Picture a bus load of kids except everyone’s walking — that’s a walking school bus! Instead of being driven to school in a car, kids walk with parents who act as walk leaders ensuring they arrive safely to school.

Like a traditional school bus, a walking school bus follows a designated route and stops along the way to pick up participating students.

During the 2023-24 school year, walking school buses around the region made 12,890 walking trips, with over 14,470 kilometres walked. These walking trips saved 7,528 lbs (about the weight of an elephant) of greenhouse gases (GHGs), helping to improve air quality around schools and in neighbourhoods.

Beyond sustainability, the walking school bus is also beneficial for the health and happiness of children.

Walking for a healthy mind and body

Instead of a gas-powered vehicle, the walking school bus is foot powered – which means students reap the benefits of physical activity. Beyond the physical benefits of strong bones and hearts, walking boosts energy and improves children’s mental health by reducing stress and anxiety.

Walking also helps increase blood flow to the brain, which can enhance concentration and learning. This could mean having more engaged and attentive students.

Walking with friends make kids happy

The walking school bus is more than just a transportation solution — it’s also a space for community to grow. Children have the chance to build new friendships, particularly across grade levels.

Nicole, a walk leader and mom of a Grade 5 student, says her daughter wasn’t one to hold a kindergartner’s hand while walking. But when a kindergartner politely asks her daughter, she simply couldn’t resist this cute and irresistible request.

Nicole says it erases the age gap right away.

“They’re walking together and [the bigger kids] feel responsible,” she says. “It makes them grow up a little bit.”

The kids themselves say their favourite thing about the walking school bus is walking together and talking with friends.

Benefits of Walking School Bus to parents and beyond

Parents also make new connections which helps strengthen their community ties.

Caroline, a walk leader and mom of a kindergartner, admits she didn’t know of anyone in school before participating in the walking school bus. Now, she knows about 20 families.

“It makes the neighbourhood small and cozy,” she says. “Call up someone when you need a hand.”

Felipe, another walk leader and parent, says he joined the walking school bus partly to instill the value of community to his daughter.

“I want her to understand the importance of building up a good neighbourhood, of getting to know our neighbours. And the importance of walking whenever possible.”

Aside from establishing community values, kids also build essential navigation skills and traffic awareness by participating in the walking school Bus. The more they experience it, the more confident they become to walk on their own.

As well, they practice the habit of active and sustainable travel.

With more kids walking in the walking school bus, there are less cars around school which makes the neighbourhood safer for everyone.

Parents also found they saved time when their kids were part of the Walking School Bus program. Nicole says her mornings and afternoons are freed up, saving her about an hour on the three days she’s not a walk leader.

Walk leaders: who are they?

Walk leaders are adult leaders (often parents or community members) who walk the walking school bus students to and from school. Parents with kids who participate in the Walking School Bus can sign up to be walk leaders.

The Society for Children and Youth of BC (SCY) delivers the Walking School Bus initiative at schools. They run background checks and provide walk leader training to parents who sign up to be walk leaders.

“Even though I don’t know this parent, I trust them because they’ve had that background check,” says Nicole who is a walk leader herself.

Walk leaders have rotating schedules and walk at least twice per week.
“It’s really nice to have it formally organized (by SCY) so there is a leader to do the personal information sharing and coordination with the parents,” says Caroline.

Being a walk leader is also a great opportunity for parents to get to know students outside their children’s classes and of course, getting to know fellow parents.

“The school has become super fun now too because when we go to events, we know everyone from different groups,” says Caroline.

Learn more about the Walking School Bus and other TransLink initiatives supporting children’s sustainable transportation at translink.ca/kidsprograms.

The Walking School Bus initiative, delivered by the Society for Children and Youth of BC (SCY), is supported and funded by TransLink and the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.