There are many reasons to walk or bike to school, and plenty of resources to help make your trip fun, easy and safe!
The Active & Safe Routes to School (ASRtS) program aims to encourage and support students and families to travel actively and safely to and from school. Many parents and children already enjoy walking or cycling to and from school. We hope you will choose to join them!
Resources to plan active trips to and from school
Travel Plans
Departure Bay
Frank J. Ney
McGirr
Randerson Ridge
Uplands Park
Best Routes to School Maps
Departure Bay Elementary
Frank J. Ney Elementary (East)
Frank J. Ney Elementary (West)
McGirr Elementary
Randerson Ridge Elementary
Traffic Safety in the School Zone
The school zone is a high-volume area where student safety is very important. All commuters, whether drivers, cyclists or pedestrians, must be aware and follow the rules in order to keep the school zone safe.
Check out these resources on carpooling, Drive-to-Five, and school zone safety:
UPDATED: The school district received information from the Randerson Ridge Elementary PAC on traffic safety concerns at the school. Since their presentation, the site has been studied and assessed. The following information was shared at the November 8, 2023 Business Committee meeting.
Interested in more?
Visit the Active School Travel Program or contact the City of Nanaimo, Transportation Engineering Department at 250 754-4251 or email engineeringinfo@nanaimo.ca
Biking to school? The City of Nanaimo’s Bike Map shows common bike routes perfect for planning your ride to school. View it online, print it out, or pick one up at your local community centre or bike shop to keep yourself riding.
Biking is a great way to get around quickly and easily while building your child’s confidence and physical literacy.
Check out these resources for biking to and from school:
Walking is a great way to get exercise while traveling to and from school, and familiarizes your child with their local neighbourhood.
Check out these resources for walking to and from school:
Public transit can be part of an active trip to school. A recent study by the University of British Columbia found that transit users are three times more likely to meet recommended Canadian fitness guidelines.
Visit the BC Transit Trip Planner to plan your best transit route to and from school. You can also download route maps and view transit alerts to help make your commute as smooth as possible.
Check out these resources for using public transit:
If there is no way around it, and driving is a part of your commute to school, carpooling is a positive way to reduce emissions while sharing the task of driving and making connections in the community.
Drive-to-Five is an excellent option for students who must make part of their commute in a vehicle. Locate your school’s Drive-to-Five locations (link to Best Routes to School map): these are drop-off points that are about a five-minute walk away from the school.
The Drive-to-Five method is a great way to be part of the solution to decreasing traffic congestion around the school (increasing school ground safety), and provides children with a chance to be active before school, better preparing them for learning in class.
