A school travel plan is a living document that is designed to identify obstacles and provide solutions to help our students access education.  A school travel plan is not owned by one individual or school but is an amalgamation and synthesis of information and ideas brought forward by the school community as a means to help students get to and from school.  One of the primary goals to a school travel plan is to ensure that active and healthy transportation choices are championed and decisions in the community and the school are designed to help facilitate those choices.  Some of the common barriers identified in many school travel plans include:

  • Infrastructure related (no sidewalks, no connecting walkways, deteriorating road/sidewalk fabric etc.)                                                It's cool to walk to school!
  • Safety Concerns (no crossing guards, stranger danger, traffic around the school etc.)
  • Policies (School Board busing policies are too lenient / too stringent)

School travel plans do rely heavily on the school itself being a leader of change.  Check out some of the strategies some schools have used to promote active and healthy transportation choices and see if anything resonates with you.  Changing how we make transportation choices will be a multi-generational endeavour but it all starts with these small steps and decisions to make a difference.

The following schools have developed school travel plans in conjunction with their community partners.  If your school community is interested in developing a plan for your school please let us know and we will help facilitate the discussion to start the process.