In May 2022, our school began participating in the Vaughan Active School Travel Pilot Program. The goal of this program is to improve traffic safety in our school zone and support our school community’s health and well-being by encouraging active school travel.
The active school travel pilot program is relaunching starting Wednesday, September 7, 2022 which will be our first Walking Wednesday and will end in June 2023. The program is a partnership between the York Region District School Board, York Catholic District School Board, City of Vaughan, Region of York and York Regional Police.
To support this program we are encouraging all families and students to choose active modes of transportation (walk, cycle and scooter) or take the school bus (where eligible and possible) when travelling to and from school as often as possible. Active school travel has many benefits including:
- Improves student academic performance by making students more alert and better prepared to learn.
- Improves both physical and mental health.
- Reduces traffic congestion and improves safety for everyone in school zones and around our school community.
- Improves air quality.
- Encourages social interaction and improves social skills.
- Promotes life-long habits that foster independence and active lifestyles, preparing children for their future.
As part of this program, a number of programs and tools will be coming to your school:
Education and Marketing
- assembly for students on benefits of active school travel and safety skills
- mobile signs and school banners with active school travel messaging
- school-led programs and initiatives (look out for more information)
Walking Wednesdays
This program will restart on September 7 and continue for the entire school year. All students and families are encouraged to walk and cycle every Wednesday for the entire school year.
Wayfinding Signage
Within your school community, signs encouraging active school travel have been installed along various routes. These signs indicate five, 10 and 15-minute distance points from the school. See map and poster attached.
Traffic Calming Tools
A number of traffic calming tools have been installed to improve school zone safety including:
- radar message boards (Spring 2022)
- “Slow Down Vaughan” signs around the perimeter of the school
- refreshed center lines and edge lines on Stanton Ave and Lawford Rd
- flexi post signs (flexible Bollards are a traffic calming tool typically used to create a narrowing effect on roads with the goal of slowing down traffic) and bollards on Lawford Rd between the two schools
- “slow school zone” pavement markings on Lawford Rd between the two schools
- all way stop and appropriate pavement markings at Lawford and Harley
- new school crossing guard request at Harley Dr & Lawford Rd
We understand that some families live far or have limited time in the mornings. If you have to drive, you are encouraged to please consider parking your car a few blocks away and walking the rest of the way. If you drive, remember to obey all street signage and rules of the road.
School Zone Safety is a shared responsibility. If we all work together we can create an environment that is pedestrian friendly for all.