As reported by Road Safety GB, local authorities are being urged to adopt newly released guidance from Active Travel England, which sets out best practices for implementing School Streets
The guidance aims to help councils, schools, and elected local members roll out schemes that improve safety, encourage walking and cycling, and reduce air pollution at school gates.
School Streets are increasingly being introduced in urban and suburban areas across the UK. These schemes involve temporarily restricting motor traffic outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times. Transport for London (TfL) announced in April that it would fund up to 222 new School Streets in the capital over the coming years, underlining the growing popularity of the initiative.
The new guidance draws on a review conducted by Edinburgh Napier University, funded by The Road Safety Trust. The review found that, in almost all cases where School Streets had been implemented, motor vehicle traffic decreased not only on the School Street itself but also on nearby streets during restricted hours. It also showed that active travel to school – such as walking, cycling and scooting – increased as a direct result.
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, welcomed the findings and urged further rollout of the initiative. “Taking measures to improve road safety for our schoolchildren should be a top priority for us all,” she said. “I’m delighted to see an increasing number of School Streets in place across the country, with more to follow.”
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