AREA-WIDE SCHOOL TRAVEL STUDY
GTHA-Wide School Travel Household Attitudinal Study

The study was conducted in Fall 2009 to gain the first in-depth Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area-wide picture of school travel behaviour, perceptions and awareness, and to support the work of the Stepping It Up pilot project.

The study included a telephone survey conducted in English in September and October 2009 with approximately 1000 Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area residents. Parents and guardians were invited to answer questions about their children’s travel to and from elementary school, as pertains to health and physical fitness, education, personal safety and security, and the environment.

Study Highlights:

There is room for a shift toward active school travel. Nearly sixty percent of children being driven live within two km of their school; over half of these automobile trips are made solely for the purpose of dropping off and picking up a child at school.

Children are capable of walking the distance. Nearly sixty percent of parents say their child’s school is close enough that they could reasonably walk or bike. Nine per cent of students travel differently on their trip to school versus home from school, with the most common combination being driven to school and walking home.

Many parents are open to change. Over half of parents whose child is currently driven see the option of their child walking or biking to school as convenient and appealing.

GTHA School Travel Household Attitudinal Study:
Executive Summary
Full Report