Rescind Transportation Ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, at San Lorenzo and 66 students,
- av: SLR School Bus Petition Committee
- mottagare: Tom Howe, Manager, Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR)
Mr. Tom Howe
Manager, Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR)
We, the parents of the children residing East of Kennedy Road, petition to rescind transportation ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, attending San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School and 66 students, in Grades K-5 attending Barondale Publich School, beginning September 2013.
Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) has notified the parents of the children, residing East of Kennedy Road, of transportation ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, attending San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School and 66 students, in Grades K-5 attending Barondale Publich School, beginning September 2013, based on a Traffic Safety Council (TSC) Site Inspection Report on March 28, 2013. The TSC has recommended a Crossing Guard will be installed at the intersection of Kennedy Road & Grand Highland Way/Wilderness Trail in September 2013, on a TEMPORARY basis, when bussing is to be removed. The safety of the students is PARAMOUNT.
Our grounds for the petition are:
1) Traffic and Speed: Prior to this decision, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and STOPR provided bussing to all students living East of Kennedy due to heavy volume of traffic, and considered unsafe to cross, at Kennedy Road and Grand Highland Way/Wilderness Trail. Due to a site inspection report conducted on March 28, 2013 by the Traffic Safety Council and supported by STOPR, the intersection is now considered safe, even though, the report clearly states the volume of traffic is HEAVY, meanwhile vehicles have been observed travelling faster than the posted 60km/hr speed limit.
2) Crossing Guard:
a. Your letter states a crossing guard will be placed at the intersection but you do not mention it is on a TEMPORARY basis. Two site inspections will be conducted in September 2013 to determine the retention of the crossing guard. It is probable that the students will be left on their own to cross Kennedy Road, which is classified an arterial roadway in Mississauga. We cannot comprehend even risking the life of one child who is left to cross the intersection without a crossing guard. On April 29, 2013, Kayleigh Callaghan-Belanger was killed by a garbage truck after she crossed a very busy road without a crossing guard. The intersection she was killed was one block south of a very busy road. Kennedy Road and Grand Highland/Wilderness Trail is one block south of a very busy intersection, Kennedy Road and Matheson Blvd East.
b. The parents, especially the students, do not feel safe crossing the intersection even with a crossing guard due to HEAVY volume of traffic, the 60km/hr posted speed limit and congestion is frequent at the intersection. The crossing guard is providing a DEGREE of safety and they do not GUARANTEE the safety of the students. On December 6, 2012, a 5-year old girl and crossing guard were struck outside Plains Road School in Burlington. On September 26, 2011, an elderly man was killed and granddaughter injured en route to school at Fairwind and Ceremonial Drives, with TWO crossing guards, were unable to manage the cars and pedestrians. On May 9, 2008 a crossing guard was hit by a car in front of St. Timothy School in Mississauga.
c. Our own observation of crossing guards highlight the crossing guards themselves are reluctant to fully stand in the middle of the road when assisting students to cross. Not even crossing guards, that are supposed to protect our students when crossing, venture into the intersection for fear of being struck by a vehicle. They only step slightly onto the road and not in the middle of the road.
3) Criminal Activity: It takes approximately 1 hour (30 minutes each way) to walk and the students are responsible for their own safety while the crossing guard is only providing approximately 30 seconds of safety in their travel to/from school. There have been 30 criminal activities (March 25-April 25th) in the last 30 days within a 2km radius of San Lorenzo Ruiz (source: Peel Police Crime Mapping) and they may encounter sexual predators, abductors and bullies in their travel. Parents can teach their children to be street smart, the route to walk to/from school, cross intersections safely, how to deal with strangers, and parents try with all their might to ensure their children arrive safely at school. However, at the end of the day, the walking student is responsible to ensure safety on their OWN when parents are not accompanying them. For some children, and irrespective of age, they lack developmental skills to avoid danger.
4) Route Congestion: A number of parents will be driving their children, which increases the traffic the very same roads the children will be walking on, adding even more congestion in the Kiss and Ride drop-off zones and increase of parking and congestion on Barondale Drive during pick-up. Risk of an accident is increased in these areas. Also, it may even trigger additional crossing guards to be placed at other intersections (Wilderness Trail/ Red Brush Drive & Driftcurrent Drive/Red Brush Drive). Has STOPR considered doing site inspection surveys at these locations to determine if crossing guard(s) are required?
5) Walking Risks:
a. Strength in numbers is only achieved when these students encounter other students. Students living at the extremities of transportation eligibility boundaries have the GREATEST risk; as they are walking the longest; they leave their homes at the earliest and arrive home the latest. Encountering other student walkers is further compromised when the start times of each school is different. Barondale starts at 8:45am and dismissal is at 3:15pm. San Lorenzo start time is 8:15am and finishes at 2:45pm. Probability of students intersecting from each school is extremely low. Students walking will only be seen by students who are driven to/from school at the end/beginning of the walk.
b. Walking with a parent or car pooling has ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY and LIABILITY issues. Parents are only accountable and responsible for their own children. If a parent takes responsibility of other students, that parent may be ACCOUNTABLE and LIABLE for the other students if something were to happen. It is extremely unlikely other parents will take ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY and LIABILITY for other students.
c. City of Mississauga clear local/residential roads, priority sidewalks and pedestrian crossings:
i. 15 cm (6 inches) or less: 24 hours
ii. 15-30 cm (6-12 inches): 36 hours
iii. More than 30 cm (12 inches) or back to back snow storms: More than 36 hours
Students will encounter snow covered and slippery, roads, crossings and sidewalks in their walk to school. At times, they may be forced to walk on the ROAD because sidewalks are not cleared and/or icy.
d. In the winter, the sun rises as late as 7:48 am on Dec 20, 2013; children will be walking to school at dawn or in the DARK on cloudy mornings as classes begin at 8:15 am.
We, the undersigned, demand the above added STRESS must not be endured by the students and allow each student to fully concentrate on their EDUCATION and not have to worry about their SAFETY by rescinding transportation ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, attending San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School beginning September 2013.
Mr. Tom Howe
Manager, Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR)
We, the parents of the children residing East of Kennedy Road, petition to rescind transportation ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, attending San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School beginning September 2013.
Student Transportation of Peel Region (STOPR) has notified the parents of the children, residing East of Kennedy Road, of transportation ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, attending San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School beginning September 2013, based on a Traffic Safety Council (TSC) Site Inspection Report on March 28, 2013. The TSC has recommended a Crossing Guard will be installed at the intersection of Kennedy Road & Grand Highland Way/Wilderness Trail in September 2013, on a TEMPORARY basis, when bussing is to be removed. The safety of the students is PARAMOUNT.
Our grounds for the petition are:
1) Traffic and Speed: Prior to this decision, the Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board and STOPR provided bussing to all students living East of Kennedy due to heavy volume of traffic, and considered unsafe to cross, at Kennedy Road and Grand Highland Way/Wilderness Trail. Due to a site inspection report conducted on March 28, 2013 by the Traffic Safety Council and supported by STOPR, the intersection is now considered safe, even though, the report clearly states the volume of traffic is HEAVY, meanwhile vehicles have been observed travelling faster than the posted 60km/hr speed limit.
2) Crossing Guard:
a. Your letter states a crossing guard will be placed at the intersection but you do not mention it is on a TEMPORARY basis. Two site inspections will be conducted in September 2013 to determine the retention of the crossing guard. It is probable that the students will be left on their own to cross Kennedy Road, which is classified an arterial roadway in Mississauga. We cannot comprehend even risking the life of one child who is left to cross the intersection without a crossing guard. On April 29, 2013, Kayleigh Callaghan-Belanger was killed by a garbage truck after she crossed a very busy road without a crossing guard. The intersection she was killed was one block south of a very busy road. Kennedy Road and Grand Highland/Wilderness Trail is one block south of a very busy intersection, Kennedy Road and Matheson Blvd East.
b. The parents, especially the students, do not feel safe crossing the intersection even with a crossing guard due to HEAVY volume of traffic, the 60km/hr posted speed limit and congestion is frequent at the intersection. The crossing guard is providing a DEGREE of safety and they do not GUARANTEE the safety of the students. On December 6, 2012, a 5-year old girl and crossing guard were struck outside Plains Road School in Burlington. On September 26, 2011, an elderly man was killed and granddaughter injured en route to school at Fairwind and Ceremonial Drives, with TWO crossing guards, were unable to manage the cars and pedestrians. On May 9, 2008 a crossing guard was hit by a car in front of St. Timothy School in Mississauga.
c. Our own observation of crossing guards highlight the crossing guards themselves are reluctant to fully stand in the middle of the road when assisting students to cross. Not even crossing guards, that are supposed to protect our students when crossing, venture into the intersection for fear of being struck by a vehicle. They only step slightly onto the road and not in the middle of the road.
3) Criminal Activity: It takes approximately 1 hour (30 minutes each way) to walk and the students are responsible for their own safety while the crossing guard is only providing approximately 30 seconds of safety in their travel to/from school. There have been 30 criminal activities (March 25-April 25th) in the last 30 days within a 2km radius of San Lorenzo Ruiz (source: Peel Police Crime Mapping) and they may encounter sexual predators, abductors and bullies in their travel. Parents can teach their children to be street smart, the route to walk to/from school, cross intersections safely, how to deal with strangers, and parents try with all their might to ensure their children arrive safely at school. However, at the end of the day, the walking student is responsible to ensure safety on their OWN when parents are not accompanying them. For some children, and irrespective of age, they lack developmental skills to avoid danger.
4) Route Congestion: A number of parents will be driving their children, which increases the traffic the very same roads the children will be walking on, adding even more congestion in the Kiss and Ride drop-off zones and increase of parking and congestion on Barondale Drive during pick-up. Risk of an accident is increased in these areas. Also, it may even trigger additional crossing guards to be placed at other intersections (Wilderness Trail/ Red Brush Drive & Driftcurrent Drive/Red Brush Drive). Has STOPR considered doing site inspection surveys at these locations to determine if crossing guard(s) are required?
5) Walking Risks:
a. Strength in numbers is only achieved when these students encounter other students. Students living at the extremities of transportation eligibility boundaries have the GREATEST risk; as they are walking the longest; they leave their homes at the earliest and arrive home the latest. Encountering other student walkers is further compromised when the start times of each school is different. Barondale starts at 8:45am and dismissal is at 3:15pm. San Lorenzo start time is 8:15am and finishes at 2:45pm. Probability of students intersecting from each school is extremely low. Students walking will only be seen by students who are driven to/from school at the end/beginning of the walk.
b. Walking with a parent or car pooling has ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY and LIABILITY issues. Parents are only accountable and responsible for their own children. If a parent takes responsibility of other students, that parent may be ACCOUNTABLE and LIABLE for the other students if something were to happen. It is extremely unlikely other parents will take ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONSIBILITY and LIABILITY for other students.
c. City of Mississauga clear local/residential roads, priority sidewalks and pedestrian crossings:
i. 15 cm (6 inches) or less: 24 hours
ii. 15-30 cm (6-12 inches): 36 hours
iii. More than 30 cm (12 inches) or back to back snow storms: More than 36 hours
Students will encounter snow covered and slippery, roads, crossings and sidewalks in their walk to school. At times, they may be forced to walk on the ROAD because sidewalks are not cleared and/or icy.
d. In the winter, the sun rises as late as 7:48 am on Dec 20, 2013; children will be walking to school at dawn or in the DARK on cloudy mornings as classes begin at 8:15 am.
We, the undersigned, demand the above added STRESS must not be endured by the students and allow each student to fully concentrate on their EDUCATION and not have to worry about their SAFETY by rescinding transportation ineligibility for 79 students, in Grades 2-8, attending San Lorenzo Ruiz Catholic Elementary School beginning September 2013.
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