Make safety the priority in school zones

Jan. 16, 2022 10:00 a.m.
City of Vaughan
​Follow the rules of the road, be alert and keep your distance from others!

 

As students return to classes this week, there will be more pedestrians on sidewalks throughout the city. To help stop the spread of COVID-19, the City of Vaughan is reminding everyone to stay vigilant, practise physical distancing from others and wear a mask when that is not possible.

In response to the pandemic, the City continues to implement measures to ensure the health and safety of all staff and citizens, including school crossing guards and children travelling to and from school. The City has taken the following precautions:

  • Training crossing guards on COVID-19-related procedures and safety measures.
  • Providing crossing guards with masks.
  • Requiring crossing guards to complete the Province's COVID-19 self-assessment questionnaire before reporting to work each day to ensure they are symptom-free.
  • Installing signage at all school crossing guard locations to reinforce physical distancing.

It’s also important for children, parents and drivers to be alert, follow the rules of the road and walk safely – especially in school zones. Take extra precautions around crosswalks, pedestrian crossovers, stopped school buses, schools and intersections.

Tips for pedestrians:

  • Be mindful of slippery conditions on both the sidewalk and roadway.
  • Walk young children to school.
  • Encourage children to always obey crossing guards.
  • Walk, don’t run, when crossing the street.
  • Pay attention to vehicular traffic while walking along or crossing roads.
  • Obey all traffic rules and signals.
  • Ensure you are visible to drivers and cyclists, and make eye contact once they have stopped before crossing.
  • Cross at designated crosswalks, crossovers or controlled intersections only.
  • Be mindful of slippery conditions on sidewalks and roadways.

Tips for drivers and cyclists: 

  • Reduce speed in school zones, especially when slippery conditions are present, and be ready to stop at all times.
  • Give yourself enough time to get to your destination without the need for speed.
  • Expect the unexpected. Children may cross the street at the wrong place, run into oncoming traffic or ride a bike in front of a vehicle without warning.
  • Stop for school buses and be aware of children running in front of or behind buses.
  • Avoid U-turns in school zones.
  • Do not pass other vehicles in a school zone.
  • Obey the rules of the road, including posted speed limits.
  • Abide by all parking and traffic regulations in school zones.
  • Obey crossing guard signals and yield to pedestrians.
  • Pay attention to your surroundings. Watch for, stop and yield the whole roadway to pedestrians when approaching a pedestrian crossover. (Failing to do so may result in fines from York Regional Police of up to $1,000 and four demerit points.)
  • Avoid distractions within the vehicle and ensure children are secured in a correctly installed child restraint seat if required.
  • Ensure children exit by the passenger side of the vehicle.
  • Keep fire routes and bus zones clear.
  • Leave nine metres (or 29 feet) between the car and the crosswalks and/or stop signs when parking. Parking too close to these locations makes it difficult to see children when crossing the road.
  • Avoid double parking in school zones.
  • Watch for signs indicating “No Stopping” and “No Parking.”
  • Stay back 0.6 metres (or two feet) from private driveways to avoid upsetting residents.

School zone safety is a joint priority for the City’s Transportation and Fleet Management Services, By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services and Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service departments. Together with York Regional Police, York Region, York Region District School Board and York Catholic District School Board, the City is working to ensure all community members' safety.   

#SlowDownVaughan

Play a part in encouraging drivers to obey speed limits with the City’s new campaign: #SlowDownVaughan. Vaughan residents can post a #SlowDownVaughan sign on their lawn, in their windows or on their social media profiles to encourage the public to slow down while driving on City roads. They can also make it their New Year’s resolution and post on the City’s online platform why they are committed to driving carefully.

Lawn signs are available to pick up at all Vaughan Public Libraries and community centres, excluding Garnet A. Williams Community Centre, which is temporarily closed for renovations. Citizens can also download print-at-home window signs or social media graphics at vaughan.ca/SlowDownVaughan. Signs are produced by the City and are free to Vaughan residents.

Citizens are also encouraged to show support for safe driving by sharing pictures of their signs and using the hashtag #SlowDownVaughan on social media. Visit vaughan.ca/SlowDownVaughan for more information on this initiative, including details on how to participate.

Speed Limit Policy

Approved by Council on June 2, 2021 (PDF), the Speed Limit Policy sets and adjusts appropriate speed limits throughout the City’s street network to continue to ensure a safe community for all road users and address growing urbanization as more cars are anticipated to be on the roads. As part of the City’s MoveSmart Mobility Management Strategy, the policy is exclusive to municipal roads and focuses on four areas within Vaughan’s road network: rural roadways, built-up/urban areas (including school zones), public laneways and select neighbourhoods. Evidence suggests that lowering speed limits, especially in residential areas, can be effective in reducing the risk of severe injury or even death due to a motor vehicle accident.

Below are areas where the City has reduced speed limits to date:

  • Public laneways were reduced to 30 kilometres per hour on Dec. 1, 2021.
  • School zones were reduced from 50 to 40 kilometres per hour on Sept. 8, 2021.

For more information and updates on the City’s Speed Limit Policy, visit vaughan.ca/SpeedPolicy.

Those who feel unwell, and believe they have symptoms related to COVID-19, should contact York Region Public Health at 1-800-361-5653 or Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000. For additional information and resources on the virus, visit York Region's website at york.ca/COVID19.

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