School street
The concept of a school street came over from Italy and was first implemented in 1989, in the Italian city of Bolzano. Belgium followed, with Ghent taking the lead. In November 2012, the city launched a pilot project to turn two dead-end streets into a school street. The results proved positive. The evaluation showed that the streets create a safer school environment and smoother traffic flow. Eight out of ten parents, pupils, school staff and local residents consider it a good measure. More than 130 schools in Flanders now have a school street or have far-reaching plans to introduce one.
Key priority
Improving road safety around schools is one of the ten key priorities of The Hague’s road safety policy. Councillor Robert van Asten, responsible for Mobility, is therefore pleased with this trial: “At the beginning and end of the school day, the street outside a school entrance often turns into a chaotic interplay of cars, cyclists and pedestrians. Children in particular experience this as confusing and dangerous. By making the street traffic-free at those times, we hope to positively influence parents’ drop-off and pick-up behaviour.”