How would you encourage Calgary’s children (and their parents) to choose active modes of transportation for travel to and from school?

It is clear to me that encouraging active transportation to and from school will have long-term health benefits for our students and I would love to join forces with organizations that promote active transportation.  I would encourage active modes of transportation through blog posts, FB and Twitter and would look for innovative ways to get students inspired to encourage their peers to be involved.   I’d like to see school administration and school councils working together to get involved with initiatives that encourage physical activity and health.  Highlighting the efforts of those who are already passionate about active transportation and encourage “Bike/Walk To School Days” would be a positive and exciting way to bring awareness to this issue.

How would you work with parents and the City to provide safe routes to walk and bike to Calgary’s schools, including traffic safety measures in the vicinity of the schools themselves?

I would encourage and support policy makers and development plans for new schools to consider safe active transportation routes as part of their visions and strategies.  I am not an expert in transportation matters and can’t give you a detailed plan for what I would do to promote safe transportation, but I would tell you this: as trustee I would be thrilled to consult with groups such as yours and other concerned citizens to get more information to bring to the CBE. Obviously, students’ safety is a top priority and I would advocate for safe solutions to the many transportation issues that the system is facing right now.