Active Travel

Overview

Active Travel refers to walking and rolling – such as cycling, rollerblading, skateboarding, and scootering – as healthy, safe, and sustainable ways for students to get to and from school.

Comox Valley Schools supports Active Travel by:

  • Advocating with local municipalities for improved infrastructure around schools
  • Providing education on safe travel practices
  • Sharing route-planning tools for families

The goal is to make it easier and safer for students and families to choose active travel every day—enhancing community safety and reducing traffic congestion.

What’s New for 2025–2026

This school year brings a renewed focus on Active Travel through strengthened municipal partnerships.

City of Courtenay (CoC)– Safe and Active School (SAS) Program

The City of Courtenay. in collaboration with Comox Valley Schools and Urban Systems has launched the Safe and Active School (SAS) program to improve road safety near schools and encourage more students to walk and roll.

Schools selected for Phase I:

  • École Puntledge Park Elementary
  • Courtenay Elementary
  • Valley View Elementary

Program Highlights:

  • School Travel Plans: Through surveys and community walkabouts, students, families, and school staff help identify barriers to safe travel.
  • Action Planning: Findings will inform recommended actions, including infrastructure improvements, programs, and policy updates.

For more information, visit City of Courtenay – Safe and Active School Program.

District Collaboration

District staff are actively involved in planning meetings and school-based discussions to ensure projects reflect the needs of each school community. Families and students are participating in surveys, school meetings, and walkabouts.

Why Active Travel Matters

  • Student Safety: Reduces traffic risks around school sites
  • Health & Well–Being: Supports physical fitness and mental health
  • Environmental Impact: Cuts down on car trips and emissions
  • Readiness to Learn: Students arrive more alert and focused
  • Community Connection: Strengthens relationships among families, schools, and neighbourhoods

Resources for Families

Families can explore travel options using our Best Routes to School Maps, developed through earlier Active Travel initiatives (2013–2016). These remain helpful starting points and will be updated with new data from the SAS program.

Best Routes to School Maps (developed between 2013-2016) – these resources remain helpful starting points for route-planning and will be refreshed as new data from the SAS program becomes available.