1. 1 Measurably Shifting the Trend in Children’s Travel Toward Sustainable Mobility ACT Canada – Sustainable Mobility Summit – November 2012 Jennifer Lay Program Advisor – School Travel, Metrolinx jennifer.lay@metrolinx.com www.metrolinx.com/schooltravel

2. 2 Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA): Trend in the Trip to School 8M 6M (by 2033) Sources: 1) Transportation Tomorrow Surveys dmg.utoronto.ca/pdf/reports/2001to2005/gtamod2v1.pdfdmg.utoronto.ca/pdf/reports/2001to2005/gtamod2v1.pdf 2) Mitra et al: Active school transportation in the Greater Toronto Area, Canada: An exploration of trends in space and time (1986-2006).physical.utoronto.ca/Beat/Publications.aspxphysical.utoronto.ca/Beat/Publications.aspx 3) Metrolinx. www.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/bigmove/big_move.aspxwww.metrolinx.com/en/regionalplanning/bigmove/big_move.aspx 1 2 3

3. 3 The School Travel Challenge ‘school run’ has added 20-30% to traffic volume during morning peak 1 Traffic crashes are #1 killer of children below age 15 in OECD countries 1 >80% of Canadian municipalities do not require safe walking/biking routes when developing new areas of reconstructing roads 2 $250,000 for a student drop off loop - now required at schools in many areas 26% children and youth are overweight or obese 3 Sources: 1) OECD www.internationaltransportforum.org/Pub/pdf/04ChildrenSafeE.pdfwww.internationaltransportforum.org/Pub/pdf/04ChildrenSafeE.pdf 2)Active Healthy Kids Canada. www.sportsdome.ca/wp- content/uploads/2012/02/ahkc2011-factsheet-final.pdfwww.sportsdome.ca/wp- content/uploads/2012/02/ahkc2011-factsheet-final.pdf 3)Statistics Canada. www5.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=82-003- X20050039277&lang=engwww5.statcan.gc.ca/bsolc/olc-cel/olc-cel?catno=82-003- X20050039277&lang=eng

4. 4 National School Travel Context Vision: Support children’s mobility, health and happiness Active & Safe Routes to School led by Green Communities Canada since 1996 Canadian School Travel Planning model developed (2007-09), disseminated to every province and territory by 2012 Research International Best Practices – recommendations prepared for Canada (2005-07)

5. 5 GTHA/ Ontario School Travel Context Vision: by 2033, 60% of children will walk or cycle to school Metrolinx and The Big Move: regional transportation plan for the GTHA (2008-33) Stepping It Up Project: 30 schools with School Travel Plans (Peel and Hamilton); raise profile in GTHA (2009-11); pilot tested in York Region, Durham, Toronto (2010-12) Strategy on Active and Sustainable School Travel in GTHA/ Ontario: stakeholder mapping, building the case, foster champions (2012-14) 2009 2010 2011 GTHA STP pilot projects

6. 6 Why Put Resources Toward Active and Sustainable School Travel Now? Address the second largest trip generator in the morning peak Healthier children now Influence behaviour of future commuters Captive audience Opportunity to influence travel of current adult commuters Existing Canadian STP community-based toolkit

7. 7 Is there Room & Opportunity… …for Change?

8. 8 Base: All respondents (n=1,016) Overall Within 1 km Between 1- 2 km More than 2 km Distance Mode of School Travel – By Home to School Distance (GTHA parents) Source: GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/ENG-2011GTHASchoolTravelStudy.pdf

9. 9 Base: Respondents whose child does not have mobility issues (n=982) Age Comfort with Methods for School Travel by Grade (GTHA parents) Source: GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/ENG-2011GTHASchoolTravelStudy.pdf

10. 10 Convenience GTHA parents The top reason parents drive their child ~according surveys in GTHA and throughout Canada Sources: Green Communities Canada, National STP Project Results GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/ENG-2011GTHASchoolTravelStudy.pdf

11. 11. Active & Sustainable School Travel Target Groups “Close Drivers <2km” (20%) Drivers who live within 2km and drive their child at least one way to school “Carpool Target >2km” (11%) Drivers who live greater than 2km from school and would be open to carpooling “School Bus Target >2km” (6%) Drivers who live greater than 2km from school and have access to a school bus Region Close Drivers School Bus Target Carpool Target Group Overall 20% (n=181) 6% (n=51) 11% (n=101) Durham20%15% York18%6%12% Toronto16%3%9% Peel28%5%11% Halton23%9%12% Hamilton20%7%10% Source: GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/ENG-2011GTHASchoolTravelStudy.pdf

12. 12 Target Group Bases: Overall (n=982), Close Drivers (n=181), School Bus Target (n=51), Carpool Target (n=101) Target Groups – Appeal of Travel Methods Overall Close Drivers School Bus Target Carpool Target Methods that ‘appeal’ to them for their child’s school travel… Source: GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/ENG-2011GTHASchoolTravelStudy.pdf

13. 13 Base: Respondents whose child does not have mobility issues and does not walk or bike to or from school Overall (n=571), Close Drivers (n=136) Tested Infrastructure/ Enforcement Measures (Close Drivers) Would ‘greatly increase’ likelihood of my child walking or biking for school travel… Source: GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/ENG-2011GTHASchoolTravelStudy.pdf

14. 14 School Travel Planning Model Source: Stepping It Up Final Report: http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/SteppingItUpReportENG.pdf http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/SteppingItUpReportENG.pdf

15. 15 School Travel Planning: Measurement Surveys of parents & students (Baseline & Follow up) School & Community Profile and Walkabout (Baseline) Traffic Count of pedestrians, cars, cyclists (Baseline and Follow up) Check of Policies & Historic Traffic Data (Baseline)

16. 16 Source: Hinckson et al. Preventive Medicine 52 (2011) 332–336

17. 17 School Travel Planning Interventions According to parents, the three most effective STP activities are infrastructure improvements, safety education and special events Source: Green Communities Canada, National STP Project Results

18. 18 Examples of STP Key Performance Indicators Impact ∆ travel mode ∆ minutes walked/cycled ∆ vehicle km travelled ∆ GHG, air pollutants ∆ litres of fuel used # child injury pedestrian collisions Reach # schools with STPs # students receiving travel/ safety training # walking/cycling school route maps # walking school buses/ park and stride programs Cost Effectiveness $ spent on staff time and programming $ leveraged/ saved Benefits: air, congestion, health, safety

19. 19 STP Results in Canada Across 78 schools (across Canada): 17% of families reported driving less to school and saw a decrease in traffic volume (2010-2012) 1 Across 210 schools (Quebec): schools observe 4% increase in walking/cycling; 5% decrease in auto use in one year Across 10 schools (GTHA): 7% decline in car trips in morning peak, increase in walking; annually: 750,000 minutes of walking added; prevented 100,000 vehicle kms, 22 tonnes GHGs, 884 kg air pollutants (2009-11) 2 Sources: 1) Green Communities Canada, National STP Project Results 2) Metrolinx http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/SteppingItUpReportENG.pdf http://metrolinx.com/en/projectsandprograms/schooltravel/SteppingItUpReportENG.pdf

20. 20 STP in United States National Safe Routes to School program in all 50 states (13,366 schools in fall 2012), funds provided federally to state DOTs (2005-11)  Some States (e.g. California) have additional legislation, $$  Some Cities provide additional $$ for SRTS through CIP budgets and sales tax funding Each state has a dedicated SRTS coordinator to oversee regional & local programs Sources: 1) Green Communities Canada www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Up date_2010.pdf/ 2) National Centre for SRTS. www.saferoutesinfo.org/sites/default/files/resources/NationalEvaluati onPlan.pdf Sampling of results: 29% increase in students walking/bicycling (Boulder, Colo.); 38% decrease in speeding cars (Brattleboro, Vt.); $220,000 annual savings in school transportation costs (Auburn, Wash.); reversal of school policies against walking and bicycling (Washington, D.C.) 2

21. 21 STP in New Zealand National funding for STP since 2005 TravelWise in Auckland Region: “By 2014 every school in Auckland region will have a school travel plan”  Run by Auckland Regional Transport Authority  a regional STP Manager oversees STP Coordinators at city/local level and local council staff Source: 1)Green Communities Canada www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Update_2010.pdf www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Update_2010.pdf 2)Auckland Transport: www.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/school-travel- plans/AboutSchoolTravel/Pages/default.aspxwww.aucklandtransport.govt.nz/moving-around/school-travel- plans/AboutSchoolTravel/Pages/default.aspx  Cost of STP Coordinator is $4,000-$8,000 per school (8-month period) and infrastructure ranges from $16,000-$160,000/ school plus in-kind time from teachers, parents, staff 1  Results: 48% less crashes involving pedestrians around schools; car travel reduced by 4.76%; 7200 less car trips in morning peak; savings of 2.5M vehicle kms, $20.35M/yr on congestion, 150,000L on fuel, and 735 less tonnes of CO2/yr

22. 22 Words of advice from countries with established programs: “Make a 10 year plan and mainstream the funding from the beginning” “Ensure all health, education, transport and planning are signed up to the process up front” “Be clear about what you expect School Travel Advisers to be doing—facilitating or delivering” “Establish benchmarks for school site design, clearly state walking and cycling thresholds, apply the test of convenience to all pedestrian and cycle infrastructure feeding schools, and identify and solve policy conflict before starting” Source: Green Communities Canada www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Update_2010.pdf www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Update_2010.pdf

23. 23 Some Foundations for Measurably Shifting School Travel Behaviour strong approach to infrastructure measures for pedestrian & cyclist safety compulsory road safety & cycling education for children conducting national/ regional road safety campaigns at least once a year speed reduction measures, including physical traffic calming & very low speed limits around schools legislation that assumes driver responsibility in an accident involving a child pedestrian commissioned research on child pedestrian & cyclist safety support for a range of child pedestrian & cyclist safety initiatives policies aimed at promoting active travel and making it safer Source: Green Communities Canada www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Update_2010.pdf www.saferoutestoschool.ca/downloads/Intl_STP_Best_Practices_Update_2010.pdf

24. 24 Lessons for School Travel Initiatives in GTHA and Canada Evidence of demand among parents (the ‘decision-makers’) for initiatives in support of active and sustainable school travel Identification of important target segments for school travel initiatives Highlights need for:  Continued work on the ground with schools  Outreach through parents associations and forums  Combination of supportive programs, services, infrastructure stemming from purposeful policy, planning  Coordinated initiatives at all levels: municipal and school board, regional, provincial, national

25. 25 Thank you! Jennifer Lay Program Advisor - School Travel Metrolinx jennifer.lay@metrolinx.com www.metrolinx.com/schooltravel