Oxfordshire County Council says valuable lessons have been learned from the trial of School Streets in the county.
School Streets aim to improve road safety, boost cycling and walking and improve air quality – by restricting motor traffic at the school gates at drop-off and pick-up times.
Working with Sustrans, Oxfordshire County Council introduced nine School Streets on a trial basis in March 2021.
To help evaluate their success, 518 residents and parents, as well as a further 112 pupils, were surveyed about their experiences.
In total, 59% of parents and residents said they supported the School Streets, 27% did not and the remaining 21% weren’t sure or supported with modification.
Meanwhile, 60% of pupils said they felt the road outside their school felt safer or much safer during the School Streets trial, 30% were unsure and 9% thought it was less safe or much less safe than before.
Of the nine schools, five have decided to continue with their School Street based on the success of the initial trial.
The remaining schools will continue to be offered support to look at alternative measures for traffic calming, reducing problem parking and improving both air quality and the surroundings outside their school to make it safer and more appealing to walk and cycle.
Cllr Mark Lygo, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for public health and equality, said: “We know that without safer streets, many children and their parents will not have the confidence to cycle or walk.
“I’d like to thank Sustrans alongside the many volunteers and school staff that have contributed to the School Streets trials across Oxfordshire.
“Valuable things have been learned from the trials, which we hope to develop for the longer term to help encourage cycle journeys by children and their families whilst helping to reduce traffic.”
Sarah Leeming, head of delivery at Sustrans, said: “It’s been amazing to see whole school communities get behind the School Street trials – the support from headteachers and volunteers has been fantastic.
“Pupils, parents and residents reported that the area outside the school gates felt safer. I hope that the successful outcome of the trials will provide confidence for local leaders to make the case for more School Streets across the county.”
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