The Bumpy Road to Car-Free Schools

As students return to class, a growing number of Canadian schools are implementing car-free zones at dropoff and pickup times as part of the School Streets initiative. At least 20 locations have been planned for the 2026-2027 academic year.

Implementing these zones is proving to be a complex challenge. In Mississauga, several schools have tested School Streets in recent years, but concerns about safety, disruption, and resistance from parents who are accustomed to driving their children to school have arisen.

Proponents of School Streets argue that they reduce air pollution and promote physical activity among students. Research shows that areas with high levels of car traffic often have lower levels of physical activity and increased rates of respiratory problems and other health issues related to poor air quality. By creating car-free zones outside schools, educators hope to encourage more students to walk or cycle to school.

However, the experience of schools attempting to implement School Streets suggests that this is easier said than done. Parents have pushed back against the initiative, citing concerns about safety and disruption. Kerstyn Lutz, a PhD candidate who studied four School Street pilots in the Greater Toronto Area, noted: “At least at the beginning, it felt like chaos.”

Implementing car-free zones requires a fundamental shift in how people get around. Changing behavior can be difficult, especially when it requires giving up cars. But this is exactly what schools and communities need to do. We need to rethink our assumption that driving children to school is the safest and most convenient option.

Lewis Smith of the Canada Safety Council pointed out: “We believe that the bigger concern is teaching children to recognize unsafe situations…and be able to respond to them accordingly.” By creating car-free zones outside schools, educators can help students develop these essential skills.

Practical considerations are also at play. School Streets usually take the form of temporary barriers installed on both ends of one street next to a school. But this raises questions about how these initiatives will be enforced in the long term – especially if parents continue to resist them.

The challenge of implementing School Streets is a microcosm of the broader issue of transportation policy in Canada. Raktim Mitra, an urban planning professor at Toronto Metropolitan University, pointed out: “Canada’s ‘culture of mobility’ is a factor that can make School Streets face opposition.” This culture prioritizes driving and car travel above all else.

As we move forward with implementing School Streets across the country, it’s essential to remember why this initiative matters. By creating safer, healthier environments for our children, we’re not just reducing air pollution and promoting physical activity – we’re also giving students the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly complex world. As Lily Dejnicki, a student at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Elementary in Mississauga, put it: “It was lots of fun…Kids wouldn’t rush home. Instead, they would take a couple minutes to play and stuff outside.”