Southampton Makes Nine More School Streets Permanent, Promoting Safer and Healthier Travel

Southampton City Council have announced that nine additional schools participating in the School Streets program have had their schemes made permanent. This brings the total number of schools in the city with a permanent part-time road closure outside of the school to thirteen, creating a safer, healthier, and more enjoyable journey to school for children and their families.

School Streets involve closing the road outside a school to all vehicles temporarily during drop-off and pick-up times, creating a pedestrian and cycle zone. By removing through traffic and stopping cars on the school run from parking outside the school gates, families can safely travel to school on foot, by bike, or by scooter.

The nine schools with permanent School Streets are Shirley Junior School on Bellemoor Road, Shirley Infant School on Wilton Road, Mansbridge Primary on Octavia Road, Freemantle CE Community Academy on Mansion Road, Wordsworth Primary on Victor Street, Regents Park Community College on Richville Road, Valentine Primary on Valentine Avenue, Shirley Warren Primary on Warren Crescent, and Mansel Park Primary on Porlock Road. These schools have joined St Mary’s, St Mark’s CE, St John’s, and Cantell, who already have permanent School Streets in operation.

Councillor Eamonn Keogh, Cabinet Member Transport & District Regeneration, acknowledged the dedication of schools that have successfully trialed a School Street, as well as their staff and other volunteers who regularly manage the road closure barriers. He said, “It is thanks to their dedication to creating a safe place for children and their families outside the school gates that these schemes have been as successful as they have.”

The standard School Street closure times are 8:00 to 9:30 and 14:15 to 15:45, although times may vary. School Streets are legal road closure orders that prohibit through traffic and parental traffic, so even when barriers are not in place, the road is still closed. The co-operation of residents living within a School Street area, who are required to drive through at walking pace when the road closure is in operation, is also appreciated.

CCTV enforcement is hoped to support the success of School Streets at some locations later this year. The city’s efforts to promote safer and healthier travel for school children and their families through the School Streets program have been highly successful, and these permanent closures are a testament to that success.