School drop-off and pick-up road closures
A school street is a timed road closure outside or next to a school at drop-off and pick-up times. The school street is closed to most vehicles, with exemptions made for residents and people with accessibility needs.
Many schools experience heavy congestion outside their gates during pick-up and drop-off times. Unfortunately, this can increase road danger for children and worsen air pollution outside the school gates. School streets have been created in many parts of the UK to tackle this problem. There are now over 600 school streets nationally.
How to sign up for a school street
Interested schools should email begreen@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk to find out more about whether a school street could be appropriate for their school.
Key reasons for school streets
Safer environment
School streets significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve the air quality around school premises, providing a safer environment for pupils and parents during peak drop-off and pick-up hours.
Pedestrian priority
School streets allow pupils to cross the road more safely, reducing the risk of accidents and ensuring a smoother flow of foot traffic around the school.
Active travel
School streets encourage children to walk, scoot and cycle to school.
Current schemes
Dunstable Icknield Lower School
Trial school street on the full length of Burr Street, Dunstable. Timings are 8:20am to 9am and 2:45pm to 3:30pm on weekdays during term time.
Marston Moreteyne VC School (Church End site)
Trial school street on the full length of The Green, Marston Moreteyne. Timings are 8:15am to 8:55am and 3pm to 3:40pm on weekdays during term time.
Questions and answers
What is a school street?
A school street is a timed road closure outside a school at peak pick-up and drop-off times on weekdays during term time. The school street is closed to most vehicles, with exemptions made for residents and people with accessibility needs.
When do school streets operate?
School streets operate for 40 to 60 minutes at drop-off and pick-up times on weekdays during term time. Exact timings vary from school to school and are displayed on signs at the entrance to each school street.
School streets operate on weekdays during term only, meaning they are operational for just over half of days in a calendar year. They do not operate at the weekend or during school holidays.
Check school term and holiday dates.
Who is permitted vehicle access during school street times?
Vehicle access is permitted for:
- residents of the school street
- people with accessibility needs who need to access the school or parents/carers of children with accessibility needs
- emergency service vehicles
During school street times, vehicle access is not permitted for:
- visitors (other than carers for vulnerable residents)
- courier deliveries (please see below for more information about deliveries)
The school street is open to everyone walking, scooting or cycling as normal.
How are school street locations chosen?
Schools generally put themselves forward to trial a school street, after which we assess whether a school street is feasible. This assessment is done on a case-by-case basis. Not all schools are suitable for a school street.
If feasible, a school street trial can be proposed. Engagement opportunities to discuss and give feedback on the proposal are publicised to groups such as parents/carers, residents of the proposed school street, and residents of key surrounding roads. Feedback from these groups is used to inform whether a trial goes ahead.
How does a trial work?
All school streets start as trials. During the trial, we monitor the school street’s impact on active travel, the school street itself and key surrounding roads. During the trial, a survey is circulated to parents/carers, school staff, residents of the school street and residents of surrounding roads.
After a minimum of 6 months, we can decide whether to make the school street permanent or discontinue the scheme. The decision is made considering data collected and feedback from residents, parents/carers and the school.
School Street trials are introduced using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs) under sections 9 & 10 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.
How do we engage with parents/carers and residents?
When a school street trial is proposed, engagement opportunities will be publicised to groups such as parents/carers, residents of the proposed school street, and residents of key surrounding roads. Feedback collected from these groups is taken into account when deciding whether a trial goes ahead.
Once a trial is running, a survey is circulated to school staff, parents/carers, residents of the school street and those living in key surrounding roads. This feedback is used to inform whether a trial school street is made permanent.
What about parents and carers who live too far away to walk?
We strongly encourage families who are able to walk, scoot or cycle to school to do so. Walking to school helps children stay active and can improve their mental wellbeing and readiness to learn.
At some schools, nearby ‘Park and Stride’ locations (such as a local car park) are promoted for use by parents/carers. Where no formal ‘Park and Stride’ location is possible, we ask that families who need to drive park a little further away from the school and walk, scoot or cycle the last 5 or 10 minutes. Even a walk of a few extra minutes helps to keep children active and can improve their mental wellbeing and readiness to learn.
Won’t parking problems just be moved elsewhere?
School-related parking will likely be dispersed over a wider area rather than concentrated outside the school gates. The introduction of the school street may also encourage some parents/carers to travel actively to school rather than drive. However, some amount of parking is likely to be displaced onto nearby roads. For this reason, the impact on key surrounding streets is monitored regularly throughout school street trials and we engage with residents of surrounding streets through the course of a trial.
How will residents receive courier deliveries?
Residents’ couriered deliveries will not be permitted vehicle access during school street times. School streets operate for up to 2 hours (or fewer) per day and on weekdays during term time only, which amounts to just over half of the days in a calendar year. Residents are encouraged to schedule deliveries outside of school street hours when possible. When this is not possible, delivery drivers may park nearby and walk to their destination, or deliveries may have to be rescheduled.
If you have any other questions, please email us at begreen@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk.