Reading's first 'school street' opens
A special arrangement allows roads to be closed at drop off and pick up times to improve safety
Reading’s first ever School Street has started operating at Park Lane Primary (Junior) School.
A School Street is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at busy school drop-off and pick-up times. The restriction applies to all school traffic and all through traffic, where a school is located on a through route. Closure points are monitored at all times by trained, volunteer School Street marshals, whose job it is to ensure access is maintained for eligible vehicles accessing properties or businesses within the closure area.
In this case both Downing Road and adjoining Lambourne Close will close between 8.30am to 9.00am and then again at pick up between 2.55pm to 3.35pm.
The initiative is being trialled at Park Lane Primary (Junior) School ahead of the introduction of two further School Streets, at Wilson Primary and Thameside Primary later this year.
Rebecca Brown, Junior Head of School, said:
“As a school community, we are very excited that our School Street has now launched! We wish to give thanks to the transport planning team at the Council and the local residents and businesses, including The Royal British Legion and The Prince Pub, who have given their support to the trial of this project. We would also not have been able to run this trial without the time and dedication from our parent volunteers who are supporting this as marshals in the times the road is restricted.
“This School Street is hopefully a positive change for our local community; encouraging children to walk to school more, hopefully having an impact on local pollution rates through less cars idling and making the roads safer at drop off and pick up times for all. We wish to thank all the children and parents for their support and dedication to this change and we look forward to making this project a success as a community!”
Two further School Streets at Wilson Primary (Wilson Road, between Oxford Road and Westbourne Terrace) and Thameside Primary (Harley Road) are in the planning stages and due to begin trials later this year. Maiden Erlegh School in Reading, UTC and Alfred Sutton Primary School have developed a joint proposal for a School Street on Crescent Road, between Wokingham Road and Bulmershe Road.
The proposal is currently under review by officers and a recommendation on the proposal is planned to be made at the next Strategic Environment, Planning and Transport Committee in June.
Further information on Reading’s School Streets can be found on a dedicated School Streets webpage – www.reading.gov.uk/schoolstreets