School Streets Initiative 2026
School Streets create a safer condition for children walking and cycling to/from school through temporary road closures. Markham is implementing a School Streets at Black Walnut Public School this Spring!
Whether you’re a student, a parent, or a local neighbor, your input on this project is important. Please spend a few minutes to share your thoughts on this upcoming initiative.
Thank you for completing the pre-survey. The survey is now closed as the project has officially launched!
We would love to hear about your experience and feedback on the project. A post-survey will be available on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 — please check back and take a few moments to share your thoughts!
- What are School Streets?
School Streets are temporary road closures of streets in front of schools during peak school drop-off and pick-up times to create car-free zones that facilities a safer environment for active school travel. By restricting traffic during these peak times, School Streets also offer other benefits:
- Improve air quality
- Promote physical activity and healthier lifestyles
- Foster community connection
- Facilitate active and independent mobility
- Reduce congestion and car access around schools
School Streets originated in the United Kingdom and have spread to cities around the world, including in Canada, and are supported by the Ontario government through the Ministry of Education. To date, School Streets tests have been conducted in Toronto, Ottawa and Kingston. This Markham School test would be the first in York Region.
To see what School Streets look like, watch this short two-minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ud8lUaXP6Zk
School Streets at John McCrae Public School (2022) - What is the School Streets Initiative at Black Walnut Public School?
The City of Markham and York Region District School Board have partnered to implement a School Streets Initiative. It will take place at Black Walnut Public School (30 John Allan Cameron Street) in two phases. Please plan your route ahead.
Phase 1: Southbound Lane Closure
Date: May 19 to 29, 2026 (9 days), Monday to Friday
Time: 8:45am to 9:15am, and 3:15pm to 3:45pm
Phase 2: Full Lane Closure
Date: June 1 to 12, 2026 (9 days, except June 5), Monday to Friday
Time: 8:45am to 9:15am, and 3:15pm to 3:45pm
- Frequently Asked Questions
Why do we implement School Streets?
School Streets is an extension of the current Active School Pilot Program where Black Walnut PS is already a participating school. The School Streets pilot provides an opportunity to trial a new way of addressing concerns around school zone safety, congestion and well-being. Also, this will help us better understand the impacts of this measure in promoting walking or cycling to/from school in a suburban environment.
School Schools is known to:
- Safer road crossings for students and parents
- Less traffic congestion and air pollution around the school zone
- Encourages active and healthier lifestyles
Why is School Streets being implemented at Black Walnut PS?
Did you know that 95% of students within the Black Walnut PS Boundary live within a 10 minute walk of the school (40% of which live within 5 minutes)? Despite this high walkability rate, the school still deals with school zone safety issues and congestion.
My family has one car and I have to get to work on time, how would this affect me?
We acknowledge that all families may be in different situations and this may impact their routine. You can still drive most of the way to school with a short walk. There are many parking areas within 5-minutes walking distance of the school.
I live within the road closure area, how do I access or get out of the street?
The road closure is only 30 minutes (8:45-9:15 a.m.) in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon (3:15-3:45 p.m.). The road will reopen and function normally for the remainder of the day.
During the closure, if you live within the homes between Shady Oaks Ave to the north, Rock Garden St. to the east, Autumn Glow Dr. to the south and John Allan Cameron St. to the west you can travel along Rock Garden St. to access the neighbourhood. Access along Rock Garden St remains open.
How do I drop-off and/or pick-up my kids?
The purpose of the School Street is to create a safer, healthier and more enjoyable journey for children travelling to and from school. We encourage all students, parents and caregivers to arrive and/or leave school by walking or cycling.
For those who rely on cars to travel to and from school, families can park slightly further away and walk the last part to school. It may feel challenging at first but this is an opportunity for families to explore different travel options. Remember this is temporary.
Will the School Street cause displacement of traffic on other streets?
During School Street operation, the traffic volume near school is expected to decrease during drop-off and pick-up times.
Since this is the first pilot at Black Walnut PS, it is difficult to predict how traffic will be affected. It is anticipated that data collection from this pilot will provide further information for future planning. Parking may be dispersed outside of the School Street zone. City staff will work with local school to identify appropriate locations where parents can park.
The goal is for students to shift to an active mode of travel to/from school, so that the number of vehicles to school would decrease overtime.
How do you make sure the street closure is safe?
A professional traffic control contractor has been hired to implement the street closure.
The contractor will be using industry standard and approved equipment such as traffic cones and signage, to implement the closure (Phase I and Phase II). Advance warning signs and detour signs will be deployed to increase visibility and awareness of the closure.
How do I provide feedback?
We are collecting feedback from students, staff, guardians and city residents about their thoughts on the School Streets Test program. This feedback will inform active school travel programming and enhanced road safety measures in the City of Markham and York Region
Pre survey - We want to hear from you. Please take a moment to fill out this survey
Post survey - A updated survey will be posted after May 19th to evaluate the program. Please share your feedback using the same link.
If you have any questions or concerns please contact activeschooltravel@yrdsb.ca.
- Other Resources
School Streets Guidebook (CRD, City of Victoria, 8 80 Cities)
Mountview Summary Report (880 Cities)