13 semi-structured focus groups with children (8-12 years old), phones interviews with 35 parents, and face-to-face interviews with four school representatives were conducted. Quantitative data were described descriptively and qualitative data were analysed using inductive and deductive thematic analysis based on the KidsPoND framework. Results: Three out of four schools surveyed reported small but promising increases in the proportion of AST from pre to post shared path intervention. Triangulation of qualitative data from children, parents and school representatives' revealed a number of factors related to children's mode of travel to school, including: convenience, safety (traffic and 'stranger danger'), fun, health benefits, social environment, weather and environment. All groups also gave a number of suggestions to improve the accessibility, utility and safety of the new shared path. Conclusion: Important insights into why new infrastructure may or may not be successful at enabling AST can be garnered from understanding child, parent and school representatives' perspectives. Our findings have implications for urban and town planners, AST policy makers and public health.