Stepping Up for Safer School Travel

On the Move is School Travel Planning (STP) in action across Simcoe Muskoka. It brings together parents and caregivers, school boards, schools, municipalities and community partners to help children achieve their recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity through walking and wheeling to school. 

How to get started with On the Move? 
Creating an On the Move Committee in partnership with your local school is a great first step. Parents and caregivers, school boards and educators, and municipal staff   can be involved in these committees to work together to address the Five E’s of STP: Education, Encouragement, Engineering, Enforcement, and Evaluation.

We can help you get started!

What You Can Do

Collaboration between parents and caregivers, schools, and municipalities, is the foundation of success for On the Move. There is room for everyone to be involved!

Parents & Caregivers

Remember walking or biking to school as a kid? Things have changed. Today, more children are driven to school—even for short distances, which means more traffic congestion at drop of and pick up times, more pollution, and less safety for everyone. We get it: mornings are hectic, and safety is a concern. But when kids skip walking, or wheeling, they miss out on daily physical activity, fresh air and quality time with parents, caregivers, and friends. You can help bring back the fun in active school travel. 

• What you might notice when walking or wheeling in your neighbourhood:
  • Lack of sidewalks or bike paths 
  • Unsafe sidewalks or crossings
  • Heavy vehicle traffic near schools
  • Lack of walking or wheeling routes that are accessible for all ages and abilities
• What you can do:
  • Talk to your school about your concerns
  • Start or join a local On the Move committee with the school
  • Invite your municipality to get involved
• How we support you:
  • We help connect you with your school and municipality 
  • We help to develop an On the Move Action Plan for your school

Schools & Educators

Physical activity isn’t just about staying fit—it powers the brain! Students who move more often show improved focus, better learning, stronger attention in class. Plus, it boosts their mental and social well-being, helping kids feel more confident, build friendships, and enjoy their day more. School boards, schools educators and the Health Unit working together can help inform an equitable and engaging approach to any project that will impact the school community.

• What you might notice:
  • Students arriving less active or less focused
  • Increased traffic congestion during drop-off/pick-up
  • Unsafe street crossings or insufficient bike parking
• What you can do:
  • Promote active school travel through classroom activities and school-wide initiatives
  • Check out our school health topics pages for information, activities and resources that align  with Ontario curriculum.
  • Join or help form an On the Move committee to lead change
• How we support you:
  • We support and guide On the Move committees
  • We support the development of On the Move Action Plans for schools
  • We provide access to On the Move resources

Municipalities
Municipalities play a vital role in building safer, more accessible and connected routes, and support community-wide efforts to encourage walking or wheeling to school. From staff to elected officials, everyone is invited to the committees to support safer, healthier school journeys. Active travel isn’t just good for students—When we make active transportation easier for students, we make it easier for everyone. And it’s a step toward protecting our environment and health.

• What you might notice:
  • Concerns about school zone safety
  • Concern about air quality
  • Gaps in sidewalk, cycling or trail connectivity or underused infrastructure
  • Increased parking complaints or traffic issues
• What you can do:
  • Join an On the Move committee to contribute insights and shape solutions across the Five E’s , such as implementation of traffic calming measures, improving crosswalks, and installing wayfinding signage  
  • Prioritize walking and cycling in land-use and transportation planning
  • Attend the Simcoe Muskoka On the Move Advisory Committee  to shape regional strategies and hear diverse perspectives
• How we support you:
  • We facilitate collaboration with municipalities, school boards, schools and parents to align local school travel planning efforts 

Helpful Resources

We’ve gathered resources to help get our school communities moving! Visit our resource library.

Let’s move together! 

We want to work with you to support more walking and wheeling to school.

• Contact us to learn more about current Simcoe Muskoka On the Move activities and what has been occurring in your area by emailing: [email protected] for requests and resources.

Interested in school travel planning across the region of Simcoe Muskoka? 

• Consider attending Simcoe Muskoka On the Move Advisory Committee meetings to shape regional strategies and hear diverse perspectives of active school travel across Simcoe Muskoka. For more information, visit Simcoe Muskoka On the Move Advisory Committee.