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“If just nine families regularly
walk or bicycle to school, over the course of a year, they can prevent almost
1,000 kilograms of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere,”
said Bond. “That’s why we’re challenging schools across the province to set up
their own walking school buses and bicycle trains, and providing the tools to
help them accomplish that.”
Walking school buses and bicycle trains function like a conventional school bus by making predetermined stops to pick up and drop off students on the way to and from school.
In order to support schools across B.C. in setting up their own walking school buses and bicycle trains, the Province is investing close to $200,000 for online tools and an incentive program. The start-up kit for schools includes:
· Road safety tips;
· Neighbourhood maps for plotting customized walking or riding routes;
· A classroom emissions tracking program;
· Interactive training webinars for parents and organizers;
· Two reflective vests per route for the parent or community volunteers to wear; and
· Reflective arm bands for student participants.
As schools demonstrate success with their new walking school bus or bicycle train programs, they will be able to apply for incentive equipment, such as bicycle racks, pedometers and bike locks, to help support their continued success.
The Province has partnered with the
Directorate of Agencies for School Health (
“The Walking School Bus and Bicycle Train Program will help us fulfil our throne speech commitment to develop a program to enable young students to walk or bicycle safely to their schools, accompanied by adults,” said Environment Minister Barry Penner. “Reducing the number of students being driven to and from school will also help support the B.C. government’s goal of leading the world in sustainable environmental management and reducing pollution that contributes to climate change by 33 per cent by 2020.”
“The walking school bus and bicycle train at Frank Hobbs was very simple to organize and is really helping to cure the car culture around the school,” said Liz Miller, Safer School Travel representative for the school’s parent advisory council. “We have organized two walking school buses and a bicycle train, the students who participate are having fun, and we’ve received great support from the community.”
In addition to helping the environment, walking school buses and bicycle trains offer students an opportunity to be more physically active, and also help develop positive relationships between students, teachers and parent volunteers, and the neighbours they meet along their route.
“The Walking School Bus and Bicycle
Train Program will help B.C. students work towards their daily physical
activity requirements, which were introduced in all schools this September,”
said Healthy Living and Sport Minister Mary Polak. “This program will also help
support the Province’s goal of becoming the healthiest jurisdiction to ever
host the Olympic Games.”
As part of government’s commitment to reduce B.C.’s carbon footprint, all new and upgraded schools will be built to LEED Gold energy and environmental standards. By developing new curriculum and providing resources, such as eco kits for schools and an interdisciplinary Environmental Learning Guide for teachers, the Province is helping educators teach students about climate change and environmental sustainability.
For more information on how to set up a walking school bus or bicycle train program, visit the HASTE website at www.hastebc.org. To learn more about how choosing to be energy-smart can save you money, visit www.LiveSmartBC.ca.
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Ministry of Education 250 356-5963 |
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For more information on government services or to subscribe to the Province’s news feeds using RSS, visit the Province’s website at www.gov.bc.ca. |
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