Active and Sustainable School Travel

Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST)

The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board has joined forces with the City of Hamilton and Smart Commute to promote and support a culture of Active & Sustainable School Transportation (ASST) in its elementary and secondary schools.

Today, as more and more of our neighbourhoods are being retrofitted with new sidewalks and bike lanes, pedestrian crossovers, street lights, reduced speed limits and/or crossing guards, the walk or bike ride to and from school has never been easier, safer or healthier.

Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST) emphasizes the importance of walking, cycling and busing to school. ASST not only improves physical and mental health but contributes to a healthier environment and safer streets.

Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST) Charter

An Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST) Charter, co-signed by the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School and City of Hamilton in October 2015, reflects a shared commitment to create a culture in which active and sustainable transportation is the norm where we live, learn, work and play.

Its purpose is to facilitate a measurable shift in travel behaviour towards active and sustainable transportation through:
• policy change
• infrastructure improvements
• capacity building
• education and awareness.

To view the HWCDSB ASST Charter, please see pdf below:

HWCDSB ASST Charter

What is School Travel Planning?

School Travel Planning (STP) is a community-based approach to increase the number of students that participate in active school travel. School Travel Planning (STP) encourages communities to work together to ensure that children within walking distance can safely walk or cycle to and from school.

The process brings together community members, e.g. parents, teachers, principals, students, city officials and public health nurses, to identify barriers to active school travel and develop travel solutions to ensure safe routes to school.

Initiatives to support Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST) include:
• Walking school buses
• Buddy systems
• Safe route maps
• Bike lanes
• Fun walking events, e.g. Wear Yellow Days
• Traffic calming signs, crosswalks and crossing guards
• Cycling education
• Park and walk locations

Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST) Parent Engagement Strategy & Action Toolkit

The Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board is piloting an Active and Sustainable School Travel (ASST) Parent Engagement Strategy & Action Toolkit at six of its elementary schools in 2019-2020. The project is funded by the Ontario Active School Travel Fund and the City of Hamilton's Healthy Environment Division.

Participating schools include:
• Immaculate Conception CES
• St. Joseph CES
• St. Lawrence CES
• Regina Mundi CES
• St. Martin of Tours CES
• St. Michael CES

These schools have been involved in school travel planning, have principals who are champions of ASST and have parents who were involved in the ASST parent engagement strategy planning sessions.

The strategy is one of five priority actions identified at a June 2016 ASST Sustainability Workshop to increase parental support for ASST and shift the current car culture around the school commute. By increasing parental engagement and participation in ASST initiatives, the City of Hamilton hopes to increase children’s active school travel.

Check out the Parent Engagement Strategy and Toolkit to learn how you can help to change the driving culture at your child’s school. Visit https://smartcommute.ca/hamilton/schools/p ... .

ASST_Parent_Engagement_Strat ...

Active School Travel (AST) Certification

Active School Travel (AST) Certification uses the Canadian School Travel Planning (STP) model to help schools earn recognition for AST efforts. STP is a community-based approach that aims to:
• Increase the number of students and adults choosing active travel to and from school
• Address safety, physical activity, and the environment
• Engage community stakeholders (school boards, municipalities, police, public health professionals, parents/guardians, administrators, educators and children) to work together to identify and to solve their school travel needs

Learn more about AST Certification at https://smartcommute.ca/hamilton/schools/s ...

Resources

Smart Commute
https://smartcommute.ca/hamilton/schools/
Parent Engagement Strategy: https://smartcommute.ca/hamilton/schools/p ...

Ontario Active School Travel
School Travel Planning Toolkit:
https://ontarioactiveschooltravel.ca

City of Hamilton
Pedestrian Crossovers: https://www.hamilton.ca/streets-transporta ...
Back to School Safety:
https://www.hamilton.ca/streets-transporta ...

Driving Tips Around Schools:
http://apps.saferoutesinfo.org/lawenforcem ...