The number of School Streets in Greater Manchester is set to increase to 60 in the next year as part of a wider programme to boost the number of children walking, wheeling and cycling to school.
Last October, Active Travel Commissioner Dame Sarah Storey and Mayor Andy Burnham wrote to schools across the city-region inviting them to develop their own ‘School Street’ – to limit traffic during drop off and pick up time.
The ambition to boost the number of School Streets to 100 by 2028 was set out by the mayor in his most recent manifesto, with Dame Sarah Storey tasked with taking the commitment forward with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
£1.3m of active travel funding has been allocated for the delivery of new and enhanced School Streets in Greater Manchester.
Currently, around a third of traffic at peak times in the morning or afternoon is from children being taken to school. Reducing reliance on car trips and encouraging healthier, more active lifestyles is key to improving health and wellbeing – with 22% of reception aged children and 39% of Year 6 children overweight or obese in Greater Manchester.
Meanwhile, research shows just half of Greater Manchester’s residents feel it is safe for children to walk to school – and just 42% believe it is safe for children to cycle to school.
A School Street consists of a range of measures outside to limit traffic during drop off and pick up time and create a pleasant child-friendly environment when the school gate is busiest.
To share learnings and best practice, Dame Sarah joined representatives from local authorities and schools at the School Streets North conference in Manchester last week.
Councillor Tracey Rawlins, Executive Member for Clean Air, Environment and Transport for Manchester City Council, who also attended the conference, added:
“School Streets have been a transformative initiative, helping to change the way we think about the morning school run, and children tell us first hand of the positive difference it’s making so they are going into school feeling less anxious and happier.
“Whether using a bike, a scooter or simply walking we want to make sure that our roads are safe for youngsters. This is why the high interest in this project is so encouraging to see, and one we look forward to helping roll out more widely.”
(Pic: TfGM)
