The Stepping It Up project (project term: Apr’09-Dec’11; final report: Jun’12) tested and refined best practices in influencing how students and staff travel to elementary schools. The project applied the Canadian School Travel Planning model (www.saferoutestoschool.ca) in combination with the Smart Commute workplace model (www.smartcommute.ca). The project team collected data and assessed the transportation conditions at 30 elementary schools in Hamilton, Brampton and Mississauga, including 10 schools in low socio-economic status areas. Facilitators worked with each school community to create and implement a School Travel Plan. Plans included short, medium and long-term actions aimed at reducing car traffic around the school and creating safer, healthier, and more supportive conditions for students, families and staff to use sustainable transportation modes. The project demonstrated and helped advance a formal, replicable approach that addresses built environment and social barriers to using sustainable transportation modes. The following demonstrates how Stepping It Up succeeds the Sustainable Urban Transportation Award evaluation criteria. Five pages from the Stepping It Up June 2012 report are attached in the Appendix to further illustrate the project.
