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Back to School Safety

Back to school

 

Drive, walk & cycle safely

With school back in session, it’s important for drivers, cyclists, parents and children to slow down, walk or cycle safely, be alert and follow the rules of the road – especially before and after school.

If your child is attending school in person, we encourage walking or cycling to and from school, if possible.

Active school travel makes a difference in our community:

  • Healthier children
  • Less traffic and pollution
  • Safer school zones
  • Better academic performance

Visit our Active School Travel page for more information about school safety.

 

School reopening information

For specific school reopening information, visit your school board's website:

COVID-19 safety when travelling to and from school

 

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           Pedestrian signal push buttons at crosswalks are not disinfected

 

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     Wash or disinfect your hands when you get to school and arrive at home

 

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Keep a safe distance while walking or waiting to cross the street

 

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      Wear a mask or face covering if keeping a safe distance is a challenge

 

Safety tips to share with your child
  • Stand back on the sidewalk until ready to cross the street
  • Use crosswalks and intersections with crossing guards, if possible
  • Let the crossing guard push the pedestrian signal button at crosswalks
  • Obey pedestrian signals at intersections and always use the pedestrian signal push buttons
  • Make sure vehicles travelling in all directions have come to a complete stop and the road has no visible moving traffic before crossing
  • Do not cross the street between parked vehicles
  • Always make eye contact with the driver
  • Walk, do not run
  • Walk beside your bike or scooter, do not ride while crossing the road
  • Do not wear earphones or text while walking or cycling
Safety tips for drivers and parents
  • Follow posted speed limits; school zones have reduced speeds so drivers can safely stop to allow children to cross the street
  • Avoid U-turns, backing up or making three-point turns
  • Watch for vehicles, pedestrians, bikes, scooters and stopped school buses
  • Obey crossing guards, stop signs and traffic signals
  • If possible, walk or cycle to school with your child
  • If you drive, park your vehicle and walk a block to the school to avoid the congested school zone and save time
  • Obey all road signage and remember to park your vehicle:
    • In permitted areas only
    • A minimum of 10 feet or 3 metres away from a fire hydrant
    • A minimum of 30 feet or 9 metres away from an intersection
    • Within 6 inches or 15 centimetres of a curb
School zones

A school zone is an area approaching a school. When entering a school zone, drivers need to increase their awareness of the presence of children and undertake additional care when driving.

School safety is a major concern in most municipalities today. The primary concern is traffic congestion in front of the school as parents compete to pick up and drop off their children as close to the school as possible.

This creates a serious concern for vehicle, pedestrian and cyclist safety. Parked and stopped vehicles may obstruct traffic, school driveways, fire routes, school buses and can also increase the risk of pedestrian collisions.

To help mitigate this issue, the City has been installing time-based “No Parking” and “No Stopping” with the designated School Zones. These restrictions are meant to help create a safer environment for both drivers and pedestrians.

The City has also implemented flexible in-road flexible sign posts in 34 school zones throughout the City to slow traffic and increase awareness as drivers enter the school zone.

If you have any questions about school zone safety, please contact the Contact Centre at 905.477.5530 or customerservice@markham.ca.

School crossing guards

The role of a school crossing guard is to assist students from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 in crossing busy streets where there are limited opportunities for them to safely do so by themselves.

Markham currently provides school crossing guard services throughout the City. For school crossing guard services to be implemented, the City conducts an assessment at the subject location in accordance with Provincial guidelines.

These guidelines encompass the following principles:

  • Number of students crossing the street;
  • The number of safe opportunities (gaps in traffic) to allow school-age children to safely cross the street;
  • Frequency of pedestrian/vehicle conflicts

View the current crossing guard locations throughout the City of Markham.

Do you need a school crossing guard in your community?

If you would like to request school crossing guard services in your neighbourhood, please contact the Contact Centre at 905.477.5530 or customerservice@markham.ca for City staff to schedule an assessment.

Apply to be a school crossing guard today!

Recruitment for new crossing guards in all communities is ongoing.

If you are interested in becoming a school crossing guard, please contact the City’s program administrator, Staffing Services Inc. at 905.737.1600.

Please be advised that the program is a contracted service offered through our contractor, Staffing Services Inc., Crossing guards are not employees of the City of Markham.

Active School Travel Program

Markham's Active School Travel Program encourages the safe and active travel of students to and from school. The program provides a number of campaigns and events designed to help create safer neighborhood routes for children, increase physical activity levels, reduce pollution and foster community spirit.

LEARN MORE

 

Related Resources

York Region Public Health


York Region School Boards

Government of Ontario


Other