Encouraging walking, rolling, cycling, and transit to and from school.
The Safe and Active School Travel Program (SASTP) explores ways to encourage a safe and healthy journey to and from school through programs, policy and infrastructure improvements.
Launched in 2014, the program is in partnership between the City of North Vancouver and North Vancouver School District (NVSD), and is core to the Mobility Strategy's vision to create healthy streets that work for everyone.
Benefits of Safe and Active Travel to School
- Improved physical and mental health and well-being, as students arrive to school energized, better rested and ready to learn.
- Stronger communities, as connections and friendships are made while walking, rolling, biking or taking transit to and from school.
- Healthier communities, as reduced congestion around school zones is better for pedestrian safety and the environment.
- Increased confidence around independent travel, as families develop healthy long-term habits, together.
Programs & Initiatives
SASTP identifies a range of infrastructure upgrades to improve safety for children, families, and neighbours, including sidewalks, traffic calming, signage, enhanced crossings, curb bulges, and sightline improvements.
The SASTP Mini-Grant Pilot Program for the 2023/24 school year provides grants of up to $500, and are available to City of North Vancouver public elementary and secondary schools through the Safe and Active School Travel Program.
Grants support projects and activities that encourage and promote students walking, biking, or rolling to and from school.
Learn more about the program.
School Travel Planning Facilitators work directly with the administration, students, and families at each school over about 18 months to identify barriers to active travel, encourage walking and rolling, and develop maps and infrastructure plans tailored specifically to the school. Find your school's travel plan.
The City has funded in-class and on-road cycling education for up to three schools per year since 2012. Providing cycling education at an early age is essential to ensuring children are cycling safely for the rest of their lives. The program has since expanded to include grade 6 and 7 students at each school on a rotating basis, with the goal that all City students participate in cycling education before they transition to secondary school.
Bike to School Week is an annual celebration coordinated by HUB Cycling to encourage students to bike, roll or walk to school. HUB provides promotional materials, prizes and more. Learn more at cnv.org/GBBW.
The City provides funding to the North Vancouver School District for paid adult crossing guards at all five of its public elementary schools. These trained crossing guards help students and families cross the street at key intersections before and after school, in order to keep students safe and encourage walking and rolling to school.
SASTP looks at current transportation issues (such as unsafe crossing conditions and barriers to active transportation) and opportunities (such as existing pedestrian and bicycle paths) around each school.
Each school gets a "Best Routes to School" map that shows the preferred routes for walking and rolling to school. Find the map for your school.
The City facilitates and supports outreach and events that encourage school active transportation. Reach out to the City for resources or support, or consider applying for an SASTP Mini-Grant to make your ideas come to life!