| Candidates | ||||
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| Public School Board Ward F (map) |
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| Forum 1 Info | Wednesday, Sept. 29, 7pm - McKernan Community Hall - 11341 78 Ave |
Information about Michael Janz
| Inquiry (sent on October 1, 2010) | Cycling Issues in Edmonton Schools Questionnaire |
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| Response | Great Survey Chris et al! Do you walk or ride a bicycle? For leisure? Exercise? Commuting? How often? Definitely 265 a year. I don’t own a car. I ride full-time those days and take the bus/lrt the others. Do you feel comfortable riding on the road with traffic?
… (show more)Yes Do you feel that students are comfortable cycling (for at least part of their trip) to school? If not, why? What would you change to make cyclists feel more confident? I think we need safe cycling programs in our gym classes (integrate pedal pushers?) and initiatives around schools to make arriving by bike, locking up, and leaving by bike easier, safer, and more accessible to students and all staff groups. Numerous studies have established the relationship between increased physical activity and better academic achievement. As trustee, what specific actions will you take to encourage active transportation among students and staff? I would like to see EPSB better promote cycling and active transportation. I would like to see us invest in safe facilities for both students and staff. I think the district could go a long way towards advocating for active transportation within the city and urging city council to better connect our schools via pathways and bike paths and ensuring that we have better connectivity with school buses, LRT etc. How will you engage parents, principals and administrators to make health a priority, especially in regards to active transportation? What policies and practices need to be changed or created to achieve this goal? We need a comprehensive, district-wide health and wellness policy that helps address exactly those concerns. We need to be proactive and help improve the wellness of all students and staff. Because of the open-boundary, program-based school system in Edmonton, many students travel long distances to school. How would you encourage active transportation given this fact? I have been a big supporter of supporting community schools and in the cases where students do not live close to their school of choice I think it is important that we advocate for safe trails and pathways around the city, safe crossings, and do what we can to make the commute more accessible for these students. School closures discourage active transportation by increasing travel distances. Would you encourage study of the student health (and correlated academic) consequences of school closures? An initiative in Nova Scotia, which included opening school gyms after hours for non-competitive sport activities, saw a 72% reduction in obesity rates. What innovative ways would you propose to increase school utilization and physical activity? I absolutely would advocate for student health measures. I have also advocated for transforming our schools into community spaces and encouraging more after hours use of our facilities. Do the schools in your ward have adequate, secure bicycle parking? I think we need a comprehensive review of all district schools. Most of them have minimal bike parking. What kind of education programs would you engage in to encourage effective cycling? Anytime we can tie elementary kids into safe cycling, we also have an opportunity to connect to their parents and invite them to become more frequent riders as well. I think we have What would you do to discourage students being dropped-off/picked-up in private vehicles? Make it as easy and as convenient as possible to explore other means of transportation. I would also explore “walk and bike to school days” and other programs that have been successful in other jurisdictions. Do you have a recent photo of yourself riding your bicycle? Please send it to us digitally! Even when I travel I bring my Dahon with me! |
