This project aims to guide Edmonton school jurisdictions in implementing the Active School Travel Policy and Practice Recommendations for Alberta School Jurisdictions resource. The project applied these recommendations in six Edmonton-area schools, with leadership from Edmonton Public Schools (EPSB) and Edmonton Catholic Schools (ECSD) and support from Ever Active Schools (EAS) and other community and municipal partners. The initiative seeks to position active transportation as the preferred mode of travel for school journeys, aligning with the City of Edmonton’s Community Energy Transition Strategy and Action Plan by reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

By leveraging schools as hubs for community change, the project helps municipal and school jurisdiction transportation stakeholders meet their emission reduction targets by 2030. The project induced a shift away from car use in six school communities by implementing School Travel Planning, engaging EPSB and ECSD transportation decision-makers, and increasing support for active school travel (AST). Across the six school sites, active travel rates rose by 14.6% for trips to school and 11.9% for trips from school, leading to measurable GHG emission reductions.

In addition to EAS’s facilitation, EPSB and ECSD began implementing nine recommendations from the Active School Travel Policy and Practice Recommendations for Alberta School Jurisdictions resource across these and additional sites. This collaborative, layered approach was key to achieving project outcomes.

The project improved cohesiveness among AST stakeholders and increased investment in AST initiatives. These impacts have the potential to grow as the project scales to additional schools in Edmonton through the Moving Forward Together on Mobility project, a collaboration between EPSB and EAS. Findings and best practices have been shared with six Alberta school jurisdictions and transportation professionals, including those attending the Winter Cycling Congress.

School communities, jurisdictions and municipalities are seeking impactful tools to help achieve transportation and emissions-reduction goals. Data-driven, cost-effective approaches like School Travel Planning are part of that toolkit, and stakeholders are increasingly willing to invest in initiatives that encourage a shift to active and sustainable modes of transportation. Advocating for expanded access to and investment in School Travel Planning is critical. Scaling the findings of the Common Ground project to stakeholders across Alberta is a key priority for EAS.