School buses will not operate within the City of Greater Sudbury on Monday due to hazardous road conditions, according to the Sudbury Student Services Consortium. Schools will remain open, but officials are urging caution for students walking to and from school, as many sidewalks remain snow-covered.
Road Conditions Pose Safety Risk
The Sudbury Student Services Consortium determined that road conditions “pose an unacceptable safety risk to students, pedestrians and operators.” Road reassessments completed on March 22 showed no significant improvement following weekend snowfall.
Bus services will continue as normal in areas outside of the City of Greater Sudbury limits, including Espanola, Massey, Manitoulin Island, Alban, French River, Monetville, Noelville, St. Charles, Warren, Markstay, Hagar and Killarney.
The consortium cited several safety concerns, including a lack of safe waiting areas for students, insufficient road width for pedestrians and oncoming vehicles, and difficulties with school bus turns due to snowbanks.
The City of Greater Sudbury has also restricted its own garbage and recycling equipment from operating on certain side roads due to safety concerns, a situation the consortium noted mirrors the challenges faced by school buses. “Where the city cannot safely operate its waste collection vehicles, the consortium cannot safely operate school buses,” they reported.
Safety Recommendations for Students and Parents
The consortium is actively working to implement modified school bus routes within the City of Greater Sudbury, a process expected to continue throughout the week. Parents will be notified of any newly created central stops.
Officials are advising children not to walk to and from school until sidewalks and pathways are cleared. Parents and guardians are asked to assess conditions daily and provide transportation to school if safe walking paths are unavailable. Carpooling is also recommended.
Parents who have no means of transporting their children can email [email protected] to inquire about potential temporary school bus service.
Sudbury Catholic Schools is working to clear school parking lots and is discouraging students from driving to school, recommending carpooling and bus transportation when available. They also urge caution on sidewalks.
City Prioritizing School Zones
The City of Greater Sudbury has prioritized clearing school zones and sidewalks along key routes, and is collaborating with the consortium to identify areas needing road widening. As of Sunday evening, all identified school zones had been cleared.
City officials are asking drivers to slow down and be patient, as children may be forced to walk on streets due to uncleared sidewalks.
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