Stay active this spring by walking or wheeling to school
It may be easy to hop in the car to take the kids to school, but there are many other ways to get to class.
Make the trek to school this spring by walking or wheeling with an assistive mobility device (such as wheelchairs, walkers or motorized scooters) in appropriate weather and sidewalk conditions. Not only will this help foster a healthier lifestyle for everyone, but making the switch can also help improve road safety in our community.
Are you up for the challenge? Mayor Steven Del Duca, School Board Trustee Nadeem Mahmood, York Regional Police and students from Mackenzie Glen Public School are! Today, they walked to school to promote the City’s Active School Travel program.
The Active School Travel program encourages any form of human-powered travel to get to and from school. In collaboration with York Region, local school boards, Public Health and York Regional Police, the program is available at the following four locations across the city:
- Fossil Hill Public School
- Mackenzie Glen Public School
- St. Veronica Catholic Elementary School
- Teston Village Public School
The program is designed to:
- build lifelong habits of active and independent mobility.
- educate and raise awareness among the community, especially students, of 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 students’ physical and mental health, social development and academic performance.
- improve air quality in school zones by reducing pollution and greenhouse gases made by vehicles.
- raise awareness of road safety as a shared value and responsibility.
Road safety is a leading priority for the City of Vaughan – especially when protecting our most vulnerable road users. The Active School Travel program is just one of the many ways the City continues to improve road safety in Vaughan through the MoveSmart Mobility Management Strategy, which helps form and direct the City’s vision to continue providing a safer, more efficient and sustainable transportation system.
To keep students, parents and guardians safe, many traffic calming measures have been implemented and enhanced to promote school zone safety. Traffic calming measures can include radar message boards, flexi posts, road safety silhouettes, wayfinding signage and enhanced school zone pavement markings, among others. All school zones in Vaughan have been designated ‘Community Safety Zones’ (PDF); up next, Automated Speed Enforcement cameras are coming to many of these areas citywide this year.
To learn more about the City’s Active School Travel program, visit vaughan.ca/ActiveSchoolTravel.
QUOTE
“Today, I was pleased to join students from Mackenzie Glen Public School to walk to school. Staying active is essential for the health and well-being of everyone, including our young residents. Here in Vaughan, we’re committed to promoting active and accessible travel to school and encouraging everyone to embrace healthier, active habits. Plus, another benefit of initiatives like the City’s Active School Travel Program is that they help reduce traffic gridlock by getting more cars off the streets. Thank you to everyone who joined us today for our walk to school while enjoying the warmer weather.”
- Mayor Steven Del Duca
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