A pilot program encouraging schoolchildren to walk or ride to school is to be expanded to include another 52 schools.
Representing the Minister for Transport, Meegan Fitzharris and Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development, Yvette Berry at the launch of the program at Giralang Primary School, Suzanne Orr MLA said the Giralang school would be one of the new schools to benefit from the Active Streets for Schools program from next year.
Ms Orr said the program involved making improvements such as signage and wayfinding pavement stencils, new footpaths, safer crossings, traffic calming measures and additional bike storage.
She said the aim was to give school communities the resources they needed to encourage more students to walk, ride or use public transport.
“During the first year of the Active Streets pilot we saw a five per cent increase in the number of children who walked or rode to and from school,” Ms Orr said.
“This not only helps kids stay active, it helps alleviate traffic congestion around our schools.”
She said that earlier this year the program was offered to all the remaining primary schools that hadn’t yet received Active Streets support.
“I’m really pleased to say that all 52 schools that indicated their interest in participating in the program will be included in the expanded program.”
She said Active Streets went hand-in-hand with the Ride or Walk to School program which supported schools to build the confidence and skills of students to actively travel to school.
Schools to benefit from Active Streets in 2019 are Arawang Primary, Bonython Primary, Brindabella Christian College (Belconnen), Burgmann Anglican School (Gungahlin), Campbell Primary School, Canberra Christian School, Canberra Girls’ Grammar, Canberra Grammar, Canberra Montessori School, Charles Conder Primary, Covenant Christian School, Duffy Primary School, Franklin Early Childhood School, Gilmore Primary School, Giralang Primary, Gold Creek School, Gordon Primary, Gowrie Primary School, Hawker Primary, Holy Family Primary, Kaleen Primary, Kingsford-Smith School, Marist College, Miles Franklin Primary, Monash Primary, Namadgi School, Narrabundah Early Childhood School, Neville Bonner Primary, Ngunnawal Primary, North Ainslie Primary, Red Hill Primary, Southern Cross Early Childhood School, St Anthony’s Primary, St Benedict’s Primary, St Clare of Assisi Primary, St Edmund’s College, St John the Apostle School, St Joseph’s Primary, St Michael’s Primary, St Monica’s Primary, St Thomas Aquinas Primary, St Thomas More’s Primary, St Thomas the Apostle Primary, Sts Peter & Paul Primary, Taqwa School, Taylor Primary, Torrens Primary, Trinity Christian School, Turner School, Wanniassa Hills Primary, Weetangera Primary and Yarralumla Primary.
