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‘School Streets' road closures to promote social distancing and encourage active travel when pupils return to school

 

1/9/2020

 

The Council is planning to implement ‘School Street' road closures to help pupils and families maintain social distancing when schools return for the Autumn term.  

In June,temporary road closures were introduced to create ‘School Streets' at 24 schools across the city when they reopened for the last few weeks of the summer term.

The streets selected for closures regularly experience problems with traffic and parking during school drop off and pick up times.  Closing them to general traffic supported children and families to socially distance when arriving and leaving school.

Following positive feedback from schools, pupils, parents and local residents, the Council plans to implement a number of ‘School Streets' from Monday 14, September.

These latest schemes will be supported by permanent signage and will have camera enforcement during drop off and pick up times when access and parking will be restricted to resident permit holders, blue badge holders and emergency vehicles.

In addition to School Streets the Council is also planning to introduce enforcement cameras at several other schools to deter parents from parking on Keep Clear markings outside school gates.

Cllr Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: "In July, the 24 School Streets Road Closures were to put place to ensure children and families could maintain social distancing measures safely when arriving and departing from school, bykeeping roads outside schools clear of traffic and parked vehicles

"The response from school communities and local residents has been tremendous. As a result we have secured funding to allow some school sites to apply road closures again from September.

"This will also go towards helping to deliver the Council's Active Travel to Schools programme which promotes active travel as the safest way to travel to school as well as helping to reduce congestion, improve air quality and respond to the ongoing issue of climate change." 

Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "Ensuring that pupils, parents and staff can return to school safely is priority and this scheme is an example of the planning that has gone into making sure this happens.

"Walking, scooting and cycling are excellent ways to actively travel to school and I am hopeful that many families will make long-lasting changes which will see benefits to both health and the environment they live in."

Rhiannon Hardiman, Wales Manager, Living Streets Cymru said:"It's fantastic to see measures being put in place to enable families in Wales to choose healthier and cleaner ways to travel to school.

"Walking to school helps children stay active and a reduction in cars around school gates will help to reduce air pollution, road danger and free up space to allow families to physically distance more easily.

"We know from our work with schools across the UK that families are put off walking to school by traffic, road danger and air pollution. By removing cars, we remove these barriers"

For more information about the School Streets Road Closures please visit:www.cardiff.gov.uk/schoolstreets

The Council piloted the original School Street Scheme to help reduce traffic around five school entrances in January 2020. The aim is that all children can attendschoolas safely as possible.