Opinion | Students are back in the classroom — the car chaos around our schools is back too

Big number: 27.9, the percentage of kids in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area who walked or biked to school in 2016, according to surveys. That’s down from 56 per cent in 1986.

According to data collected through Toronto’s Transportation Tomorrow Survey, just 12 per cent of kids aged 11 to 13 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area got a ride to school in 1986. A majority of young people — about 56 per cent — walked. There are all sorts of reasons why this is bad. The danger of having cars jamming streets around schools is obvious. Toronto’s Vision Zero map of pedestrians killed or seriously injured by cars counts five deaths and 31 injuries among children 14 and under in the last five years alone. Many occurred near schools during the school year.

It’s clear reversing the trend and getting more kids walking or biking to school would be good for a bunch of reasons. Recognizing this, Metrolinx has set a goal of getting 60 per cent of all students walking or biking to school by 2031. But getting there is a gigantic challenge.

GraphicMatt Always amazes me when I see parents drive their kids to school or bus when they live just around the corner.

GraphicMatt

GraphicMatt Same paper that wanted to give kids experimental shots and wear masks all the time lol

GraphicMatt For 3 years my kids didn't have access to a locker so had to cart EVERYTHING to and fro. (Now they don't even have to wear a mask.)

GraphicMatt When I was a kid in the late 1960’s the whole side of my school was lined with full bike racks. The same school now has no bike racks. What happened? And BTW we didn’t have bike helmets back then and nobody was seriously injured that I can remember.

GraphicMatt Never drove my kids to school. They were walking on their own at 8. On public transit alone at 9. I realize different things work for different parents, but this is one decision I’m convinced was correct.

GraphicMatt Just posted multiple stories about drivers hitting pedestrians. Then questions why parents drive their kids.

GraphicMatt This would change drastically if the justice system jailed pedophiles, sex offenders, drug dealers and other criminals. Children walking to school are targets for these people. We also have mentally ill people, walking the streets because there are no facilities to house them.

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