School Travel PlanningLeading the way for Active School Travel in Ontario, Canada: A Collaborative Provincial Strategy

Introduction

Education Encouragement Enforcement Engineering Evaluation

School Travel Planning: The process to deliver ASRTS in a way that follows the 5 E’s

An explanation of terms used

Active Sustainable School Travel (ASST): another name for ASRTS

Encouragement and Educational Activities include:• Walking School Bus / Bicycle Train• Walk/Wheel on Wednesdays• Walking Buddies

The School Travel Planning Process

Inclusive Planning and Engagement

Cost-Benefits of School Travel1:8 cost-benefit ratio on STP work in Ontario to date

Elmdale Public School, Ottawa Cost-Benefit Annual Benefits: + 231,458 minutes - 20,407 km - 4.4 tonnes of greenhouse gases - 177 kg of air pollutants

Long-term estimated benefit of $142M to the province

~$1M for 19 projects over 11 years

4900/Project$

$ 124/Student

Average Annual Costs

STP in Canada: A holistic examination of program impact on active school travel: G.

Mammen, PhD Candidate, University of Toronto

4 distinct studies: 2 quantitative + 1 qualitative + 1 mixed-methods

Disseminated 2010-2012

Funded by:

Can STP lead to increases in AST after 1 year of implementation?

What key factors influence implementation and mode change?

Objectives

Can STP lead to increases in AST?Summary of Findings after 1 school year of STP

Study 2Mode Shift among

Parents

Study 1Increase in AST

1-23%

Study 3N/A (Qualitative)

Study 42 Toronto Schools3.2%

3.9%School 1

14%

To SchoolFrom School

of parents changed from to

School 2

15%11%

To SchoolFrom School

in 1/2 of Participating

Schools

Summary of Findings

$

$

$

$Diverse communities

served

Biggest challenges• 1 year implementation period • Parent involvement

Success Factors• STP Facilitator role & model• STP’s comprehensive approach

in strategy implementations and stakeholder involvement:

- school champions- community stakeholders

(align with 5Es)- designated facilitator

Ontario Provincial Strategies Leading to Sustainability

Feasibility Study in Toronto & Wellington Dufferin Guelph

Roadmap Strategy

Regional Communities of Practice

Provincial ASST Strategy Roadmapwww.smartcommute.ca

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Metrolinx mandate: To champion and deliver mobility solutions for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA):

The Big MoveBy 2031, 60% of children in the GTHA will walk or cycle to school

20% of am peak hour traffic is connected to school travel School travel mode affects work commute

Stepping It Up project for Hamilton and Region of Peel 2010-12

Opportunity to build lifelong healthy habits Children today are the commuters of 2031 and beyond

Provincial ASST Strategy Roadmap

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• Provides discussion platform on sustaining active school travel in the GTHA and beyond.• Conversation between > 30 key stakeholder organizations: 8 provincial ministries,

municipalities, public health, school boards, practitioners, and NGOs• Describes how organizations and communities can work individually and collectively.• Strategy identifies: key goals & benefits, 8 strategic areas of focus & related actions,

existing stakeholder activity & priority actions.• Process funded by Metrolinx & Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation.

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Clarifying Strategic Intentions Building the Roadmap

42 Key Informant Interviews

Numerous documents reviewed

Synthesis

Dialog

Modeling Listening

4 workshops, every 2 weeksModeling between

workshops

Priority Setting

Provincial ASST Strategy RoadmapProcess

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• Strategy roadmap

Strategy Roadmap Implemented in GTHA

• Formed January 2015• Includes representatives from 60+

organizations (transportation, planning and recreation departments, public health, school boards, police, schools, NGOs, and other stakeholders)

• Welcomes participation from all GTHA stakeholders

Support further

collaboration

Sharing of Best Practice

Amplification of Work

Key Goals

School boards

Municipalities/Regional

GovernmentsPublic Health

Local NGO/

ENGOsMetrolinx

History with Active School Travel

Support includes initiatives:

Strong partnerships across the province with over 250 partners dedicated to improving children’s health since 2006

Regional Communities of Practice

Champlain School

Facilitation Pilot

Spark Advocacy Grants

HealthyCanada By Design► Partners: national health, planning and transportation organizations, region and

local health authorities, NGOs, & university researchers; ► Incorporate health considerations into land use and transportation planning► Developed the Shaping Active, Healthy Communities Toolkit and Workshop guide

Local research

EstablishPartnerships

BuildAwareness

Community Engagement

Policy Development Advocacy

Champlain School Facilitation Pilot Program

8 month school-based intervention to support healthy eating and physical activity, including school travel planning/active transportation

RioCan/HSF/GCC Active Safe Routes to School (2013-2018)► 4 new schools each year from across Canada

5-step plan to develop school travel plans Education and encouragement (events, assemblies, awards) Community mobilization Evaluation

Regional Communities of PracticeStrategies and Policies

1. Heart and Stroke/Green Communities: research and document existing Ontario school travel policies

2. Hosting Regional Workshops:

Regional summits for - Report feedback - Understand/incorporating regional differences- Sharing promising and best practices

4Create a sustainability plan that builds on results from summits

workshop to consolidate best strategies from regional workshops5th

TORONTOWELLINGTON DUFFERIN GUELPH

5 schools5 municipalitiesUrban and rural

10 schoolsNeighbourhood pairingUrban and suburban

A Feasibility Study: Regional Delivery of STP

?Who owns

STP? Who should fund STP?

Ontario ASRTS Partnership Model

School Boards

MunicipalitiesPolice

Public Health

FundingSupport

for Facilitation

Central Communications

Strategy

Resource Support for STP Tools & Models

Evaluation/Measurements

Knowledge exchange

through regional cooperation

Delivered locally with support from:

Supported provincially:

Multiple Partners and ContributorsOur Thanks

Funding

Toronto

Transportation Services & Planning

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph

Questions?