School Streets are gaining popularity around the world in response to two common trends: declining levels of independent mobility and active transportation engagement among elementary school aged children; and unsafe conditions around school sites due to high vehicular traffic volumes, flow, and idling. By closing streets adjacent to schools to through traffic, School Streets offer a multitude of benefits for students, parents, teachers, and local residents.
Specifically, School Streets:
- Provide a safer and calmer experience for children to come and go from school every day, thus reducing risk of injury, stress, and anxiety among students;
- Foster opportunities for children to develop skills in independent mobility and active transportation;
- Promote health and readiness to learn, by creating the conditions for children to engage in physical activity as part of their journey to/from school;
- Promote social cohesion among students and among parents, by creating space for children and parents to informally interact outside the school; and
- Improve air quality and reduce noise pollution by eliminating traffic congestion around the school.
Read the Ontario School Streets Project Summary Report by 8 80 Cities and Green Communities Canada.
We currently have school street pilots at Winston Churchill Public School and Central Public School.
This initiative is being coordinated and operated by KCAT with support from the City of Kingston and the Limestone District School Board.
There are a number of ways to get involved in this initiative including volunteering as a street steward, and participating in the research study. Volunteer commitment can be as minimal as one shift (30 minutes) per week or greater, depending on your interests and availability. For more information please visit our website at www.LTPFKingston.com or reach out to us at schoolstreetygk@gmail.com.