The Safe and Active School Travel Program explores ways to encourage a safe and healthy journey to and from school through programs, policy, and infrastructure improvements. When kids walk, bike, and roll to school, we all benefit.
Benefits of Safe and Active School Travel
Improved physical and mental health and wellbeing: Students arrive to school energized and ready to learn.
Stronger communities: Connections and friendships are made while walking, rolling, biking, or taking transit to and from school.
Healthier communities: Reduced congestion around school zones is better for pedestrian safety and the environment.
Pick-up and drop-off periods around schools are busy times, with families and children walking, biking, scootering, driving, and taking transit to get to and from school. You can help to create more enjoyable, safer school zones by following these tips:
If you are a driver:
Obey the speed limit and expect traffic to be slower in/around school zones
Be alert and aware of pedestrians, cyclists, and other motorists
If you are a pedestrian:
Cross streets only at intersections or marked crosswalks
Stop, look left-right-left and shoulder check before and during crossing
Make eye contact with drivers, ensure drivers have stopped their vehicle before crossing, and keep looking for approaching vehicles while crossing
Be aware of what is happening around you and avoid using your phone or headphones
Be seen by wearing reflective materials or bright clothes and using lights, after dark, in poor weather, and even during the day
Consider alternative travel methods:
Walk or bike to school
Carpool or walkpool with friends or neighbours
Drop off students a few blocks from school to help ease congestion near schools
𝐀lert: Stay focused on your surroundings (No phones or headphones). Watch for pedestrians between parked cars. Stop for school buses when lights are flashing.
𝐁right: Wear bright colours and put reflectors on bags to make yourself more visible.
𝐂ross Safely: Use crosswalks and pedestrian signals. Look left-right-left and shoulder check before and during crossing. Follow instructions of crossing guards. Make eye contact with drivers.
𝐃ecrease Speed: The speed limit is 30km/h from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. in school zones on school days and from dawn to dusk in playground zones.
Make it fun – Turn pedestrian safety into an interactive and fun learning experience, while still showing your kids that it’s an important topic.
Be a role model – Parents are the number one role model for any young child, so make sure you are setting a good example.
Focus on the basics – Kids will digest information about serious issues when it’s simple for them to understand.
Mark out safe areas – Focus on teaching your kids where to position themselves when they are around roads to ensure they are in as safe a position as possible.
Park it – Parking lots or any areas where cars commonly park require special attention. Remind your kids that vehicles can back up quickly or move without warning.
The City is committed to a range of infrastructure upgrades to improve safety for children, families, and neighbours, including sidewalks, traffic calming, signage, enhanced crossings, curb bulges, and sightline improvements.
Infrastructure improvements for the 2025-2026 school year include:
Traffic Signal at 240 Street & Hill Avenue (Completed: August 2025) This new signal in front of Albion Elementary is designed to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
Kanaka Way Crosswalk Improvements (Planned Completion: September 2025) New and enhanced crosswalks will improve visibility and accessibility along Kanaka Way.
School Zone Road Decals (Planned Completion: September 2025) Bright, visible road decals will be installed in 9 school zones to emphasize the importance of slowing down.
Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) Installations (Planned Completion: December 2025) Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) will be installed at 38 locations —16 near schools — alerting drivers to pedestrians crossing.
More information on Infrastructure projects can be found on the City Projects page.
The City is currently working with School District 42 and Fraser Health and supporting active school travel programming in up to five schools — encouraging safe, healthy, and sustainable travel. Initiatives include:
Best Routes to School maps
Walking School Bus opportunities
Educational sessions and resources for students, staff, and families
Incentives to promote Active School Travel
The City provides funding for and promotes programs that enhance road safety and transportation knowledge in the community.
Ride the Road Program
Ride the Road is a fun and interactive course provided by HUB Cycling for students in grades six and seven. The course aims to build students' cycling skills, awareness and confidence.
Ride the Road courses are available to all public elementary schools in Maple Ridge. Contact your school's administration for individual course details.
The I Wanna Walk program is an active program that prepares children ages 8 and up to walk to and from school safely without direct parental supervision. Participants will learn how to plan a safe route to and from school, who to go to for help along the route, what to do if approached by a stranger and pedestrian, bicycle, skateboard, and rollerblade safety. Course materials are provided by Kid Proof and facilitated by the City’s Children’s Services team.
The City’s Road Safety Program is designed to create safer, more livable streets through a combination of education, enforcement, and engineering initiatives. Learn about our initiatives on the Road Safety Programs page.
RCMP Enforcement in School Zones
The Ridge Meadows RCMP work in partnership with the City and SD42 to improve safety in and around school zones using a strategic, targeted approach to deploy officers where they can have the greatest impact. These deployments focus on enforcement in school zones and educating drivers about appropriate travel speeds, reducing unsafe behaviours, and reinforcing the importance of slowing down around schools throughout the year. Learn more about road safety on the BC RCMP Road Safety website.
Speed Watch Volunteers
Ridge Meadows RCMP's efforts are supported by policing volunteers through the Speed Watch Program. Volunteers use radar equipment and electronic boards to raise driver awareness of their speed and to encourage safer driving habits. This program plays a key role in traffic safety education and community engagement.
The City of Maple Ridge provides road maintenance activities to sustain a safe and serviceable transportation network. Have a comment, compliment or concern? Use our online system to share information on a range of non-emergency service areas.
When submitting a complaint, you must provide your full name, home address, telephone number along with specific details about the complaint. This information is strictly confidential and will not be released to anyone without the complainant's consent, or if required in a court of law through due process. In these cases we will contact the complainant prior to releasing any information, at which time they have the option of withdrawing your complaint.
