The streets around a school entrance become a pedestrian and cycle zone for a short period before and after schools, around the school pick up/drop off period.
There is signage to tell drivers of the restrictions. Residents and blue badge holders can apply for permits to be allowed to drive down the School Street.
School Streets will be during term time only and will not run into school holidays or weekends.
A School Street is a road or street outside a school which is opened up to walking, wheeling, scooting, and cycling during school drop off and pick-up times.
Closing the road to traffic during school pick-up and drop-off times creates a mostly car free area, creating a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone around the school.
The scheme encourages travelling to school by walking, wheeling, scooting, and cycling.
Vehicles will not be allowed to enter or leave the School Street when it is in operation (during school drop-off and pick up times) unless exempt.
Exemptions within the legal order could include – (no exemption permit required):
- police, ambulance of fire & rescue purposes;
- refuse collection, Post Office or other public utilities’ purposes;
- use by a doctor, nurse or other recognised health visitor on call.
Exemptions requiring an exemption permit could include;
- Residents who live on the street
- School Staff
- Blue badge holders residing at properties within the restricted roads, or carers with disabled pupils
- Taxi / private transport providers taking / pick up Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities (SEND) directly to/ from the school
People who are exempt should drive as slowly and carefully as possible during the hours of operation of the School Street.
All residents will have received a letter from the Council about exemption permits and we will have worked closely with the those affected by the roll out.
Operating times for each school may differ depending on the start and finish times of each school. The operational hours of the School Street will be on the road signs which will be at the entrance of the School Street.
School Streets reduce the build-up of traffic outside school gates for local residents and those using the school and creates a safer, healthier, and happier environment for children, families and people in the community.
There are many School Streets across the country, and where they are in place, more children walk, cycle and scoot to school, air quality has improved and there is less traffic congestion.
All these things can be achieved in Sefton too.
We are actively encouraging pupils to walk, cycle, scoot, or take public transport to and from school as part of a healthy lifestyle.
If you have limited options to do this, we would recommend parking at least 5 minutes away from school to allow your young person to walk for part of their journey.
Park and Stride initiatives are being looked at across Sefton, with one in place in Bootle. This provides an option to park at Bootle Leisure Centre for free during school pick up and drop off times and walk to school.
Please be considerate of residents and be aware of existing parking restrictions when dropping off and picking up.
The School Street is only in operation during term time and school pick up and drop off times.
A School Street starts as a pilot that is delivered through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO).
The legal order will last for a maximum of 18 months. The formal objection period is 6 months from the implementation of the legal order. All formal objections will be responded to via the appropriate Council Committee after the objection period (6 months) has passed.
We produce a monitoring and evaluation report which will help evaluate the level of success of the scheme and decide whether to make the Traffic Regulation order permanent. The report will include:
- Air Quality Data
- All Traffic Data
- Parking and Observational Surveys
- Perception surveys
The project is being funded by the Combined Authority Local Transport Plan Capital Programme and Department for Transport Active Travel Fund Tranche 2. Sefton Council are always seeking further funding opportunities to increase our school street work.