| Get Ajax Moving |
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#GetAjaxMoving is a council endorsed initiative highlighting active transportation options in the Town and the goal is to get Ajax moving! #GetAjaxMoving engages residents to show that sustainable modes of transportation will not only help alleviate traffic congestion, but are also healthier and more enjoyable ways to get around town. The goal of this initiative is to, by 2031 to get 30 percent of all trips made by walking, cycling, or transit. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, more than 80 percent of Ajax residents get to work by car while less than 3 percent of residents walk or bike to get to work.
Get Ajax Moving Toolkits
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Walking
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Biking
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Transit
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Carpooling
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Telecommuting
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School
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Winter
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| Active and Safe Routes to School |
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Active and Safe Routes to School (ASRTS) is a program that encourages Ajax students to get active and walk or bike to school.
Trips to and from school provides students with a chance to be active and explore outside. Every student that walks to school help to reduce the congestion and safety concerns outside our schools. Not only is walking or cycling to school a great opportunity for exercise, a number of studies suggest that walking to school helps improve learning ability throughout the day.
| For Youth: Active School Travel Toolkit |
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Download Toolkit
In June 2021, the Town of Ajax onboarded Jay Pitter Placemaking to build the capacity of staff and professionals working in the broader community to advance equity in active transportation processes, specifically school travel.
While implementing this scope of work, Jay Pitter identified the need for a youth-centric approach. This led to the creation of a Youth Active School Travel toolkit—a resource to equip youth to champion healthy and sustainable ways of getting to/from school in their communities. To create a connection with young people and generate ideas, together with Armi de Francia, Jay Pitter organized a Youth AST Workshop providing an opportunity for youth to share their stories and insights. Centring these invaluable youth perspectives, Ms. Pitter conducted additional active school travel research and authored the Active School Travel Toolkit—an advocacy & placemaking resource centring the insights of young people.
Ms. Pitter describes the toolkit as, "an action-oriented, advocacy toolkit highlighting dynamic youth stories and insights. It also unpacks a diverse range of benefits experienced by young people who embrace active school travel, reveals complex factors affecting the journey to school, and most importantly, provides all young people with personal reflection prompts, facts, approaches and templates for taking action.
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| For Teachers (or parent volunteers): ASRTS Manual |
| Bring Active and Safe Routes to School to your school with the Active and Safe Routes School Manual. The manual is a resource for teachers, school admin, parents and other volunteers who are interested in setting up an Active and Safe Routes to school program. |
| For Parents: Walking/Biking Distance Maps |
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Interested in walking or rolling to school but not sure if it's too far? Click below to find a walking or biking distance map for your school.
| Walking Maps |
Durham Catholic District School Board:
Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir
Durham District School Board:
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| Winter Walking Maps |
Durham Catholic District School Board:
Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir
Durham District School Board:
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| Biking Maps |
Durham Catholic District School Board:
Conseil Scolaire Catholique MonAvenir
Durham District School Board:
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| Get Prizes for your school |
| Schools celebrating one or more of the following events can receive a prize pack from the Town of Ajax.
To receive a prize pack, register for walking/rolling to school event at: ontarioactivesschooltravel.ca
Your school can do ONE (or more) of these simple activities to be eligible for a prize pack:
- Put up a poster encouraging walking/rolling to school
- Post an Active Routes to School map or give copies to parents (see For Parents: Walking/Biking Distance Maps)
- Encourage walking or rolling to school in the announcements, newsletter, social media, website, or other school communications.
Other fun ideas that are eligible for prize packs can be found in the Active and Safe Routes School Manual.
| Additional Prizes |
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We invite teachers or school volunteers to complete a 2-minute student travel survey among students in grades 2-8. This information will be used to help us see where the Town of Ajax can best support your school! As a thank you for completing the survey, your school will be entered into a draw to win an additional gift card!
Completed surveys can be submitted by email at: GetAjaxMoving@ajax.ca or by mail to:
Armi De Francia
Town of Ajax, Planning & Development
65 Harwood Ave S
Ajax, ON L1S 2H9
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| Let's Carpool Ajax |
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Estimates show that the average annual cost to own and operate a personal vehicle in Canada is somewhere between $7,000 and $10,000 per year. Carpooling helps reduce these costs on top of decreasing pollution and congestion.
Need Someone to Carpool with?
Register for an account or login to an existing on the Smart Commute online tool and find a carpool partner in Ajax! For more information go to www.smartcommute.ca.
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| Benefits of Active Transportation |
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The benefits of walking and cycling are important to your own health, our community and environment. Below are some of the ways active transportation benefits these things.
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Healthy Citizens
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- Growing research supports significant health benefits of regular, light, physical activity such as lower risk of disease.
- Children represent an important group that is not attaining the minimum recommended daily physical activity. One a national bases 25 percent of children between the ages of 5 to 19 are considered overweight and that number is rising.
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Accessibility for All
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- It's been said that by planning for 8 year olds and 80 year olds we can create a community that is accessible for all.
- Facilities are designed to accommodate all residents. Bike paths and sidewalks need to be maneuverable by foot, bike, stroller, skateboard, wheelchair or anything in between.
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Reduce Emissions and Energy Use
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- Burning one liter of gas produces about 2.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is the largest man-made contributor to climate change.
- Every day in Durham Region, residents make more than 800,000 private car trips that are under 6km. Each 1% of car travel replaced by active modes of transportation reduces vehicle air pollution emissions by 2 to 4 percent.
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Infrastructure Costs
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- The cost of Active Transportation infrastructure are small compared to a roadway widening for vehicles.
- Below is an approximate cost comparison between different facilities.
- Cycling lane without road widening is $20,000/km
- Road Widening for cycling lane is $150,000/km
- Paved pathway/multi-use trail is $225,000/km
- Widen arterial road from 2 to 4 lanes is $1.3 million/km
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Quality of Life
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- There are so many good reasons to cycle and walk. Improved health, less vehicles on the road and less pollution are just a few that will improve your quality of life.
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| Public Transit |
| The Town of Ajax is serviced by Durham Regional Transit and GO Transit. Durham Regional Transit tickets and passes are available for sale at Town Hall, Ajax Community Center, McLeans Community Centre, Audley Recreation Center and Town Libraries. Presto cards are available at the Ajax GO station.
For more information on Durham Region Transit bus schedules including the PULSE high frequency bus route, visit the DRT website.
For more information on GO Transit including the Lakeshore East rail line, visit the GO transit website.
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| Road Safety for All |
We all have to do our part to keep the streets of Ajax safe. It is the responsibility of all road users, drivers, cyclists and pedestrians to ensure each other's safety and wellbeing.
Pedestrians
- Cross at marked crosswalks or traffic lights, not in the middle of the block or between parked cars;
- Make sure drivers see you before you cross. Try to make direct eye-contact with drivers;
- Cross when traffic has come to a complete stop;
- Do not cross once the “Don't Walk” signal begins to flash or once the light has turned yellow. Never cross on a red light;
- Watch for traffic turning at intersections or entering and leaving driveways; and
- Consider wearing bright or light-coloured clothing or reflective strips, when walking at dusk or in darkness.
Cyclists
- Obey all traffic control; ensure a complete stop is made at all stop signs and traffic signals when necessary.
- Make sure drivers see you before you cross. Try to make direct eye contact.
- Use hand signals when making a change in direction and coming to a stop.
- Watch for traffic turning at intersections or entering and leaving driveways; with drivers;
- Consider wearing bright or light-coloured clothing or reflective strips, when walking at dusk or in darkness.
- Have lights, a bell and reflectors as required by law in Ontario. Lights must be used 30 minutes before sunset and 30 minutes after sunrise.
Motorists
- Be patient, some pedestrians require more time to cross the street;
- Always be looking for pedestrians and cyclists, especially when turning;
- Stay alert and slow down on residential streets and in school zones;
- Never speed, always drive the speed limit. If you do not see a posted speed limit then drive the Ontario default speed limit which is 50 km/h
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