Recommendation:
That the May 17, 2007, Transportation
Department report 2007TD7604-2 be received for information.
Report Summary
This report summarizes the findings and recommendations of a study undertaken regarding the use of flashing red lights on school buses in urban areas in the city of Edmonton.
Previous Committee Action
At the January 23, 2007, Transportation and Public Works Committee meeting, the following motion was passed:
That Administration provide a report to Transportation and Public Works
Committee that gives a comparative analysis of other jurisdictions with
Edmonton, on the use of flashing red lights for school buses within city limits, including: a. any statistics that might be helpful; b. information from Edmonton school boards; c. information from bus companies.
Report

The City of Edmonton retained iTRANS Consulting Inc. to undertake a study to conduct a review of practices in the city of Edmonton and other provinces and major urban centres with regard to the operation of flashing red lights on school buses. This study compares the
City’s current practices with those in other provinces and major urban centres and recommends whether or not changes to the City’s Traffic
Bylaw and practice/policies with regards to the flashing of red lights on school buses in urban areas are required. Attachment 1 contains the
Executive Summary of the iTRANS report.

An on-line survey was completed to determine the procedures, policies, methodologies, and collision experience involving school buses of other jurisdictions with regard to the use of flashing red lights on school buses during the loading and unloading of passengers. The survey was sent to the 12 provinces and territories and major urban centres across Canada.

In addition, Transportation
Department and the consultant facilitated a stakeholders workshop to discuss the findings of the survey and current practices in the city of
Edmonton. The workshop included representatives from the City, the
Province, the Public and Catholic
School Boards, the Edmonton Police
Services, the Alberta Motor
Association, and local school bus operators.

The study found that with the exception of Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, all other provinces and territories require, school bus operators to activate flashing red lights at all times when students are being picked up or discharged. In both urban and rural areas in all provinces and territories, drivers of all other vehicles are
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ROUTING - Transportation and Public Works Committee | DELEGATION - R. Ducharme
WRITTEN BY – L. M. McCormick / D. MacDonald | May 17, 2007 – Transportation Department | 2007TD7604-2
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Comparative Analysis - Flashing Red Lights on School Buses required to stop in both directions of travel when the flashing red lights are activated unless there is a requirements to stop for the school bus.
Consultant’s Recommendations median present or the student pickup and drop-off locations have
“School Bus Loading Zone” signs.

The iTRANS report provides the following recommendations
Statistical Review regarding the current practice of not flashing red lights on school buses in

The study found that there is limited data on school bus collisions across urban areas and possible actions that the Transportation Department the country. From the data that we were able to collect, the study found that there is no significant difference will implement to improve data collection and address potential safety concerns that were discussed in collisions involving school buses between jurisdictions that use flashing red lights at all times and those communities that do not use in the collection of information regarding this report.
 That the City of Edmonton make no changes with regards to the
Edmonton School Boards and Bus
Companies
 flashing red lights in urban areas. In both cases less than 1% of all collisions involving school buses occurred during the process of loading or unloading passengers.
The Edmonton Public School Board, the Edmonton Catholic School
Board, and all bus operators in the city of Edmonton do not feel there is a need to change the present operation of school buses in the city. operation of school buses in urban areas.
 That the Office of Traffic Safety in partnership with the Public and
Catholic School Boards, the
Edmonton Police Services, and the school bus operators, develop guiding principles to be used to instruct bus drivers on what actions are to be taken with respect to the loading and unloading of school children.
 That the City of Edmonton’s

There is no written policy in place in the City and both school boards regarding how school bus drivers are to load and unload passengers. The school bus operators instruct their drivers on how to load and unload passengers.
Office of Traffic Safety consider a public education campaign regarding expectations of drivers and school children on the use of flashing red lights in rural areas of the city.
Attachment

Both school boards and the bus operators feel that in the rural areas of the city where bus operators activate the flashing red lights, there has been an increase in the number of people violating the law’s
1. Executive Summary of the iTRANS
Final Report entitled “Review of City of Edmo nton’s Practice Regarding the Flashing of Red lights on School
Buses ”
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