Our Presentation to the City Council
To begin with, we would like to acknowledge that the City has come a long way – even in the three short years that Youth en Route has been advocating for safer routes, the City does not let us down.
We highly appreciate the work that the City has done to date on this file.
We hope that our data will persuade you to keep doing this work
We were fortunate work with students at Calgary’s Newest High school:
North Trail High School
Almost one quarter of students get to school in less than 20 minutes. Mode share is the most evenly distributed of any school in the city. 8 per cent cycle ….the highest in the city– and yes, that’s double the rate of the next closest school.
You may wonder why…
Well as Calgary’s newest high school, it’s built in areas where developers put in multi-use paths when the communities were built.
Those green lines go places!
- Harvest Hills Boulevard has a MUP (multi-use-path) a safe-distance from the curb.
- The large school grounds aren’t fenced – making it easy to get to school “as the crow flies.”
- And while there are some gaps in infrastructure…. kids can get to school independently.
At Lester B. Pearson things aren’t so easy
As you can see, there are NO green lines coming from communities. Almost none cross main roads.
The School and greenfields are fenced.
There’s no pathway across any of the large spaces – making access impossible in winter or for those with mobility challenges. Direct routes – as the crow flies – are not there
If you need to Cross 52 street or 32ave ? The city makes you walk way out of your way…
Can you see why driving might be easier choice?
It doesn’t need to be this way
We know what is needed and what works. Youth en Route is working with you, collecting data so you can understand the return on your investments.
Connect a school, and we think we can move the needle from zero to 10% using active modes. We’ve already approached schools in areas where 5A expansion is planned to make sure we have baseline data.
We think the returns will pay for themselves very quickly – and will help build the connected, sustainable and resilient communities you say you want and we know Calgary’s youth deserve.
All it takes is one win
From our view, we think one quick win that could be done to encourage active travel and save lives would be to choose some main roads to lower speed limits.
Speed not only kills, but is a huge deterrent for youth using active modes. Imagine being a new or non-confident rider when a speeding pick up or cargo truck passes , it’s very scary.
As an example, here are two pictures of 52nd St in East Calgary. We need consistent speeds on similar streets. We shouldn’t put some kids at MORE risk just because of where they live.
Let’s not forget about Calgary Transit
Frequent, reliable transit is so important for youth. Linking active modes with transit is a key part of our strategy.
But…..almost 60% of Calgary kids would LIKE To use Calgary Transit more often – and would but for the COST.
It’s heartbreaking that 13 % or almost 8000 high school students don’t use transit – but want to.
For many families – the car and insurance are paid for and gas is less than an $80 month transit pass. It’s $112 / month if you’re 18.
So while we applaud children who travel for free on Calgary Transit, there’s a huge opportunity to build the transit habit with youth.
To conclude,
As a council, you tell us what you value by how you spend funds.
Please re-consider what you invest in active routes to school. Let’s invest in our children’s future and enable them to choose active modes to school.
Thank you
To view the full powerpoint, click here.
