2023 was a year of many accomplishments for School Streets Ottawa, we are so proud of the movement we started, calling for families to have safe and active ways to travel their communities.
Here are the highlights of our achievements in 2023:
Presentations, Delegations and Letters
- In April we presented a delegation (1hr:46min) to Transportation Committee on to demand further action on School Streets in the Transportation Master Plan
- SSO partnered with Bike Ottawa, Walkability Ottawa to write a joint letter to Councillor Leiper and Mayor Sutcliffe on having construction detours for people following the dangerous situations at Connaught School at Gladstone
- SSO partnered with Bike Ottawa to write a joint letter to the city and its partners to change the messaging on “Shared Responsibility” as it applies to School Zone Safety, rather to adopt a hierarchy of responsibility in which road users who can cause the most harm have the most responsibility
- SSO partnered with Bike Ottawa to write a joint letter to city senior management to denounce a victim-shaming safety campaign on pedestrian safety.
- SSO highlighted the awareness of the need for School Active Transportation to the Road Safety Action Plan Working Group (Safer Roads Ottawa)
Events and Media
- Kidical Mass 2023! SSO partnered with For our Kids, Bike Ottawa, Parkways for People to organize Ottawa’s Kidical Mass ride, calling for safe and active transportation in our communities. It was a resounding success with over 250 people!
- In June SSO held a community workshop on how to organize better active school transportation at your school
- Ottawa saw the first School Event Street at Trille des Bois in June thanks to parent organizers and the Councillor.
- SSO worked with the city and Councillors Devine and Johnson to report on student safety on Merivale Highschool. See our interview on CTV
- SSO provided support to EnviroCentre to develop a School Streets Feasibility Study
Here is some of what we have planned 2024:
- All efforts towards our mission, “to have more students using travel modes that are active, safe, and sustainable”.
- Invest in partnerships to move from School Streets from the conceptual to implementation. Will your community be the first?
- Putting Automated Speed Enforcement revenues to work in the communities they are collected. We want to re-invigorate the city’s Active School Transportation strategy with ASE revenues, we want to see funding for Walking School Busses, and Bike Busses!
- Build partnerships with like-organizations and to amplify our voices for always available, all ages abilities active transportation.
- Holding councillors and committee members to account for meeting the goals of the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and the Climate Action Master Plan
- Watch for Kidical Mass 2024!
Lastly, consider making a donation of your time to School Streets Ottawa. We need your voice. Reach out to us at info@schoolstreetsottawa.ca
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