The District of Squamish and Squamish RCMP will launch a #SlowDownSquamish safety campaign to urge drivers to reduce their speed as Squamish youth head back to school on Tuesday, September 3. A school zone speed limit of 30 kilometres is in effect during the new extended hours of 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. on any school day, beginning September 3. New signage will display the extended school zone times, and new mid-road signs will further signal to drivers they are in a 30-kilometre zone.
“While many of us have a tendency to rush as we get to work or drop off children at school, slowing down on the roads and leaving five minutes earlier can help protect our youngest residents from injury or worse,” says District of Squamish Mayor Karen Elliott. “We’re appealing to drivers to think about young students who may dart in front of a car, dash across a crosswalk, or be a little wobbly on their bike or scooter randomly into the street – not just in school zones but throughout our neighbourhoods. Please slow down. It’s a simple thing to do.”
Drivers are reminded to slow down, avoid stopping or parking in designated No Parking areas, keep bike lanes clear at all times, watch for children and always remain focused on the road, especially in and around school zones.
“With school just around the corner, our commitment to the safety of our youth is renewed,” says Squamish RCMP Youth Liaison Officer Constable Christine Robinson. “While we will be working hard to enforce the rules of the road, we also encourage parents to speak to their kids about road safety. Ultimately, our goal is to keep children and families safe."
The District has invested heavily in infrastructure upgrades as well as school travel planning and best routes to school mapping, amounting to $1.5 million spent since 2016, with the goal of getting students safely to school by bike or on foot
"We want more children walking and biking to school because it is good for them, and for the environment. But we also know that their freedom to travel to school under their own steam requires the confidence of their parents that they can get to school safely,” says Elliott. “Our youngest residents are all of our responsibility. So while the District continues to invest in our walking and cycling infrastructure around schools and across Squamish, and the RCMP continues to enforce the rules of the road, all drivers have a responsibility to slow down. We also encourage parents to speak to their kids about road safety, and connect with other families to create a walking or biking school bus so that kids can give biking or walking to school a try.”
A key school zone change this year is in Valleycliffe where the Squamish Waldorf and Valleycliffe Elementary school zones on Westway Avenue are being merged into one long school zone. This will reduce confusion about where one zone ends and the other zone begins. Other improvements include new centre line signage at the start of school zones, a new four-way stop at Dowad Drive, a widened shoulder (bike/pedestrian lane) on Judd Road (expected to be complete by the third week of September), an improved asphalt connection from the Highway 99 overpass to Mamquam Elementary School, a bike/pedestrian lane on the south side of Guilford Drive from Westway Avenue to Cedar Drive, and sightline clearing in various locations throughout Squamish.
HASTe BC and the District developed Best Routes to School maps for the public elementary schools in Squamish. Families are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the recommended best routes, “Drive to 5” locations (areas located within a five-minute walk to school enabling caregivers to drop off or pick up students and avoid school traffic congestion), trails, marked crosswalks and pedestrian signals, and bus stops. Best Routes to School maps are available at squamish.ca/safe-routes.
Extended school zone hours are in effect as of Tuesday, September 3 at 7:30 a.m. The change better reflects the times of day where students can be in the vicinity of the school, taking into account before/after school care, after school activities and playground activity.
Fast Facts:
For more information visit squamish.ca/slowdown.
August 30, 2019
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