How Am I Getting to School This Year?
By Erin Moir, Co-Executive, EcoSuperior
When we live in our school zone, school buses are provided to safely transport students back and forth to school. As the distances for bus eligibility will change for the 2024/2025 school year, so will the need for parent planning, perceptions, and understanding of active transportation.
If you and your family are new to actively getting to school, there are many ways to ease worry and embrace the fresh air!
Start by choosing a route. Google maps has great access to walking or cycling routes between destinations. Additionally, EcoSuperior, in partnership with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and the Student Transportation Servies of Thunder Bay, have posted Active Routes to School signage in some school neighbourhoods that help mark safe routes to school. Access to these routes can be found here.
Next, practice the route. Are there sidewalks? Where are the crosswalks or school crossing guards? Practicing the route promotes confidence and creates awareness about your neighbourhood.
If you attend school in your neighbourhood, it is likely the neighbours do to! Get together and make a schedule with other caregivers so that each day the students have a chaperone along their route. A chaperone could be a parent or a more senior student. The more people walking and/or cycling together the more visible pedestrians and cyclists are to motor vehicles.
If walking just feels like too much one day, then try carpooling or park and walk. Parking a block away from the school and walking the rest of the way, not only incorporates a little fresh air into your routine, but also decreases congestion at Kiss N Go lines and school drop off lanes.
Although winter walking can be challenging, it doesn't mean you have to stop moving. Be sure to wear appropriate outdoor clothing, comfortable and weatherproof footwear and ensure you can cover your face well on those windy January mornings. Don't worry, you'll be warmed up by the time you get to school!
As a driver, there are also considerations when it comes to active commuters. Ensure you are slowing down in all residential and school zones. Leave plenty of time to get to your destination to ensure you don't have to rush on the road. Look for pedestrians and then look again and take time in low lit areas, especially during winter months.
If we all do our part, active school travel is a safe, healthy mode of transportation that benefits both people and the planet.
