New research has been carried out looking at the impact of restricting vehicle access on roads around schools.
The Road Safety Trust commissioned walking and cycling charity, Sustrans, to investigate ‘School Streets’ which are roads open to people walking and cycling but restricted to vehicles at the start and end of the school day.
Sustrans partnered with Birmingham City Council and monitored traffic speed and volume, illegal or hazardous parking and driving behaviour and traffic interactions, around two primary schools.
Surveys were also carried out with local residents and interviews conducted with council officers and school staff to assess perceptions of safety.
The study found that the School Streets led to overall drops in traffic volume. Traffic around one of the schools saw an eight per cent reduction seven months after the start of the scheme.
“It’s hugely encouraging to see how the School Streets monitored in Birmingham have reduced traffic and made it feel safer for residents at the start and end of the school day,” said Rachel Toms, Director of Urbanism for Sustrans.
“The support found in this survey matches what we hear from parents and residents around the School Streets schemes we set up all over the country. With the number of School Streets growing every month, as part of wider efforts to make the school run healthier, cheaper and less polluting, communities across the UK can look forward to feeling safer around their schools.”
