School Streets success improving road safety

3 August 2022

The Road Safety Trust, commissioned Sustrans, to investigate whether School Streets cause traffic displacement and have any knock-on effects on road safety on streets surrounding schools.

School Streets are roads open to people walking and cycling but restrict access for motor vehicles at the start and end of the school day.

Sustrans partnered with Birmingham City Council, who were delivering their ‘Car Free School Street’ programme of School Street schemes. Birmingham currently has 17 ‘Car Free School Streets’ across the city.

In addition, Sustrans has developed best practice guidance on School Streets for practitioners.

The research revealed that the School Streets led to overall drops in traffic volume. Traffic around the Hillstone School saw an 8% reduction seven months after the start of the scheme.

This new evidence builds on broader existing research gathered in the project’s literature review, which has found that across School Streets schemes, there has been no significant traffic displacement to surrounding streets. The schemes also have not created road safety risks that cannot be adequately mitigated by measures such as Park & Stride routes.

This new evidence builds on broader existing research gathered in the project’s literature review, which has found that across School Streets schemes, there has been no significant traffic displacement to surrounding streets. The schemes also have not created road safety risks that cannot be adequately mitigated by measures such as Park & Stride routes.

To view the Technical report and Practitioners’ Guide, which includes advice and information for local authorities to implement their own School Streets, visit the project page here