School Road Closure Planned to Promote Active Forms of Travel
The Vale of Glamorgan Council will be piloting a road closure near a school in Penarth next month in an effort to promote active forms of travel.
Launching at Fairfield Primary School in Penarth, the School Street initiative aims to create a safer environment where walking and cycling are the obvious choice for pupils and parents.
The Council was awarded funding through the Welsh Government Safe Routes in Communities (SRiC) fund to create an active community-led street design project.
From May 9, Fairfield Primary will be implementing a one-way system and timed road closure on Dryden Road, Penarth.
Set to be in place for the next 18 months, this is the first school timed street closure in the Vale, which is focused on providing a traffic-free, safe environment for pupils to access and exit school premises.
With the exception of residents, school staff and emergency services vehicles, motorised vehicles will not be able to access the street at set times of the day, when pupils are arriving or leaving school.
The aim of the scheme is to encourage and facilitate active travel to and from school, giving parents and pupils the option to choose alternative methods of travel, such as walking or cycling.
In addition to promoting active travel, closing streets around schools to traffic at drop-off and pick up times can help lower congestion and improve air quality, contributing to the Council’s Project Zero initiative to become carbon neutral by 2030.
Cllr Mark Wilson, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood and Building Services, said: “Both the Council and Fairfield Primary are excited to bring the first School Street to the Vale.
“Following an overwhelmingly positive response from parents, pupils, and residents of Dryden Road, we look forward to providing young children with a safe route to school.
“We also hope that actively encouraging the younger generation to walk or cycle to school will raise environmental awareness and help them make greener choices in the future.
“This is part of the Council’s commitment to help tackle climate change as we look to hit our Project Zero target of becoming carbon neutral in seven years’ time.
“If Dryden Road proves to be a success, we hope to be able to roll-out similar schemes at other schools across the Vale.”