Calgary completes pedestrian safety upgrades near 50 schools ahead of new school year

The City of Calgary has completed pedestrian safety improvements near 50 schools as students prepare to return for the new academic year.

The upgrades include safer pedestrian crossings, curb extensions and traffic-calming measures designed to better protect students travelling to and from school.

City officials are scheduled to highlight the completed work at Taradale School in northeast Calgary on Monday morning. Members of the city's traffic safety team will explain the improvements and how they are expected to make school zones safer for pedestrians.

The work is part of Calgary's Active and Safe Routes to School program, which works with schools to identify safety concerns. These can include speeding vehicles, congestion around drop-off and pick-up areas, poor sightlines and missing or inadequate sidewalks.

The new safety measures will face their first major test on August 31, when students with the Calgary Board of Education and the Calgary Catholic School District return to classrooms for the start of the school year.

City officials hope the improvements will help create safer and more accessible routes for thousands of students and families across Calgary.