For immediate release
New resource to help school communities and residents improve traffic safety
TORONTO, September 23, 2016. The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT) is pleased to release the Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools: Understanding Your Policy Options in the City of Toronto, a new resource created to help school communities and residents improve traffic safety in their neighbourhoods.
The guide complements the newly released Road Safety Plan by the City of Toronto, and is designed to further enhance the accessibility of the relevant policies for residents.
“As a parent, I would love to see my kids walk and bike to school, yet the imminent danger of speeding cars and other safety concerns (no bike lanes, lack of signals or crosswalks) makes me hesitate”, explains Nazerah Shaikh, a School Council Chair in North York. “In fact, many parents in our community would like to help make our neighbourhood safer, but it’s not often clear what steps can be taken.”
“The Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools explains the processes for requesting street improvements in the City of Toronto in a simple and easy to understand format. This resource can help empower school communities by providing direction and tools to assist in advocating for neighbourhoods with slower vehicle speeds and safer street crossings, thereby enhancing the communities in which we live, work, and play,” shares Richard Christie, the Senior Manager of Sustainability at the Toronto District School Board.
The resource is available as a PDF for download from saferstreetsnearschools.ca, where readers will also find a web version that includes downloadable templates and samples from the accompanying toolkit.
The development of the resource was led by Green Communities Canada in partnership with TCAT, University of Toronto School of the Environment, Toronto Public Health, Toronto District School Board, and CultureLink Settlement & Community Services. It was funded by the Healthier Cities and Communities Hub Seed Grant initiative, a consortium of three funding partners: Toronto Public Health, The Wellesley Institute and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health. It was also supported by Mitacs through the Mitacs-Accelerate Program.
Board of Health
A Toronto Public Health report on road safety and children – focused on the guide – will be discussed at the Board of Health meeting on September 30th. The guide will be publicly available on September 23, 2016, along with the Board of Health agenda and report.
About The Centre for Active Transportation (TCAT)
TCAT, a project of the registered charity Clean Air Partnership, advances knowledge and evidence to build support for safe and inclusive streets for walking and cycling. We believe that active transportation plays a critical role in creating environmentally and economically sustainable cities. Find out more at www.tcat.ca
A PDF version of the press release is available here.