Kid Commute: A Walking School Bus initiative
About Kid Commute: A Walking School Bus Initiative
The Society for Children and Youth of BC and TransLink have partnered with participating municipalities to deliver Kid Commute: a Walking School Bus initiative set to launch in September 2023 at select elementary schools throughout Metro Vancouver.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more about Kid Commute 2023, please refer to the FAQ on this web page or send us an email at info@scyofbc.org.
Thank you to TransLink and our municipal partners for their generous support of this initiative.
Stay tuned – additional municipal partners will be announced soon!
Much like a traditional yellow school bus, a WSB is a group of students who travel to and from school each day along a designated route, stopping along the way to pick up more students. The bus is supported by trained adult Walk Leaders, who walk with the group daily. The bus is powered not by an engine, but on foot, by the students themselves as they walk to and from school.
Kid Commute is a regional WSB program that will run every day at pick-up and drop-off times at select elementary schools throughout Metro Vancouver beginning in September 2023. Each school’s bus will follow a scheduled route with designated stops, led by either a volunteer or a paid Walk Leader. The program was developed by TransLink in response to the need for safer school zones, reduced emissions, and the promotion of school active travel and healthy children in the region.
We are in the process of identifying schools to participate in Kid Commute 2023. Check back for updates in the Spring of 2023!
The benefits of a WSB are felt by the entire community!
Students
- Improves physical and mental health
- Creates an opportunity to make new friends through shared experiences
- Inherent sense of belonging in being a part of a group
- Increases independence and self-esteem
Parents
- Addresses parental safety concerns
- Grows and strengthens social network
- Addresses parental time constraints at drop-off and pick-up
- Save money on fuel
School Community
- Reduces vehicle congestion around schools
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
- Improves air quality in communities
- Addresses student tardiness and absenteeism
- Strengthens the school’s social capital
Kid Commute was piloted in the City of Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver in 2021-22. Eight schools participated in the pilot, with students walking over 8,000 km over the course of the program. Families reported participating for various reasons:
- 21% for health reasons
- 18% to promote independence
- 15% because it was good for the environment
- 15% to increase their connection to the community
- 15% participated because the program fit their routine
- 10% to increase activity levels
Amazing!
If your school is located in the City of Vancouver (Vancouver School District 39), please download, complete and return the Expression of Interest form by April 7th, 2023.
If your school is located in another municipality or school district, please complete and submit this form to suggest we get in touch. Note you must provide the contact of a school administrator or PAC executive, and the school must be in the Lower Mainland.
Regardless of where your school is located, please note that suggesting a school or completing an Expression of Interest will not guarantee the school’s participation as spaces are limited.
We welcome individuals who are interested in volunteering for the WSB to submit this form. We will contact and interview candidates best fit for the role of volunteer Walk Leader for each school later in spring 2023.