School Travel Planning

School Travel Planning aims to get more families walking and wheeling to/from school by bringing together community stakeholders to identify barriers to active transportation for each school and develop a written action plan. Benefits include increased physical activity, reduced traffic congestion, improved air quality, and enhanced neighbourhood safety.

Get Involved – The Canadian School Travel Planning Toolkit

A comprehensive toolkit is available at no charge for anyone interested in establishing a School Travel Planning program:

Click here to request access to the School Travel Planning Toolkit
Access the Toolkit here

Current School Travel Projects

Children's Mobility, Health and Happiness: a Canadian School Travel Planning Model

A 27-month project funded through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer’s CLASP (Coalitions Linking Action and Science for Prevention) initiative and the Public Health Agency of Canada began in January of 2010. This project will expand School Travel Planning across Canada, amplify work with the University of Toronto on links between School Travel Planning and the built environment, and introduce and apply Cape Breton University’s ground-breaking research into the links between active transportation, sustainable happiness, education and health. This funding will allow 120 schools across the country to participate in the STP process, beginning in the 2010-11 school year.

The Sustainable Happiness concepts can be found at www.sustainablehappiness.ca. Classroom curriculum has been created for every province and territory and can be accessed here. Visit our Sustainable Happiness Facebook page as well.

• Media Backgrounder (Adobe PDF)
• Sustainable Happiness Overview (Adobe PDF)
• The Child and Youth Friendly Land Use and Transportation Planning Guidelines can be accessed for every province here: www.kidsonthemove.ca.

Stepping It Up

Stepping it Up, a Metrolinx pilot project, is now underway in Hamilton and the Region of Peel. Up to 30 Hamilton and Peel Region elementary schools will be involved in the pilot, which is supported by Transport Canada’s ecoMOBILITY program. Additional expertise and support is provided by Green Communities Canada and the University of Toronto.

School Travel Planning Newsletters

• STP Newsletter, Issue 10, Fall 2011 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 9, Spring/Summer 2011 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 8, Winter 2011 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 7, Fall 2010 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 6, Spring 2010 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 5, Winter 2010 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 4, Fall 2009 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 3, Spring 2009 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 2, Fall 2008 (Adobe PDF)
• STP Newsletter, Issue 1, Spring 2008 (Adobe PDF)

School Travel Planning Research in Canada

In 2006, Green Communities Canada conducted extensive international research into School Travel Planning, culminating in a report called Review of International School Travel Planning Best Practices. This research was supported by Transport Canada's Moving on Sustainable Transportation (MOST) initiative and it informed the Canadian pilot test (funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada) that established best practices in Canada and set the foundation for current projects across the nation. In March 2010, Green Communities Canada updated the international best practices document, with funding support from Metrolinx and Transport Canada's ecoMOBILITY program:

• Review of International School Travel Planning Best Practices - 2010 (Adobe PDF)
• Canadian School Travel Planning Pilot Test Final Report (Adobe PDF)

Production of this website has been made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada, through the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer; and from the Public Health Agency of Canada. The views expressed herein represent the views of the “Children’s Mobility, Health & Happiness: A Canadian School Travel Planning Model” project and do not necessarily represent the views of the project funders.