Three more schools were introduced to the School Street program late September, joining 12 other schools who have had them since 2020.
Blenheim Primary School, Birchfield Primary School and Bramhope Primary School have introduced School Streets as part of a new phase in attempt to create a safer environment for those who walk, bike or wheel to school.
The pedestrian and cycle only rules will only be in affect in school pick up and drop of hours on the selected roads.
School Streets have been supported nationally with headteacher Louise Putt of Bentley St Paul’s Primary School saying: “during drop off and pick up its always really busy and drivers are often in a hurry, it puts children and their parents at risk at a time whilst their also rushing so I think its a really good idea.”
However not everyone is as pleased, as Leeds shop worker Zachariah Murray took to twitter to complain about the new rules saying: “this is causing me to take a longer route to work, its making me late to work and its polluting the earth more as its making me and others take longer routes.”
There are now over 500 School Streets across the country, and Leeds has learnt from evaluation of old phases it has improved alternative travel by 6% and increased the parents confidence for their children’s health and safety.
The three now School Streets will use an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) for 18 months to make sure the schemes are working well before making the road regulations permanent.
There is exemptions to this rule for emergency service vehicles and blue badge holders.
