Another School Street will be made permanent, creating safer and healthier journeys to school for children at Highgate Junior for years to come.
Last night (7 November), councillors gave the green light to retain the Streets for People initiative after a successful trial had transformed the start and end of the school day.
Evidence presented to Cabinet showed a 75 per cent reduction in traffic during the trial, as well as a 164 per cent increase in cycling within the School Street and lower traffic speeds.
School Streets encourage more children to travel to and from school on foot, bike or scooter in a safe, fun and active way, cutting air pollution and creating a more pleasant environment at the school gates.
Cllr Mike Hakata, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport said:
We want Haringey to be a fairer and greener borough and School Streets are essential if we’re going to get there.
The evidence is clear that children benefit from being able to walk, cycle or wheel to school in cleaner air and safer streets.
I’m delighted we’re making another Streets for People scheme permanent and another community will have the opportunity for healthier and active lives.
Haringey has one of the fastest growing School Streets programmes with more than 11,000 children at 28 schools already benefitting from 24 zones spanning 6km during drop-off and pick-up times.
The council aims to almost treble the number of School Streets to 61 by 2026, transforming journeys and improving air quality at the school gates for up to 36,000 children.
Evidence shows a 42 per cent reduction in traffic across existing School Streets in the borough, as well as vehicle emissions (NOx) down by 26 per cent.
Only people walking, cycling and wheeling, and those with vehicle exemption permits, are eligible to enter the zone while the School Street is in operation.
In making the School Street permanent the council considered feedback from residents and the school, alongside traffic monitoring.
It follows the decision by Cabinet in October to introduce School Streets at Noel Park Primary and St Paul’s Catholic Primary following an extensive listening and engagement exercise.
For more information on the School Streets programme go to: www.haringey.gov.uk/school-streets
