On Wednesday June 18th Vancouver City Council will debate a motion to expand the School Travel Planning Program. This program has led to road safety infrastructure upgrades across nearly 50 schools in Vancouver over the past decade, but is so chronically underfunded that an average of just 4 of Vancouver’s 107 public schools can participate each year.
We need your help to tell the Mayor and Council that this is important, and to speak at council if you are able! Read more about the motion, and then see how to speak or write in to council below.
About the motion
Over the past couple of decades, the number of children walking or biking to school has fallen precipitously. Ironically, one of the major factors for this is that parents feel that it’s become unsafe, largely due to all the parents chaotically driving around during drop-off and pick-up time!
The School Travel Planning Program helps build infrastructure that makes it easier and safer for kids to walk, bike, or roll to school. It promotes a healthy lifestyle, teaches kids about road safety, and makes our communities more resilient and connected.
Image source: City of Vancouver
Implementation for the School Travel Planning Program typically follows a 3-year process:
Year 1: Consultation and Planning
City staff engage with stakeholders through walking tours, meetings with school staff and parents, and travel surveys.
In collaboration with the school community, staff develop a tailored action plan that includes education, promotion, enforcement, and engineering measures.
Year 2: Implementation
Engineering, education, promotion, and enforcement measures are implemented.
Year 3: Follow-up
City staff collect travel surveys again to understand the impacts of measures on school travel trends and preferences.
City staff follow up on any pending actions in the plan.
For reference, here is a sample plan from Sir Richard McBride Elementary, and a map of the infrastructure improvements provided to this school under the program.
Please sign up to speak in support of this motion! We would like to see the number of schools participating each year at least doubled, so schools can participate more often than every 25 years, while also providing additional funding so that the quality of infrastructure provided can be further improved.
How do I help?
- Sign up to speak to council on June 18 (more information below). You must sign up by 5 PM on Tuesday, June 17.
- Email the Mayor and Council before June 17 at 5 PM.
Ken.Sim@vancouver.ca,
CLRbligh@vancouver.ca,
CLRmaloney@vancouver.ca,
CLRorr@vancouver.ca,
CLRdominato@vancouver.ca,
CLRfry@vancouver.ca,
CLRkirby-yung@vancouver.ca,
CLRklassen@vancouver.ca,
CLRmeiszner@vancouver.ca,
CLRmontague@vancouver.ca,
CLRzhou@vancouver.ca
Registering to Speak to Council
- To register to speak to council on this motion, go here. Click the box for “Motion2. Expanding the School Travel Planning Program” and then click Support
- Choose whether you prefer to go in person or call in by phone. Hit “Next” at the bottom of the page.
- You should receive an email confirmation with more information. This might include your speaker number, instructions for calling in, and how many minutes you will have to speak.
- Follow along during the meeting to watch for the relevant agenda item. If the motion is further down on the list, you may want to check in every so often to track progress and wait to call in. Sometimes councils can take a few hours up to a whole meeting just to discuss an agenda item. You can follow the City Clerk on twitter where updates get posted about the day’s schedule.
- When the motion comes up, be prepared to call in. You’ll probably want to call in at least 3-5 speakers ahead of you. Once you’re connected, you’ll usually be able to hear the live meeting discussion on your phone, so remember to mute your computer audio if you have been watching along. Your phone line will remain muted until it’s your turn, so listen carefully. Usually someone will say your name or say your speaker number, and then they’ll unmute you and it’s your turn!
- It’s unlikely, but Councilors may have questions for you – feel free to answer them if you’re comfortable, but know that you’re not required to. Once you’ve completed your turn, simply hang up.
What Should I Tell Them? (speaking to Council or sending an email)
- Start by telling them that you support the motion and that you want them to pass it. If you’re emailing, clearly state your support in the subject line.
- Personal stories are always good! Talk about your experience getting to school when you were a kid, or if you have children today, talk about that.
- Even a very short message of support is helpful. Done is better than perfect. Don’t agonize over the perfect message. The power is in having your voice heard.
Vision Zero Vancouver 