West Kootenay municipalities can make their school zones safer by accessing the B.C. School Streets program.
Green Communities Canada (GCC) and The Society for Children and Youth of BC (SCY) received $400,000 from the the B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure to expand the implementation of the School Streets program across the province.
Up to 10 communities across B.C. will receive funding to implement temporary car-free streets in front of their schools.
“Safety is always our top priority, and the School Streets initiative is another way we can support families across the province knowing the roadways around their children’s schools will be free from busy traffic,” said Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure. “Our investment ensures kids have the space they need, and people can keep moving safely around B.C.”
School Streets provide children with safer areas that encourage physical activity by creating car-free environments on streets in front of schools at the start and/or end of the school day. The B.C. School Streets Initiative (BCSSI) will include interventions that range from a one-week pop-up event to a month-long pilot, and they will be implemented between 2025 to 2028.
“It’s fantastic to see the Government of British Columbia coming to the table with the Public Health Agency of Canada and local partners across the country to expand proven strategies that get kids more active in BC," said Jared Kolb, Interim Executive Director at Green Communities Canada. “This investment from the Government of British Columbia shows leadership by stepping up where and when it matters: encouraging more walking and cycling with real investment.”
The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s investment in School Streets will support the national program’s goal to increase children’s rates of physical activity and encourage communities across the province to rethink the environment surrounding their schools.
“The opportunity to bring this work to communities across the province is exciting and a great step towards one of SCY's program goals of creating a province where every child can walk, bike, roll and play outdoors safely," said ldi Kovacs, program lead at SCY.
GCC and SCY are now accepting applications from interested communities across BC to participate in the BCSSI. Community groups can find additional information about the BCSSI and learn how to apply at the SCY website (scyofbc.org/school-streets/) and on the GCC website.
History: School Streets originated in Bolzano, Italy during the early 1990s when communities noticed significant car traffic and congestion in front of their schools during pick-up and drop-off times.
As a proposed solution, the first School Street was created.
Since then, the concept spread across Canada, with implementation sites in Victoria, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Kingston, Mississauga, and Montréal, to name a few.
