Active School Travel
The City of Vaughan's Active School Travel program promotes any form of human-powered travel, such as walking or wheeling (including the use of assistive mobility devices), cycling, rollerblading or skateboarding to get to and from school.
In collaboration with York Region, York Catholic District School Board, York Region District School Board, York Region Public Health and York Regional Police, this program is designed to:
- build lifelong habits of active and independent mobility.
- educate and raise awareness among the community about the benefits of active and sustainable travel.
- encourage students to reap the benefits of Active School Travel while having fun.
- enhance road safety and help manage vehicle congestion around school zones.
- improve air quality in school zones by reducing pollution and greenhouse gases made by vehicles.
- improve students’ physical and mental health, social development and academic performance.
- raise awareness of road safety being a shared value and responsibility.
To support local schools in promoting safe and active transportation, the program uses a combination of activities and tools to get the community involved. In addition, traffic calming measures are implemented (where warranted) to enhance safety in school zone areas. These include, but are not limited to:
- installation of radar message boards
- installation of flexi posts
- installation wayfinding signage
- improvement or introduction of school zone pavement markings
In May of 2022, the program began as a pilot in eight schools for the 2022-2023 school year. More information about the program findings can be found in the Active School Travel Pilot Program Summary. As part of the Safer School Zones Plan, recommendations were brought forward for the continued improvement and expansion of the Active School Travel program. In September, the program is rolling out across the following four new locations for the 2024-25 school year:
• Fossil Hill Public School
• Mackenzie Glen Public School
• St. Veronica Catholic Elementary School
• Teston Village Public School
Safe school zones and the well-being of residents remains a top priority. The City continues to collaborate with stakeholders and leverage partnerships to raise awareness, share information and promote active and sustainable travel, as road safety is a shared value and responsibility.