GTA drivers urged to slow down as students return to class

As thousands of students across the Greater Toronto Area made their way back to classrooms Tuesday for the start of a new school year, city officials made calls to ensure kids are safe getting to and from their schools.

Toronto police launched a Back to School traffic safety campaign, reminding drivers to slow down near school grounds and to expect an increase in traffic. The campaign, which runs from Tuesday until Sept. 13, will see officers in school zones looking out for drivers who speed, drive aggressively, drive distracted or drive impaired.

"Often, these behaviours lead to frustration, congestion and an unsafe environment for all road users," police said in a news release Tuesday.

Police will also be watching for any drivers who park illegally, or vehicles "potentially putting others at risk."

Traffic service members made the announcement Tuesday at a news conference, along with the City of Toronto and the Toronto District School Board.

"While we prepare for our new school year, we should also remember our shared responsibility to make our kids' journey to and from schools a safe one," Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said at the news conference outside of Tredway WoodsworthPublic School in Scarborough.

"Everyone needs to be vigilant on our streets and pay attention to the rules of the road so we could all get to school and work and back home safely," she said.

75 speedcameras installed to date

Police say the campaign will focus on enforcement, education and community engagement.

"The Toronto Police Service is committed to collaborating with the City of Toronto on Toronto's Vision Zero Road Safety Plan by protecting our most vulnerable road users and building a safer community for all," said Toronto police Acting Supt. Matt Moyer.

"We hope everyone will slow down, put your phone away, and pay extra attention while driving, especially in or near school zones."

So far, the city has installed a total of 75 Automated Speed Enforcement cameras, with three operating in each city ward, as part of Vision Zero, which focuseson eliminating traffic-related fatalities and serious injuries on city roads.

The city has also installed school safety zones at 565 schools around Toronto, which are designated stretchesof a roadway that features signage, pavement markings and speed stencils, flashing beacons anddriver feedback signs. An additional 80 zones will be installed by the end of this year, according to a city news release on Tuesday.

"We're also reducing the speed limit to 30 km/h on roads in Etobicoke, North York and Scarborough," Deputy Mayor Jennifer McKelvie said at the news conference.

"It's already been rolled out throughout the downtown core, and the speed limit has already been reduced in 19 wards across the cityand we will continue over the next two years for the rest of the city," she said.

Some 1,400 intersections across the city have also been equipped with a Pedestrian Head Start Signal, which allows pedestrians to begin crossing the street before vehicles are permitted to proceed by delaying the green signal. The city says another 100 signals will be added before the end of the year.

"I fully understand and empathize with parents. These are challenging times," Moyer said.

"There's more cars on the road, absolutely. But all that means to us as parents, as adults, as community leaders, as police officers, we have to up our game. We have to be more involved. We have to have more conversations."