You may have heard a parent or grandparent say, “I used to walk a mile to school in minus 35 weather.” Walking to school was a necessity before the widespread use of vehicles and school buses.
With everything old becoming new again, walking to school is gaining popularity, thanks to the Walking School Bus. On weekdays, this innovative initiative organizes supervised groups of students who walk along predetermined routes with scheduled stops to pick up or drop off children—similar to a conventional school bus.
Gibson Elementary in Delta launched its Walking School Bus initiative in 2022 after receiving a grant from Fraser Health through the Vision Zero Road Safety Grant Program, designed to improve vulnerable road user safety in local communities.
Nearby, Hellings Elementary is also launching a Walking School Bus program to ease traffic congestion and address safety concerns during peak school hours. The initiative specifically aims to reduce illegal U-turns, vehicles blocking crosswalks and driveways, unsafe drop-offs and students walking between cars in traffic lanes.
The school district in Mission also has a Walking School Bus program, which is part of a district-wide “Safe Routes to School” mapping initiative to make the trek to and from school safer for students and the community. Data provided by the Mission School District shows 60 per cent of Grade 5 students are driven to school by parents or caretakers, and 54 per cent are driven home. In its application for Vision Zero funding, the District Superintendent noted that “school parking lots were not designed for the number of cars going through them, and the extra vehicle traffic is creating an unsafe environment with increasing numbers of near misses, unsafe congestion and fire lane blockages.”
In addition to improving safety and reducing congestion, the Walking School Bus encourages physical activity, promoting overall health and mental well-being.
“As a health authority, we are part of a movement committed to encouraging active transportation,” says Jasmin Chatrath, injury prevention lead. “When children are active, their overall health improves, including their mental health and social connections.”
The benefits of the Walking School Bus extend to parents, communities and the environment, Jasmin adds.
“Not having to drive children to school is a time-saver, and fewer cars on the road helps to reduce air pollution, so there really are a lot of benefits that flow from the Walking School Bus.”
To learn more, visit Vision Zero.
