Page 126 - Week 01 - Wednesday, 13 February 2019
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So far, the feedback from schools, parents and the community has been positive, with a formal evaluation due for completion in June. That is why it has not been rolled out further yet: it is February 2019, not June. As Minister Rattenbury said, no school is the same as another and we do need to learn and to take into account what works where. It would be silly to rush Ms Lee’s motion through, as it stands, before that review is complete.
A number of crossings are also benefiting from infrastructure upgrades, including traffic calming measures, new signs, improved line markings and better footpath access. All in all, it is a great initiative; I think that is something that we can all agree on.
Ms Lee noted that school pick-ups and drop-off areas can be dangerous places. One of the reasons for that is the sheer amount of vehicular activity. There is a trend that driving to school is increasing. As Minister Rattenbury said, more cars equals more dangerous activity, so it stands, quite naturally, that if we want to make our schools safer, we need to be investing in ways to encourage parents and children to leave the car at home when they can.
The active streets program has been expanded to include an extra 52 schools over the next few years, making it easier for families to map out a safe route to school on foot or by bike or scooter. Participating schools were selected based on an expressions of interest process, and every school that applied has been included in the program.
The initiative comes off the back of a successful pilot program, again, involving four Belconnen primary schools in 2015-16 and an initial rollout to 25 schools in 2016-18. Many of us would have come across the blue stencilled images on footpaths across the city indicating appropriate routes to school with minimal road crossings. It is another great initiative.
These are just two programs helping children and families get to school safely in the ACT. On top of these initiatives, the ACT government continues to develop traffic management plans tailored to the needs of each school, in accordance, as we know, with the parliamentary agreement. This includes consideration of extra safety measures, including flashing lights.
All of this work has given parents across Canberra peace of mind that their children can travel more safely, and all of this work complements our broader strategy of encouraging active travel across Canberra. Creating an environment that is safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists will see more people don their walking shoes or their helmet. It is good for our health, it is good for our environment and it is a sure-fire way to reduce traffic congestion at peak periods and make some of our most vulnerable people safer.
The new bus network is another important piece of the puzzle and has been designed to encourage more students to catch public transport. Every Canberra school will be serviced by the network, giving families greater choice and flexibility. I know it suits the opposition to bleat that the sky is falling about school buses but, again, it is very
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