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Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools | 2016

Do you want safer streets in your neighbourhood? 

A Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools will help you learn how to create them. This guide brings together a number of policies from the City of Toronto that residents can use to request street improvements. It explains the policies step-by-step, and shares advice about which ones may be most relevant to you. 

After reading this guide, you will be better informed about the importance of active transportation  (getting around using your own energy, such as walking, cycling, or using a scooter, wheelchair or roller-blades).  You will also learn how you, as a resident, can contribute to neighbourhood changes that slow the speed of vehicles and make it safer for people to cross the street.

Download the guide below, or explore its sections by clicking these links:

Getting Started

Walking and biking are great for children’s health, are a fun way to get from place to place, and can even help students do better in school.  Unfortunately, while most parents walked to school when they were kids, not as many families are walking to school today. 

One of the reasons fewer kids are walking or biking is because families are worried about traffic danger. As communities, we can work with our Ward Councillors and City staff to make our neighbourhoods safer and help kids get the many health and social benefits of travelling actively to school.

Many cities around the world and here in Canada have been lowering speed limits, installing traffic calming, and improving intersections. These cities, including Toronto, are gaining the benefits of better health and safety, a cleaner environment, and a stronger local economy.

The Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools explains key steps that you, as a resident, can take to be better informed about traffic safety and how you can request street improvements in your neighbourhood.

If you live outside of Toronto, many of our suggestions and approaches will still be useful, but your municipality will have its own specific policies and practices around road safety.

By working closely with your neighbours, school community, Ward Councillor, City staff and other passionate individuals, you can help build a better city.

How to Get Started

Step 1CONNECT WITH YOUR SCHOOL COUNCIL

Get in touch with your School Council Chair and Principal. Talk to them about the Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools, and ask if it can be a topic at an upcoming meeting. Suggest creating a subcommittee that can focus on street safety, and plan a first meeting.
Step 2WRITE YOUR VISION

At your first meeting, talk about your vision for the neighbourhood. Use the worksheet from our Toolkit to think about what a safe neighbourhood means to you, and the key pieces that create it.
Step 3DEFINE THE PROBLEM

What are the traffic problems that are in the way of your vision? Our Toolkit worksheet asks you to think about the specific streets that have issues, and what those issues are. Is there no safe place to cross the street? Are cars travelling way too fast?
Step 4 KNOW YOUR ROAD CLASSIFICATION

Find the classification of the streets you wish to improve. Streets in Toronto are classified as one of either local roadway, collector roadway, minor arterial roadway, or major arterial roadway (see our definitions of each of these). On the City of Toronto’s website, you can search for streets by name, map, or by ward to find out how they are classified.
Step 5LEARN ABOUT THE PATHS AND INTERVENTIONS

Compare the streets you identified on the worksheet to the potential paths that are available for street interventions in Toronto. Read about the steps of each path. You can choose a general path and start to think about which options may work well in your neighbourhood, but we recommend that you not focus too narrowly on any one idea if there are several options that can help achieve the same goal.
Step 6CONNECT WITH YOUR WARD COUNCILLOR

If you don't already know who your Ward Councillor is, use the City of Toronto's "Find your Councillor" website. Type in your address to find your ward name and number, along with the name of your Ward Councillor. It will take you to their profile and give you their phone number and email.

Invite your Councillor to your next subcommittee or School Council meeting, and share with them the results of the worksheet you completed. You can use our Toolkit's sample template for reaching out to your Councillor. With their help, decide which of the interventions are possible and best suited to your neighbourhood. Find out if others have contacted them with similar concerns. Then you can begin to follow the specific steps for the path(s) and intervention(s) you have chosen. If you want to recruit more parents to help you move forward, you can fill in the sample outreach letter in our Toolkit and share it with your school community.
TIP
Visiting Your Councillor

We recommend having a vision, defining the problems, and thinking about possible interventions, but keeping an open mind about which ones may work best. Councillors will consult with Transportation Services, who review traffic safety concerns raised by residents, and provide technical recommendations with possible options. Working together with your Councillor and Transportation Services will allow you to direct your efforts towards the interventions that will help you reach your vision and also have the greatest chance of success.

 

Potential Paths

 What kind of street do I have?

The City of Toronto’s Road Classification System designates streets based on the service provided. Classification considers motor vehicle traffic volumes, the amount of public transit, and the needs of pedestrians and cyclists.  The road class determines the kind of safety interventions that are possible and the process that you will need to follow.

Road Classes

Arterial: Arterial roadways are urban streets that move large amounts of traffic and public transit. Speeds and volumes are higher on these roads and specialized infrastructure such as bicycle lanes and sidewalks are necessary. Minor arterials have over 8000 vehicles per day. Major arterials have over 20,000 vehicles per day.

Collector: Collectors are medium sized streets that connect arterial and local roads. They may have signalized intersections. Some collector roads have public transit. Collector roads have 2,500 to 8,000 vehicles per day.

Local: Local roads provide access to neighbourhoods and carry a smaller amount of traffic. Traffic is usually low and there usually is no public transit. They are sometimes called residential or neighbourhood streets. Local roads have fewer than 2,500 vehicles per day

You can visit the City of Toronto’s website to search for a street by name, map, or ward and find out its type.


Potential Paths

Once you have identified your road class and defined the problem that you are hoping to fix (ie. traffic moving too quickly or an unsafe road crossing), you can begin to explore the possible solutions open to you:

Path 1: Speed Limit Policies

Path 2: Traffic Calming

Path 3: Intersections and Crossings

Use this flow chart to help you determine which path might be most appropriate for the class of road you are hoping to change:

Flow chart describing three different paths: Speed Limit Measures, Traffic Calming Measures, and Pedestrian Crossings

Path 1: Speed Limit Measures

TrafficCalmingNeighbourhoodSign_Toronto (1)

Lowering vehicle speeds are one of various tools to improve road safety. Higher speeds increase the severity of crashes since drivers have less time to react.  In particular, pedestrian and cyclist fatalities increase as vehicle speed goes up.  

Speed versus fatalities graph

Research studies have found that higher speed leads to more collisions involving children, who are more often injured in pedestrian and cycling injuries and casualties.  Children are usually injured mid-block, often on residential streets, and in front of their home or a park. 

 

In Toronto, three approaches to lowering a speed limit are possible, depending on your road class:

1. Apply for a 30km/hr Speed Limit: for local and collector roads

The City of Toronto’s 30km/hr Speed Limit Policy applies to local and collector roads.

You can apply for a 30km/h Speed Limit on a single street or for several streets around your school. To have lower speed limits implemented, a number of ʻwarrantsʼ will need to be met.  Warrants are criteria that a policy must pass to be recommended for approval.  They can include technical requirements such as block length, speed of traffic, or the proximity to a school or park.  They can also be measures of neighbourhood support, such as a community petition, a poll, or a public meeting.  Warrants are assessed by City staff who will prepare a report for the appropriate Community Council, if the warrants are met.

For a 30km/hr speed limit, after speaking with your Councillor you will be asked to complete a petition as required by Warrant “A.” After the petition is complete, Transportation Services will undertake a study to determine if the street meets the other requirements.  The street must either meet warrants B and C or B and D.

30km/hr Speed Limit Policy Warrants

Warrant A: Petition (Mandatory - responsibility of residents)
You must provide a petition to your Councillor signed by at least 25% of the affected households (or 10% in the case of multiple family dwellings like apartment buildings)
Warrant B: Road Environment (ALL criteria must be met)
1. Must be a local or collector road2. Width of road must be 8.5 metres or less3. Eighty-five percent of vehicles must be travelling at or below 50km/hr4. Vehicle volume must be less than 8,000 vehicles per day
Warrant C: School and Cycling Environment (ONE of these criteria must be met)
1. An elementary or junior high school is beside the road2. The road is beside parkland that has access to a school or park3. There are bike lanes, sharrows, or signed bike routes
Warrant D: Pedestrian and Traffic Environment (At least THREE criteria must be met)
1. No sidewalk on either side of the road or a major part of the road2. Frequent parking throughout the day with a pavement of less than 6.5m3. Two or more curves in short distance from each other4. Not enough stopping distance
Source: Adapted from City of Toronto (2015). Appendix A. Proposed 30km/h Speed Limit Policy.

*The proposal must also not have significant impacts on transit service.

TIP
Starting your Petition

A good petition needs to be reasonable, relevant and clear. It should be laid out in a way that the residents who are signing can easily understand what you are saying. You can use and/or modify the petition template in our Toolkit. Include the name of the street in question, and make sure that those signing the petition reside on that street. Include your vision for the street and the measures you are considering. When residents sign the petition they should include their name, address, signature, and date. Include the contact information of the person carrying out the petition. In addition to the mandated petition required for the 30km/h Speed Limit Policy and the Traffic Calming Policy, collecting signatures and letters of support from parents, nearby residents, and the school principal can make your case stronger. Our Toolkit also includes a sample letter of support.

2. Seek a 40km/hr Speed Limit: for arterial roads or other roads with a current speed limit of 50km/hr or more

POLICY
The City of Toronto’s 40km/hr Speed Limit Policy applies to local, collector, and minor arterial roadways.

Lowering the speed limit on arterial roads or other roads with current posted speed limits of 50km/h or more will involve using the 40km/hr Maximum Speed Limits Policy.  While 40km/h speed limits apply primarily to minor arterial roads, exceptions have been made for major arterial roads that have schools (where the limit drops during school hours).  This policy may also be relevant for some local and collector roads.

There is no community petition required for this policy, but there are other ‘warrants’ that must be met.   To have lower speed limits implemented, a number of ʻwarrantsʼ will need to be met.  Warrants are criteria that a policy must pass to be recommended for approval.  They can include technical requirements such as block length, speed of traffic, or the proximity to a school or park.  They can also be measures of neighbourhood support, such as a community petition, a poll, or a public meeting.  Warrants are assessed by City staff who will prepare a report for the appropriate Community Council, if the warrants are met.

A simplified version of the warrants for a 40km/hr speed limit is shown in the chart below; note that Transportation Services will do the studies to evaluate warrant criteria, and will use the original version, linked in the policy box above. If you complete the visioning process and meet with your Councillor and Transportation Services, they can advise whether or not a 40km/h speed limit is an appropriate solution for your street.

Warrant A, B, or C must be met.

40km/hr Speed Limit Policy Warrants

Warrant A - Wide Roads
Pavement width cannot be more than 10.5 metres
Warrant B - Pedestrian Environment (ONE criteria must be met)
1.
An elementary or junior high school is beside the road
2.
Road is beside parkland that has access to a school or park
3.
No sidewalk (on either side or a major portion of the road)
4. The sidewalk is not separated from motor vehicle traffic by street parking or bike lanes AND the roadway width is 5.7 metres (if a two-way street) or 4.0 metres (if a one-way street)
Warrant C - Road and Traffic Environment (ONE criteria must be met)
1.
Two or more locations of concern with steep hills and/or curves, with a safe speed of less than 50km/hr
2.
Not enough distance to stop safely at two or more locations when travelling at 50km/hr
3.
Pattern of collisions affected by vehicle speed on local roads:- 3+ over 3 years, and on other roads: 5+ over 3 years
4. Where long term parking is permitted on one or both sides, AND the roadway width is 5.7 metres (if two-way street) or 4.0 metres (if a one-way street)
Source: Adapted from City of Toronto (2002). Warrants for All-Way ʻStopʼ Sign Control and 40 km/h
Maximum Speed Limits.
TIP
Enforcement

In some cases you may want to ask for enforcement. If this is something you would like to pursue contact information is provided below:
• Parking Enforcement Officers respond to immediate parking complaints. For a short term response, call the Toronto Police Service at (416) 808-2222.
• Parking Enforcement Area Supervisors work with community members to explore, evaluate, and problem-solve parking related issues affecting the community. To explore long-term solutions, call your Area Supervisor at (416) 808-6600.
• For other enforcement related concerns, school administrators can contact your school’s Community School Liaison Officer (a Police Constable with Toronto Police Service).

 

3. Advocate for a District-Wide Speed Limit Reduction: can be more effective than lowering the limit on a single street

Map of Toronto's four Community Councils

POLICY
Toronto and East York Community Council Decision on District Wide Speed Limits

Lowering the posted speed limit over a large area can be more effective than a limit on a single street.

Toronto is split into four Community Councils, made up of the Councillors from the Wards within that district.  Each has its own branch of Transportation Services, and many decisions about local and collector roads are made by Community Council.

In May of 2015, the Toronto and East York Community Council voted to lower the default speed limit from 40km/hr to 30km/hr on all local roads and some collector roads. This was done in response to demands for safer streets from local communities.

A similar reduction in your Community Council area could have a major impact on a large part of the city. Such an initiative would need significant community support including from other school and community groups from each of the wards in your district, as well as studies by City staff.


Not sure what kind of street you have?  Check out our definitions of road classes, or search by street name, map or ward on the City of Toronto’s website.

Lower speed limits are more effective when combined with enforcement and education. A comprehensive approach that includes local Police Services and other community groups is a good idea when making speed limit changes – we provide you with some education ideas in our Toolkit.  Also, keep in mind that lowering speed limits is only one of the tools available – depending on your street’s design, traffic calming interventions may be more appropriate and effective.

Path 2: Traffic Calming Measures

Example of a Curb Extension

Photo Credit: Katie Wittmann

POLICY
City of Toronto Traffic Calming Policy

Traditional traffic calming can only be implemented on local and collector roads. Some other safety measures, such as bike lanes, can be added to arterial roads and by narrowing the road, will also slow down traffic.

Traffic calming is the deliberate slowing of traffic in residential areas. Engineering changes to roadways such as adding speed humps, roundabouts, or narrowing lanes have been proven to slow traffic and reduce collisions. These improvements can be even more effective at improving road safety when combined with lower speed limits.

Traffic calming can take place on a single street, or across a larger neighbourhood. Begin by consulting with your Ward Councillor, who can help you with the early stages of this process, and whose support will be important to the success of any local traffic calming initiative.

The City of Toronto Traffic Calming Policy has a number of requirements that must be met. These include:

• Community consultation requirements through a community petition or a public meeting (hosted by your Councillor).
• Safety requirements such as the presence of sidewalks and impact on emergency vehicles.
• Technical requirements such as speed and volume of traffic, minimum block length, and impact on transit.

Safety and technical analysis are undertaken by City staff. Proposals that meet all the criteria are subject to polling conducted by the City Clerkʼs Office. The poll must have over 50% of affected households respond and at least 60% of households should be in favour.

To help you get started, we’ve created a list of Traditional Traffic Calming Treatments, as well as Other Safety Measures that can also be used to narrow the road and slow traffic speeds.

Traditional Traffic Calming Treatments:

Traffic calming can take a variety of forms. The most common type in Toronto are speed humps.  However, there are many other types of traffic calming that may be appropriate for your street. These include traffic circles, curb extensions, or other measures.

We recommend keeping an open mind. Councillors and City staff will have experience with a number of traffic calming solutions and can advise what will work best on certain streets. Here are a few examples of specific traffic calming treatments:

Speed HumpsCurb Extensions

1. Speed Humps

2. Curb Extensions
Speed humps are used to slow cars to a speed of about 30km/h in their direct vicinity.Curb extensions make it easier and safer for pedestrians to cross the street by shortening the distance from curb to curb.
A ChicaneRaised Pedestrian Crossing

3. Chicanes

4. Raised Pedestrian Crossings or Intersections
Chicanes are a series of alternating midblock
curb extensions that create extra turns
along a road to slow traffic.
Raising a section of the roadway to the height
of the sidewalk slows vehicles and makes it
easier for pedestrians to cross the street.
RoundaboutTraffic Diversion

5. Traffic Circles

6. Traffic Diversions
Traffic circles limit a driverʼs speed when
passing through an intersection, and ensure
safer turns.
A traffic diversion lowers the volume of
cars by restricting motor vehicle access
while allowing pedestrians and cyclists to
travel through.
Median Island

7. Median Islands
Median islands separate opposing
directions of traffic, and can slow traffic by
briefly narrowing the roadway.

Other Safety Measures

Other solutions that narrow the width of the road may also act to slow traffic. Some, such as bike lanes, can be placed on arterial roadways. Potential interventions include:

Example of a bike laneExample of sidewalk
1. Bike lanes 2. Sidewalk
A designated space on the road for use by
people on bicycles. It can be separated from
motor vehicle traffic with paint, posts, or other
materials.
A sidewalk provides dedicated space for
pedestrians to separate them from motor
vehicle traffic. Many local streets in Toronto
do not have sidewalks.
ContraflowExample of a Parklet
3. Contra-flow bike lanes 4. Parklets
A bike lane added to a one-way street to
allow cyclists to travel in the opposite direction to motor-vehicle traffic, creating a two-way route for cyclists.
Parking or travel lanes can be turned into
miniature parks using planters, street
furniture, or other materials.

 

TIP
Getting a Sidewalk

Some streets near schools may not have sidewalks. You can request a new sidewalk in a school zone by emailing newsidewalks@toronto.ca. Staff will evaluate the request for a sidewalk by considering safety issues, traffic volume, proximity to schools, and connectivity. They will also consider landscaping, drainage, and utilities to determine whether a new sidewalk will be built.

The City of Toronto has also recently produced the Traffic Calming Guide For Toronto to provide an overview of different traffic calming measures, their impacts, and the processes to have them installed.

TIP
Call 311

In addition to speaking with your Councillor it may be appropriate to call 311.
• 311 provides a 24/7 direct connection to non-emergency City services and information
• Outside City limits you can call 416-392-CITY (2489), within the city dial 311
• You will receive a reference number to track the status of your service request
• You can call 311 to report worn out infrastructure for repair, or to request new infrastructure (such as a pedestrian crossing)

 

Path 3: Intersections and Major Crossings

Example of a pedestrian crossing

 

The majority of collisions between motor vehicles and pedestrians or cyclists occur on high speed arterial streets and at intersections. Improving the safety of pedestrian crossings can help to reduce vehicle speeds, separate pedestrians and vehicles, and increase pedestrian visibility. On wider roads with heavier traffic flows or on streets where low speed limits are not feasible, the  focus should be on designing safe crossings.

Intersections with high traffic volumes or poor design can overstimulate drivers and make it difficult to notice pedestrians. A recent analysis of crash data in Toronto found that the majority of pedestrian collisions occurred at intersections, and usually the pedestrian had the right-of-way.

If the street you’ve identified for safety improvements is an arterial road, these are the types of solutions you likely will want to focus on.  You may want to:

Request a Pedestrian Crossing

POLICY
The Ontario Traffic Manual, Book 12 and Book 15

City staff will use the criteria outlined in the Ontario Traffic Manual when considering requests for new traffic signals or pedestrian crossing facilities.

Requests for crossings can be made through your Councillor or by calling 311. Infrastructure such as pedestrian crossovers, traffic signals, and stop signs are known as “traffic control devices.” Traffic control devices have engineering requirements that City staff will follow. Data that will likely be considered when a new crossing or traffic control is requested include traffic and pedestrian  volumes, pedestrian delay, and collisions.

Call 311 or speak to your Councillor to have them request that Transportation Services conduct a “Pedestrian Crossing Protection Study.” If the study is positive, it will be reported to Community Council. If the study is negative, council does not receive a report unless the Councillor requests one.

Several pedestrian crossing and traffic control device solutions exist. Some examples include:

Example of a pedestrian crossingExample of a Signalized Crossing
1. Pedestrian Crossover 2. Signalized Intersection
A designated area where pedestrians can
cross the street, often marked by flashing
overhead lights.
Signals indicate when vehicles must stop or
proceed, and when pedestrians should
cross the street. Countdown timers and
different signal phases can help improve
safety at signalized
School Crossingpedrefugeilsand
3. School Crossing 4. Pedestrian Refuge Island
Marked by a double crosswalk line.
Requires a student patroller or adult
crossing guard.
See our Toolkit for details about crossing guards and student patrollers.
A combination of raised curbs, bollards,
plantings, or other features to protect
pedestrians at the midway mark of crossing
the street.

Introduce an All-Way Stop

POLICY
All-Way ‘Stop’ Sign Control

All-way stop sign controls are not meant to be used to control speed, but are a form of intersection control.

An all-way stop uses stop signs in all directions to control traffic.  Often, a school crossing, pedestrian crossover, or traffic control signal can be used instead of stop signs. However, installing stop signs has been shown to improve safety in some instances.

Introducing an all-way stop is subject to a number of ‘warrants,’ or criteria, including:

  • Collisions: average number of collisions per year
  • Volumes: number of pedestrian and vehicles using the intersection in each direction
  • A number of others that City staff will consider.  View the policy for a complete list.

Improve an Existing Crossing

There may be an existing intersection or pedestrian crossing that your community has safety concerns about.  Rather than installing a new crossing or traffic control device, existing crosswalks or intersections can be  improved.

At pedestrian crossing locations:

  • Raised pedestrian crossings and curb extensions can provide safety benefits but are often only possible on local or collector roadways
  • Raised medians or pedestrian refuge islands may be possible on arterial roads
  • A roundabout can reconfigure an existing intersection for improved safety

 

At existing signalized intersections:

  • The phasing of the signals can be changed to give pedestrians an advanced start to cross the street
  • Signals can also allow for separate phases for pedestrian crossings and vehicle left turns
  • Turn restrictions for vehicles can also help improve pedestrian safety at these locations

At intersections and crossings:

  • Pavement markings, such as advanced stop lines, new signage or lighting can improve safety inexpensively
  • Visibility can be improved by removing vegetation or street parking

If existing infrastructure is wearing out, such as faded pavement markings or broken light fixtures, a simple call to 311 or to your Ward Councillor should resolve the problem.

The process is different depending on how you want to improve an existing pedestrian crossing.  Contacting your Ward Councillor will  be important to successfully  implement these kinds of changes,  many of which require a study by  Transportation Services.  See our Getting Started page for tips on connecting with your Councillor.

 

Research and Resources

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To support you in your efforts to create safer streets in your neighbourhood, we have collected research and data from around the world about the best safety practices.

Why lower speeds

  • Encouraging walking and biking for transportation is one important way to address the low levels of physical activity among Canadaʼs youth. There is a strong association between active travel to school and levels of physical activity (1).
  • Improving conditions for walking and biking can have a positive impact on local economies and equity (2).
  • Traffic calming and reduced traffic speed can attract customers and new businesses to an area. These improvements to the pedestrian environment result in better retail sales and make neighbourhoods more desirable places to live (3).

Effectiveness of 30km/h speed limits

Studies from around the world have taken a closer look at the effectiveness of lower speed limits in residential areas and found them to be effective at lowering speeds and improving safety.

  • In Switzerland there was a decrease in overall accidents (15%) and accident severity (27%) in 30km/h zones (4).
  • In London (UK) a reduction of road casualties by 41.9% (48.5% among those 15 and younger) was reported for 20mph (32km/h) traffic speed zones compared to adjacent areas without lowered speed limits (5).
  • Lancashire County (UK) implemented a blanket 30 km/h speed limit in all residential areas and near all schools, and early indications are that deaths and injuries have been reduced (6).

Compliance with lower speed limits

One concern about lowering speed limits is that they may frustrate drivers and create a false sense of security. However, lower speed limits have proven to be particularly effective on local roads.

  • Studies that have found that reducing a speed limit fails to reduce actual travel speed have mostly been limited to high-volume high-speed roads. Studies done in residential areas, however, have found statistically significant speed reductions were achieved when posted speed limits were reduced (7).
  • Calgary found an average speed of 32 km/h in 30 km/h school zones, and an 85th percentile speed of 38.8 km/h. While 54% of vehicles drove at speeds higher than 30 km/h, only 10% drove at speeds more than 10 km/h over the speed limit (8).

Traffic calming

  • An analysis reviewing 33 previous studies found that area-wide traffic calming reduced the number of injury accidents by 15%. Residential areas saw an average reduction in the number of injuries by about 25% (9).

Effectiveness of pedestrian crossings

  • Marked pedestrian crossings should be combined with other safety measures, such as signage, signals, raised medians, narrowed roadways, or other features (10). Without these other measures, studies have found no significant difference in safety between unmarked and marked crossing sites (11).
  • Pedestrian controlled flashing or solid lights that signal drivers to stop have been shown to reduce crashes involving pedestrians by 69% (12).

Other intersection and crossing treatments

  • Raised medians have been found to reduce crashes involving pedestrians by 69%. Even at non-signalized intersections a raised median with a marked crosswalk can reduce collisions between vehicles and pedestrians by 46-56% (13).
  • Installing roundabouts in place of conventional intersections, including both traffic lights and stop signs, is a very effective speed control measure, and can reduce collisions with pedestrians by 75% (14).

Further Reading

For a more in-depth exploration of existing studies and policies, download the report below.

And for some additional local research, read Linda Rothman’s study on parents’ perceptions of school traffic safety: summary or full article.


References

  1. Garrard, J., Rissel, C., & Bauman, A. (2012). Health benefits of cycling. In Pucher J. & Buehler R. (Eds.), City Cycling (pp. 31-54). The MIT Press.
    McDonald, N.C. (2012). Children and cycling. In Pucher J. & Buehler R. (Eds.), City Cycling (pp. 235-256). The MIT Press.
    O’Brien, C., Ramanathan, S., Gilbert, R. & Orsini, A. (2009). Youth and Sustainable Transportation: A review of the literature. Retrieved from http://www.kidsonthemove.ca
  2. Litman, T. (2004). Economic Value of Walkability. World Transport Policy and Practice, 10(1). Retrieved from http://vtpi.org/walkability.pdf
  3. Drennen, E. (2003). Economic effects of traffic calming on urban small businesses. Department of
    Public Administration, San Francisco State University, San Francisco. Retrieved from http://www.sfbike.org/download/bikeplan/bikelanes.pdf
  4. Lindenmann, H. P. (2005). The effects on road safety of 30 kilometer-per-hour zone signposting in residential districts. Institute of Transportation Engineers. ITE Journal, 75(6), 50-54.
  5. Grundy, C., Steinbach, R., Edwards, P., Green, J., Armstrong, B., & Wilkinson, P. (2009). Effect of 20 mph traffic speed zones on road injuries in London, 1986-2006: controlled interrupted time series analysis. Bmj, 339.
  6. World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decisionmakers and practitioners. World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/79753/1/9789241505352_eng.pdf
  7. Rossy, G. M., Sun, C. C., Jessen, D., & Newman, E. (2012). Residential Speed Limit Reduction Case Studies. Open Transportation Journal, 6, 39-45.
  8. Kattan, L., Tay, R., & Acharjee, S. (2011). Managing speed at school and playground zones. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 43(5), 1887-1891.
  9. Elvik, R., (2001). Area-wide urban traffic calming schemes: a meta-analysis of safety effects. Accident Analysis & Prevention, 33(3), 327-336.
  10. World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decisionmakers and practitioners. World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/79753/1/9789241505352_eng.pdf
  11. Van Houten, R., La Plante, L., & Gustafson, T. (2012). Evaluating pedestrian safety improvements: Final report. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/MDOT_Research_Report_RC-1585_408249_7.pdf
    World Health Organization (WHO). (2013). Pedestrian safety: a road safety manual for decisionmakers and practitioners. World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/79753/1/9789241505352_eng.pdf
  12. Arason, N. (2014). No Accident: Eliminating Injury and Death on Canadian Roads. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press.
    Van Houten, R., La Plante, L., & Gustafson, T. (2012). Evaluating pedestrian safety improvements: Final report. Michigan Department of Transportation. Retrieved from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdot/MDOT_Research_Report_RC-1585_408249_7.pdf
  13. Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). (2010). Designing walkable urban thoroughfares: A context sensitive approach. Retrieved from http://library.ite.org/pub/e1cff43c-2354-d714-51d9-d82b39d4dbad
  14. Retting, R.A., Ferguson, S.A. & McCartt, A.T. (2003). A review of evidence-based traffic engineering measures designed to reduce pedestrian-motor vehicle crashes. American Journal of Public Health.
    93(9): 1456-1463.

Toolkit

Safety Patrollers
In the downloads section below, we have created a number of supplementary tools that you may find useful. They are in Word document format, and you are encouraged to use them as templates and modify them to meet your needs.

Project Partners

Logo, Green Communities Canada                 Logo, Toronto Public Health                          TDSB_Circle_Colour

The Centre for Active Transportation LogoLogo, U Of T School of the EnvironmentToronto Cycling Think and Do Tank Logo          Logo, CultureLink

Guide to Safer Streets Near Schools

Toolkit | Worksheet: Writing a Vision, Defining the Problem and Considering Options

Toolkit | Sample Email Template for Inviting a Councillor to a Meeting

Toolkit | Sample Outreach Letter

Toolkit | Sample Traffic Calming Petition

Toolkit | Sample Support Letter from School Administrator or Council

Toolkit | Crossing Guards and Student Safety Patrollers

Toolkit | Bringing Transportation Safety into the Classroom

Toolkit | Organizations Working for Safer Streets

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The Centre for Active Transportation

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