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Busing & Transportation

Busing & Transportation School Walk Zones

School Walk Zones

In Spring 2023, Alberta Education announced an increase in funding for school bus transportation and expectations for new service levels for school boards. These changes were set to take effect for the beginning of the 2024-25 school year. On Nov. 29, 2023, Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides announced the deadline for implementation had been extended to Sept. 1, 2025. This would give school boards experiencing capacity challenges time to fully implement the student transportation eligibility criteria changes specified in the regulation. The CBE already provides an enhanced level of service to provincial requirements with our established transportation model. Increasing eligible riders at this time would mean adding more drivers and buses to our already strained system.

We appreciate the additional time provided by the Minister. Over the next year and a half, we will continue conversations with Alberta Education and work with our schools to determine the specific impact on their transportation numbers and potential changes to bell times. For the 2023-24 and 2024-25 school years, existing school walk zones and eligibility will remain the same.​


Walk zones determine transportation services because students outside the walk zones, but inside the attendance area are considered eligible. As well, walk zones play an important role in determining priority categories for lottery acceptance. Students living inside walk zones have priority for registration over those who do not. CBE is often asked to allow students living ‘just outside’ the walk zone; however, we are unable to make exceptions for students living near, but outside, the walk zone boundary.

CBE Administrative Regulation AR 6095 – Student Transportation details eligibility for transportation and a Transportation Advisory Committee to help establish walk zones among other roles.

The committee meets as required to review new walk zones for schools under construction, or extraordinary circumstances (i.e. when a new walk zone was required for Elbow Park School due to flooding and the temporary relocation of the school to the Earl Grey School site).

Provincial funding for school transportation is based on an estimate of the number of students living 2.4 km or more from their designated school. CBE current walk zones are generally between 1.6 km and 2.4 km, depending on grade configuration in the school.

Walk zones are developed using specialized ArcGIS and Google Earth Pro mapping software. CBE staff create buffers around the new schools to determine which residential lots are within walking distance. These areas are exported to Google Earth Pro and fine-tuned by analysing the satellite imagery to consider naturally occurring boundaries for the school walk zone.

CBE continues to look for the best ways to accommodate students across our system. The intent is for students to attend school as close to home as possible within the existing constraints of system resources.

Determining Transportation Eligibility

CBE calculates distance from student homes to their designated school according to the Education Act Appendix School Transportation Regulation section 4. We measure the distance from the edge of the student’s home property (or in the case of a housing complex, the edge of the complex is used). Measurement is done by our route planning software. We do not use estimations provided by Google Maps, odometers or other distance tracking devices.

Transportation eligibility is based on taking a measurement from the school in 2.4 km in each direction. It considers the shortest distance to travel between home and school, including all City of Calgary pathways, and all roadways but geographical characteristics are not taken into account for this calculation. It is important to note, we are not asking your child to walk this path, we are using the shortest distance travelled for the calculation.

Loading Zones at Schools

CBE works collaboratively with the City of Calgary to establish student loading zones. Most student loading zones are located on the street and supported by signage that is enforced by the Calgary Parking Authority. School staff parking lots are not to be used for loading students for safety reasons. Some schools have specific student loading zones on the school property, separate from the staff parking lot, and can be used in those cases. Families are reminded to obey all traffic laws and parking by-laws around schools and bus stops to keep our students safe.​​

 Questions & Answers

Q: How does CBE determine the walk zones for each school?

A: The Manager of Transportation, on the advice of the Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) designs new walk zones by taking into consideration, where necessary, the following criteria:

  • Community boundaries
  • Natural hazards or barriers
  • Roadways or infrastructure
  • Grade levels in the school

Q: Our home is not in the walk zone. Will my child be able to attend the new school in our community?

A: If you reside within the attendance area for the school and your community is designated to that school, you are eligible to attend the new school.

Walk zones are used for transportation eligibility purposes and are also utilized if a lottery situation arises at a school. New school attendance area maps are available on the project web page Building & Modernizing Schools.

Transportation

Q: Our home is in the walk zone and we feel the distance is too far for our child to walk. Will my child still be eligible for yellow school bus transportation?

A: Students are eligible for transportation to their designated school if they live beyond the walk zone. If there is bus service to the school, you can apply for your child to be a conditional rider. These application forms are available on MyCBE. You will be informed of a decision by mid-to-late October at the latest. Until you receive notification that your child is accepted to take the bus as a conditional rider, you will be responsible for getting your child to and from school.

Information regarding transportation services and fees is available on CBE's website and at the schools.

Calgary Transit

Q: I would like my child to take Calgary Transit instead of a yellow school bus. Will Calgary Transit place a bus route closer to our residence with frequent times to accommodate families?

A: Calgary Transit has their own process for creating routes. ​CBE does not direct this work. The public is always welcome to use Calgary Transit as their method of transportation. More information regarding Calgary Transit may be accessed at www.calgarytransit.com.

Traffic

Q: We are concerned that our child will be crossing busy streets that have no traffic lights or controlled crosswalks. What can the CBE do to address these issues?

A: Parents are responsible for the safety of their children to and from school. This includes street crossings.

If there are specific traffic safety concerns, please email transportation@cbe.ab.ca, and a multi-stakeholder committee, Safe Student Travel Advisory Group (SSTAG) will review the concern. The group offers advice on possible solutions, within the existing limitations of each member's organizational policies and procedures.

Q: Many parents will be driving their children to school as the walk distance istoo far. What can be done about traffic around the school?

A: Each school has designated bus zones and parent pick/up drop off zones. Many schools establish school safety patrols in consultation with the Calgary Police Service, the Alberta Motor Association and the school council to assist with the safety of students.

Please speak with your principal if you have a concern about a specific issue.​​​

 
Last modified: 4/9/2024 10:29 AM
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