Page 11 School Travel Planning is a community-based approach that has been used with success to increase the number of families choosing active transportation modes to get to and from school. School Travel Planning works to uncover the transportation challenges faced by school communities, and identify the resources and strategies necessary to overcome them. In February, the School Travel Planning process got underway at Frank J. Ney, Randerson Ridge, McGirr, and Departure Bay elementary schools. Rutherford Elementary, which will be closing this summer, is also participating to ensure its students and families have safe walking and cycling routes to their new schools. The first step in the School Travel Planning process is data collection. Through surveys in the classroom and at home, students and parents are asked to provide information about their travel activities, routes, and concerns. Once a clear picture of the barriers to walking and cycling has been developed, members of the school communities will join municipal stakeholders – including City and School District staff, community organizations, and RCMP – on walkabouts at participating schools to explore barriers and concerns, and to start developing solutions. Starting this spring and continuing into next school year, schools and stakeholders will work to address these barriers through education, engineering, encouragement, and enforcement, supporting more students and families to walk, cycle, scoot, or skate to school. For families travelling long distances to school, park-and-walk locations will be identified to reduce congestion around schools and ensure that all students have an opportunity to incorporate physical activity into their trip to and from school. To learn more about Active and Safe Routes to School or to get involved, contact the School Travel Planning Facilitator for Nanaimo, Lise Richard: lise@hastebc.org. 