Children’s school travel and wellbeing in the Netherlands

Many children in wealthy nations across the world travel to school by passive modes such as car or bus. In the Netherlands, the dominant mode has remained cycling, though walking is decreasing and car travel increasing. Active travel is seen as a means of gaining daily physical activity, but it can also relate to other benefits such as travel satisfaction. This chapter first introduces the current status of school travel in the Netherlands, and then uses a case study to examine the relationships between transport modes and various social and ecological aspects. The association between school travel mode and travel satisfaction of children in a context where cycling is common is also explored for the first time.