We’ve released our Modeshift STARS and Active Travel Ambassadors (ATA) Annual Reports for 2024/25, revealing significant growth in active travel across England.
The findings from both programmes demonstrate that peer-led initiatives and accredited Travel Plans are successfully increasing walking, wheeling, and cycling in schools and communities nationwide.
Modeshift STARS empowers organisations to enhance everyday journeys by creating, delivering, and tracking the effectiveness of their Travel Plans whilst working towards national accreditation.
Key findings from the 2024/25 STARS report include:
- Since 2008, 8,733 Modeshift STARS accreditation applications have been awarded to sites that have delivered effective Travel Plans across the four schemes: STARS Education, STARS Business, STARS Residential, and STARS Healthcare. In 2024/25 alone, 1,257 STARS accreditation applications were approved, including 1,101 education sites.
- Data for 802 schools, representing more than 318,000 pupils, revealed that 52.14% of pupils use an active mode (walk, wheel, cycle, scoot) of travel for the journey to and from school. Meanwhile, 64.65% identified an active travel mode as their preference, with just 17.15% stating that they preferred to be driven to school.
- In 2024/25, 14,166 school-led initiatives were delivered involving over 2.5 million participants.
- Schools recorded an additional 978,796 active travel stages (a distinct part of a journey) over the academic year. Crucially, the programme has resulted in 2,579,833 fewer car trips on the school run annually.
Funded by Active Travel England as a pilot project since 2022, the ATA programme has been growing steadily across England. The 2024/25 academic year marked the third year of the ATA programme and saw 30% more schools taking part compared to last year, and 67% more young people engaged as Active Travel Ambassadors.
Lillian Greenwood MP, Minister for Local Transport said:
‘Active and sustainable travel can do so much to improve our lives, giving us health, freedom and wellbeing. I’m delighted to support Modeshift to give people the opportunity to walk, wheel, ride, and use public transport for their everyday journeys.
This report sets out the strides that Modeshift is making, through its STARS programme, empowering over 1,000 organisations to enhance everyday journeys. STARS supports organisations to create, deliver, and track the effectiveness of their travel plans whilst working towards national accreditation.
I am particularly inspired by the engagement of schools in STARS, with over 2.5 million pupils and adults taking part in thousands of active travel-boosting initiatives in just one year.. This reinforces the commitment made by regional mayors last year to make it easier to walk, wheel and cycle to school, alongside support and guidance provided by Active Travel England to local authorities.
I am sure by continuing to work with Active Travel England, and with the support of its #TeamModeshift partners, STARS will continue to go from strength to strength, creating happier, healthier and greener communities across the country.’
The ATA programme aims to increase levels of active and sustainable travel in secondary schools nationwide through peer-led behaviour change campaigns.
- In 2024/5, the team trained 1,246 students as Ambassadors, reaching a total student population of 110,906.
- 80 student-led campaigns were delivered this year, promoting walking (19), cycling (16), or a combination of both (45).
- The programme delivered a 0.87 percentage point shift to Green modes and a 2.82 percentage point decrease in single-family car journeys.
Both reports highlight the cost-effectiveness of these interventions. The modal shift achieved through the STARS programme was delivered at a cost of just £0.28 per active travel stage. Similarly, the ATA programme demonstrated excellent value, with a cost of £1.96 per active travel stage.
The reports showcase success stories from across the country, including Applefields School in York (National SEND School of the Year), where car use dropped by 8%, and Upper Batley High School, where walking rates increased from 14% to 52% over several years.
Nick Butler, Chief Operating Officer at Modeshift said:
‘These reports provide clear evidence that well-designed, locally delivered programmes that focus on enabling and encouraging walking, wheeling, cycling, and public transport can be extremely effective.
Through Modeshift STARS and Active Travel Ambassadors, schools, businesses, organisations, and communities are improving everyday journeys, reducing car dependency, and delivering exceptional value for money.
The scale of engagement we’re seeing shows that when people are supported to make healthier and safer travel choices, they do so. We are looking forward to growing the number of people involved, and delivering better journeys for more people.’
Want to know more?
The teams behind these results, alongside real-life case studies, will be sharing insight and best practice at the National STARS Summit. It’s a chance to explore what’s working, ask questions, and take ideas back to your own organisation.
