Active and Sustainable School Travel

This charter is a long-term commitment to providing support, resources, and training on ASST. The City of Hamilton, schools, school boards, and community organizations work together to encourage safe and sustainable routes to school through these principles:

• Street design for comfort, convenience, and safety for students, families, and school staff.
• Supportive land use and site planning.
• Personal and community safety.
• Partnership, collaboration, and shared responsibility.
• A culture of active and sustainable transportation.

The City of Hamilton, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, and Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic School Board are committed to ASST as shown in the charters.

• HWDSB ASST Charter(PDF, 1.56 MB)
• HWCDSB ASST Charter(PDF, 1.65 MB)

Let’s get talking about active and sustainable travel! Use our ASST Messages and Resources Toolkit in your school to help support with newsletters, announcements, and social media messages.

Active & Sustainable School Travel Messaging Toolkit(PDF, 6.27 MB)

Hamilton celebrates active and sustainable travel throughout the school year. Consider joining in the festivities and your school could win a $200 gift card. To register your school, contact [email protected].

• September - Back to school and Smart Commute month.
• October - Walktober (all month long)
• October - Walk and Roll Day: October 7, 2026*
• February - Winter Walk and Roll Day: February 3, 2027*
• April - Spring into Spring month
• April - Spring Walk and Roll Day: April 21, 2027*
• May - Bike to School Week: May 25 to 28, 2027
• June - Bike Month

*Eligible gift card entry events.

Daily School Route (DSR)

A community organization whose goal is getting students to school safely regardless of age, ability, or personal circumstance. Learn more about the Daily School Route (DSR).

Green Venture's School Programs

Green Venture offers an interactive climate change course for students from JK to Grade 12 in English or French. Learn more about the available Green Venture School Programs

Skip the stress! Drive to Five is a quick and easy way to keep kids safe and moving. Park a short distance away from the school and enjoy a quick 5-minute walk or roll.

Walking the rest of the way means fewer cars, safer streets, and more healthy steps for your child every day!

We recognize that not all families can participate in the same way. For some, parking closer to school is important and we support those choices too.

Children’s safety is everyone’s responsibility. Let’s work together and keep our neighbourhoods safe!

PRESTO Card
Save money on the trips you already make with the HSR! PRESTO cards are available for all ages and allow you to save money with every use. HSR trips made with a PRESTO card are cheaper than paying with cash or debit/credit for each ride.

If you use your PRESTO card on the HSR more than 11 times in one week, the rest of your rides for that same week are free.

Trips are free for children 12 and under. Pick up your PRESTO card with your Hamilton Public Library card at any HPL Branch location.

Learn more about the HSR and Presto Cards

Fare Assist
Hamilton residents with household incomes below the low-income measure or who receive Ontario Works, or the Ontario Disability Support Program are eligible for a 30% discount for themselves and their families.

Learn more about Fare Assist.

• Schools without existing bike racks are eligible for two bike racks.
• Schools with existing bike racks but with an overflow of bikes are eligible for additional bike racks.
• These bike racks are free with approval from the school’s principal required and installation by School Board staff.

For more information or to request a school bike rack, email [email protected].

School Travel Planning is a great way for schools and communities to collaborate with the City of Hamilton and Hamilton Public Health. Together we can address school’s transportation and traffic safety problems and increase the number of students using active and sustainable travel for all or parts of their journey to school.

Learn more about our approach which is used across Ontario

Together, the ASST team and partnering schools:

• Assess conditions through site visits, traffic counts, and surveys (walkabout).
• Create a school travel plan (Action Plan).
• Identify opportunities to increase student engagement and encouragement in ASST including promotion of Active Travel Days throughout the school year.
• Implement education (e.g., safety training for walking and cycling, benefits of ASST) and enforcement (e.g. Special Enforcement Areas).
• Support engineering (e.g., pedestrian crossings, sidewalk repairs/updates) through partnering with the City of Hamilton’s Roadway Safety department.
• Support school infrastructure improvements (e.g., bike racks and storage).

These design guidelines are intended to help partners develop school communities that foster active and sustainable travel, create partnerships, and advance recommendations. The guidelines can be used during key phases of a school’s lifecycle including:

• Designing New Schools
• Planning New Communities
• Retrofitting Existing School Sites
• Retrofitting Neighbourhoods

Learn about the Design Guidelines

A school street is a vehicle-free street alongside a school that is open to pedestrians, cyclists, and other active travel mode users during school drop-off and pick-up.

In Spring 2024, the City of Hamilton led a feasibility study of School Streets at Strathcona Elementary School that resulted in,

• 70% less traffic at the school site.
• 10% more active travel use.
• 20% increase in families feeling safer.

“What’s now happy commotion used to be ‘traffic chaos,’ with cars lining either side of the narrow street — neither enjoyable nor safe for students and their families.” (Principal, The Spec)

The summary and full reports are available below:

• School Streets Feasibility Study - Summary Report
• School Streets Feasibility Study - Full Report

Special Enforcement Areas around schools help to create safer, calmer school zones by ensuring that drivers follow parking rules designated to protect students. Clear and predictable parking makes it easier to see children and reduces the number of cars around schools during busy times.

• Special Enforcement Areas (SEA) around schools are in effect from 7 am to 5 pm, Monday to Friday, September 1 to June 30.
• The parking fine for illegal parking is increased to $250. This includes:
  • Stopping or parking in a No Stopping or No Parking zone.
  • Stopping in the school bus loading zone.
  • Parking or idling in fire routes.
  • Blocking crosswalks or pedestrian pathways.
  • Parking in accessible spaces without a valid permit.
• Special Enforcement Areas are a collaboration between Sustainable Mobility, Hamilton Public Health, and Parking Operations.
• Accessible parking spaces will remain available to those with valid permits. If you have accessibility needs or require accommodations, please contact [email protected].