Lead editorial in today's Globe:
(A shame Winnipeg doesn't have a transportation authority that takes a comprehensive view like Metrolink does.)
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/editorials/why-dont-kids-walk-to-scho ol-any-more/article29546909/
Children aren't walking or cycling to school as much as they used to, says a recent study from the Greater Toronto Area transportation agency Metrolinx. Who's surprised?
The streets around our junior education hubs become dependably gridlocked when legions of dutiful, well-meaning parents perform the mandatory drop-off and pick-up. The school run has turned into a frustrating crawl as distracted chauffeurs bob and weave for a prime piece of curb-blocking real estate so their offspring don't have to make too long or dangerous a trek from the car door to the school entrance.
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But the convenience offered by the car carries many costs. Active children are healthier, more alert and more independent than classmates who depend on door-to-door car service. Schools that are pedestrian-centred destinations rather than glorified parking lots enhance the neighbourhoods they're meant to serve. And neighbourhoods with lots of pedestrians are vibrant and safe communities in ways that places with barren sidewalks are not.
And the more children who get to school under their own steam, the fewer cars on the roads - Metrolinx estimates that 20 per cent of the vehicles in peak morning traffic are doing the school run. So the war on the car and the pursuit of knowledge turn out to be inextricably bound. .