This issue impacts anyone who travels down Fairway Rd N, not just the children of Chicopee Hills PS; motorists and active transportation users alike.

The children need to be removed from Fairway Rd N for everyone’s safe passage.

Chicopee Hills PS is located at the very busy intersection of Fairway Rd N and Lackner Blvd in Kitchener Ontario. 

In May 2017, at the Chicopee Hills PS open house Matthew Gerard and other staff from WRDSB told the community that children who live behind the school would have an off road primary walking link into the rear of the school; eliminating the need for hundreds of children to walk along a high volume, high speed Regional road; Fairway Rd N. These robust talks were supported by presentations and visual renderings. 

In September 2017 Chicopee Hills PS was opened. The community was shown the grounds, including the gate in the rear chainlink fence that is waiting to serve as the connection point to the primary walking link. During the 2017 school year, children from behind the school were bussed to Chicopee Hills PS; awaiting the primary walking link.

The 2018 school year came and the primary walking link had still not been constructed. Community follow up and advocacy began in September 2018 regarding the missing pedestrian bridge / primary walking link. 

Since at least September 2018 the community has been following up and advocating non stop but the pedestrian bridge / primary walking link is still missing.

Who has been contacted, at minimum: City of Kitchener Mayor, Ward Councillors, Parks, Transportation, Planning staff. Region of Waterloo Chair, Councillors, Transportation staff. Student Transportation Services manager and staff. WRDSB Directors, Trustees, Matthew Gerard. Chicopee Hills PS Principals, VPs, parent council, travel planning committee. MPP Laura Mae Lindo Office. MP Mike Morrice.

This pedestrian bridge / primary walking link is seen on City of Kitchener documents and Waterloo Regional District School Board documents. 

This pedestrian bridge / primary walking link was recommended in 2015 by Stantec and again in 2022 by WSP Canada Inc.

The pedestrian bridge / primary walking link is the responsibility of the City of Kitchener. The City of Kitchener is not following through and they are not living by their Vision Zero policy. 

The children of Chicopee Hills PS are being forced into harms way, twice a day, while traveling an unsafe route to and from school.

There are children in this community who are experiencing barriers to education directly related to unsafe / inadequate routes to school.

There are caregivers in this community who are experiencing barriers using active transport to get their children to and from school due to unsafe / inadequate routes to Chicopee Hills PS.

Motorists on a Fairway Rd N are also impacted by the missing pedestrian bridge / primary walking link. Children are constantly impeding live lanes of traffic on their routes to and from school. The caregivers who are unable or unwilling to use the unsafe active transportation route are driving their children to and from school; on Fairway Rd N school traffic backs up and blocks live lanes of traffic twice a day.

This petition is calling upon the City of Kitchener to build the pedestrian bridge / primary walking link that was promised to this community.

Please sign and share this petition if you believe education and safe active transportation should be accessible to everyone.

Please sign and share this petition if you believe motorists should be able to drive without fear of hitting a child or having their passage blocked by backed up traffic. 

Please sign and share this petition if you believe the City of Kitchener needs to follow through on their promises. 

This petition will be shared with the above mentioned parties to show them this issue matters to many.

This petition is a call to action for the City of Kitchener to “build the bridge”.

Your support is needed. We cannot do this without you.

City of Kitchener Community Plan Map with Primary Walking Link

 

 

Zoom in on primary walking link

 

 

 

Zoom in on legend

 

 

April 2022 feasibly study, 2015 recommendation for pedestrian footbridge from Stantec

 

 

April 2022 feasibly study recommendation for pedestrian bridge from WSP

 

 

City of Kitchener Community Plan clearly stating a pedestrian bridge to the school

 

 

Chicopee Hills PS Site Plan

 

 

Zoom in of break in rear fence; connection to pedestrian bridge / primary walking link