City of Toronto welcomes students back to school with updated Vision Zero road safety measures

Today, Mayor Olivia Chow and Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin (Don Valley West) were joined by Toronto District School Board Director of Education Clayton La Touche and Toronto Police Service Superintendent Matt Moyer to welcome students and staff of Owen Public School in North York back from their summer break. 

As students return to classrooms, the City of Toronto is reminding all road users to stay alert and follow the road rules, especially during busy morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups when pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle traffic increases around schools. 

The City continues to roll out safety measures, programs and initiatives under its updated Vision Zero Road Safety Plan to help protect kids and other vulnerable road users including: 

• School Crossing Guard Program: More than 900 trained crossing guards are deployed at intersections across the city to help children cross streets safely and confidently and remind drivers of the presence of pedestrians. 
• School Safety Zones: Highly visible designated stretches of road around schools with Watch Your Speed signage, pavement markings, flashing beacons, zebra markings (white stripes on the roadway) at crosswalks and more to ensure drivers know they’re in a School Safety Zone and drive with extra caution. So far, the City has installed School Safety Zones around 636 schools and is aiming to install 55 more by the end of this year. 
• Speed limit reductions: The City is lowering speed limits to 30 km/h on all local roads and laneways to help reduce speeding and minimize traffic-related fatalities.  
• Pedestrian Head Start Signals: Nearly 1,600 intersections across the city – including 244 installed last year – are equipped with a Pedestrian Head Start Signal that enables pedestrians to begin crossing the street before vehicles get a green signal, increasing pedestrian visibility and reducing conflicts with turning vehicles. 

More information about the Vision Zero Road Safety Plan is available on the City’s website. 

The City’s Safety Guide for School Children and Parents includes important information and advice on walking, cycling, wheeling, driving or taking the bus to and from school. Learn more about this guide by visiting the City’s website. 

 

Quotes:
“We are all responsible for making sure students get to and from school safely and confidently. Injuries and deaths on our roads are preventable and we need to keep working hard toward Vision Zero and protecting vulnerable road users. When we combine safer road designs, engineering and technology with thoughtful behaviour from everyone using our streets, we help build a city where everyone can feel safe on our roads.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow 

“As students return to school, it’s important that all road users are more mindful, which means slowing down near school zones, following posted parking signage, giving ample space to cyclists, and watching for children crossing the street. September brings a significant increase in road user activity and we all need to do our part to support students travelling to and from school safely. With that in mind, I continue to encourage families to use active transportation as a healthier and more sustainable way to get to school.”
– Councillor Rachel Chernos Lin (Don Valley West) 

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