The Safe and Active School Routes program funds projects that aim to increase walking, biking and rolling to school through new or improved active transportation infrastructure and road safety improvements. Recipients are supported during the planning, design and implementation stages through a comprehensive peer-learning support program.

Program Objectives:

• Increase walking, biking and rolling to school through infrastructure improvements
• Build safer, low-emission school travel routes
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions through decreased vehicle kilometres travelled
• Improve safety for active transportation users, focusing on child and youth safety

Capacity Development Component: The capacity development program includes expert training and support to:

• Strengthen community engagement with proven strategies to gain school and stakeholder buy-in
• Navigate challenges, policies and regulatory hurdles
• Sharpen project planning skills, including funding, infrastructure and implementation
• Build collaborative relationships across sectors for long-term success
• Learn to track progress and measure impact, including GHG reductions

Project Requirements: Applications must:

• Identify one or more routes to a primary or secondary school as target area for the capital project
• Propose infrastructure solution to address safety-related challenges creating barriers to active school travel
• Demonstrate project will enable significant proportion of students to walk, bike or roll to/from key destinations within 2km of school
• Provide proof of partnership with school(s) via administration/school district
• Demonstrate they have complete jurisdiction over the roads, paths or land expected to be directly impacted by the project
• Demonstrate project is municipal commitment or part of municipal plan/strategy
• Demonstrate potential for GHG reductions through reduced vehicle kilometres travelled

Project Types: Projects must consist of capital investment and may include:

• Quick-build installations (bollards, planters, paint, concrete treatments)
• New or improved infrastructure (separated bike lanes, pedestrian-friendly intersections, pathways)
• Design improvements and safety features (storage facilities, lighting, crosswalks, speed enforcement)
• Connection to existing active transportation or transit networks