RCC has enthusiastically supported all the council’s previous school streets proposals, and we are supporting this next set of proposals too. For the first time Redbridge are proposing to create school streets at secondary schools. This is a logical development, but it does throw up a new problem.  

Here’s the link to the consultations.

Redbridge says that:

‘School Streets aim to reduce levels of air pollution around our schools, making the air children breathe cleaner. They protect children from traffic hazards at the school gate, preventing accidents and keeping children safe. Students are also encouraged to walk and cycle to school, improving health and fitness’.

When it comes to secondary schools it’s the last aim that’s the problem.

No doubt many of those dropped off by car could easily walk to school but secondary schools do have much larger catchment areas than primary schools so some pupils who, at the moment are dropped off, would face a long walk to school. This is unlikely at a primary school. Of course, pupils can swap their parents’ car for a bike but only if the School Street scheme is complemented by the Council creating safe cycle routes to the school from all corners of the catchment area. This is do-able.

I have looked one of the schemes at a secondary school that I familiar with and, from the outer reaches of the catchment area, cycling to school instead of going by car is not an option.  There just aren’t routes that parents will consider safe for their children to ride. So, to the extent that all secondary school schemes suffer the same problem, the shift to active travel will be limited. More likely what will happen is that the drop off points move. 

If you think School Streets are a good idea support the schemes – so your response goes in the ‘yes’ pile – but in your response say that, to fully achieve its aims the council must introduce cycle routes (cycle streets as they are called in Germany) and traffic reduction measures across the catchment area to make cycling to school a safe and realistic choice.

The closing date for these consultations is 21^st October 2024.