School Streets: guidance for local authorities

This guidance is aimed at local authorities in Wales, particularly authorities with limited experience of delivering School Streets schemes.

It may also be of interest to school staff and governors.

The guidance provides an overview of what School Streets are, the key steps and factors to consider when developing and implementing schemes and how School Streets fit within the wider context of enabling walking, wheeling and cycling to school.

It is not meant to be an exhaustive guide but provides links to more detailed information and support.

Throughout the guidance there are references to “walking and wheeling” where “wheeling” refers to journeys by kick scooters, (non-motorised) wheelchairs and mobility scooters.

Across Wales, around 51% of all primary school children and 30% of secondary school children are driven to school by car or van (source: National Survey for Wales).

The motorised school run leads to congestion, pollution and road safety issues around schools and on the wider road network. Greater levels of active travel to and from school could help to address these issues at the same time as improving the mental and physical health of pupils and their parents/carers. 

In 2021, the Welsh Government set out ambitious plans to boost levels of active travel in Llwybr Newydd: the Wales transport strategy. This included a vision for 45% of all journeys to be made on public transport or by active travel by 2040. This represents an increase of 13 percentage points on the estimated current mode share of 32%. 

The Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 puts in place 7 well-being goals, including working towards a healthier Wales. School Streets help enable active travel to school, maximising children’s physical and mental well-being. 

In Wales’ Programme for Government there is a commitment to work with schools to promote active travel and road safety. Increasing the number of School Street schemes is one of a range of measures which can help to increase levels of both active travel and safety on our roads.

The default 20mph speed limit in residential areas and in the vicinity of schools will also support more people to walk, wheel and cycle in the wider areas around School Street projects by reducing the danger of speeding vehicles.

The Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Act 2024 places a duty on local authorities to promote active travel as a way of reducing or limiting air pollution in their areas. School Streets schemes can support local authorities’ ambitions of improving air quality outside schools. 

Throughout this guidance, we define a School Street as:

a road outside a school with a restriction on motorised traffic at the start and end of the school day.

School Street schemes may cover part of a road, a whole road or even several roads near a school. Restrictions on motor vehicles operate every weekday throughout the school year (they are not one-off road closure events). Motor vehicles are not permitted to enter the School Street during its hours of operation at drop off and pick up times unless they have been granted an exemption. Exemptions generally include (but are not limited to) vehicles belonging to residents, blue badge holders and the emergency services.

School Streets began in Bolzano, Italy, in the late 1980s.

They were first introduced in the UK by East Lothian Council in 2014 and by City of Edinburgh Council in 2015.

In Wales, early examples of School Streets were delivered in Cardiff and Caerphilly. Many other Welsh local authorities have now trialled the implementation of School Streets schemes. 

There are other approaches to creating School Streets, such as permanent point closures, however these fall outside the scope of this introductory guidance. Planning for new schools and school extensions should also consider from the start how the public realm around the school will enable safe active travel. This too is beyond the scope of this guidance. 

Active Travel Act Guidance provides useful information on considerations for new developments.

School Streets can improve the experiences of pupils, staff, visitors, and neighbours alike at peak arrival and departure times. Schemes can support the delivery of a range of benefits at the individual, school, neighbourhood and broader local authority level, including:

• reduced congestion and improved air quality outside schools
• reduced road danger from traffic and improve the perception of safety outside the school
• increased levels of walking, wheeling and cycling to school and reduced number of children being driven to school
• enhanced opportunities for social interaction and play
• improved physical and mental health amongst pupils
• reduced conflict with neighbours due to antisocial or nuisance parking by parents/guardians
• developing early active travel habits which can be carried into later life

Implementing School Streets can also help local authorities to fulfil their statutory duty to promote the use of active and sustainable modes of travel to school as set out in the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 and associated guidance.

A review of School Streets carried out by Edinburgh Napier University for the Road Safety Trust found that in nearly all cases where School Streets had been implemented: 

• the total number of motor vehicles across School Streets and neighbouring streets reduced during the hours of operation
• active travel to school increased
• schemes were supported by most parents of school pupils as well as residents living on the School Street and neighbouring streets
• traffic displacement from the School Streets to neighbouring streets did not cause road safety issues of any significance

The results from Hackney’s initial trial of School Streets (as reported in its School Streets toolkit) included a 51% increase in cycling to school, a 30% increase in walking and a 74% reduction in tailpipe emissions. 

Research for Mums for Lungs and Possible carried out by the University of Westminster’s Active Travel Academy and Transport for Quality of Life found that School Streets can reduce air pollution and traffic danger outside the school gate. 

School Streets can become the subject of unfounded myths if efforts are not made to explain to stakeholders how a scheme will operate, particularly how undesirable impacts will be reduced or avoided entirely. 

Authorities should address these issues with stakeholders early on to prevent any misconceptions from gaining widespread credibility and affecting levels of support for a scheme. 

Myth 1: School Streets delay the response of emergency services

Reality: Emergency service vehicles are exempt from School Street restrictions so can access locations within a School Street zone and use roads in the zone to travel to emergencies at other locations.

Myth 2: School Streets disadvantage Blue Badge holders

Reality: A Blue Badge holder who requires access to a School Street zone during operational hours can apply for a permit that exempts their vehicle from traffic restrictions.

Myth 3: School Streets prevent teachers and other school staff from getting to their place of work

Reality: Traffic restrictions are in force for short periods that coincide with pupil drop off and pick up times. In many cases, teachers/other school staff who rely on a car will arrive before the restrictions come into force and will not be negatively affected by the scheme. Vehicles already parked within a School Street before the restrictions apply can leave at any time.

Myth 4: It is impossible to make deliveries to addresses inside a School Street zone

Reality: It is worth noting that congestion outside of many schools already hinders easy deliveries. School Street schemes restrict motorised traffic for limited periods of time: most operate for 2 hours (or less) in a 24-hour period and during term-time only (just over 50% of days in a calendar year). As a result, only a proportion of all deliveries will be affected, and it may be possible to reschedule some of these so that they are made outside a scheme’s hours of operation. For deliveries that cannot be rescheduled, authorities can minimise the impact of a School Street by keeping the zone small so that delivery drivers can park nearby and walk goods a short distance to their destination. If this is not feasible, authorities can also consider applications for a permit exempting delivery vehicles from the restrictions.

Myth 5: School Streets are only suitable for high density areas where pupils live within walking and wheeling distance of the school

Reality: School Street schemes can also work for lower density areas and schools with larger catchment areas, if complementary measures are delivered to support cycling and multi-modal journeys that combine public transport or car/van trips with walking and wheeling (for example, by introducing measures such as 'park and stride' sites).

Myth 6: School Streets force people to stop driving which is discriminatory to parents who need to drive

Reality: Authorities can minimise the impact of a School Street by keeping the zone small so parents that must drive are likely only impacted by a slightly longer walk to the school gates. Authorities may wish to introduce complimentary measures such as 'park and stride' sites or operate an exemption policy for parents that must drive due to, for example, a disability.

Local authorities should develop a clear process for identifying potential sites for the introduction of a School Street and for assessing the feasibility of proposals before undertaking detailed design work.

The proposal to introduce a School Street may arise from several sources. An authority may wish to invite applications from schools, community groups or the wider public. Authorities may also identify potential sites based on their own evidence of issues with congestion, road safety and air quality around schools. It is important to gain support from the school’s headteacher and governors at an early stage.

Local authorities can apply for funding to support the development and implementation of School Streets schemes through the Safe Routes in Communities grant.

An initial feasibility assessment of proposed sites should be carried out before undertaking scheme development work to ensure that effort is not wasted on proposals that are unlikely to succeed.

A simple assessment matrix can be used to score potential School Streets against key selection criteria. Where multiple proposals are under consideration, the results of these assessments can be used to help prioritise available resources and phase implementation of School Streets.

Please email activetravel@gov.wales for examples of criteria utilised by Welsh local authorities. 

See Other ways to support school travel for additional interventions which can be implemented to support a School Street, or where a School Street is not feasible. 

Individual authorities are best placed to determine the appropriate selection criteria for their area and any associated scoring and weighting mechanisms. However, some suggestions are given below that can be adapted to reflect local priorities. Where authorities invite applications for School Streets, it is helpful to make the criteria publicly available and to ask those proposing schemes to provide supporting information to help with the assessment.

In a study undertaken on behalf of Carmarthenshire County Council in 2022, an initial assessment ruled out only 39 of 95 primary schools as they were situated on trunk or main roads, leaving 56 schools as potentially suitable and to be assessed further.

Traffic and the highway environment

1. Is the school on a major road or a frequently used bus route?
2. Does the road have facilities that require constant essential motor vehicle access (such as a hospital)?
3. Are there alternative routes for through traffic? (These alternative routes may be maintained by another highway authority who should be consulted.)
4. Are there businesses that require a high volume and frequency of vehicles accessing their premises, during the School Streets operational hours?

A School Street is unlikely to be feasible where the answer is ‘yes’ to the first or second question or ‘no’ to the third. Consideration would need to be given to business needs where the answer is ‘yes’ to the fourth question. 

There may be exceptions to this rule of thumb where an authority implements a much broader area-wide restriction of traffic and/or is prepared to install camera-enforced bus gates to enable buses to operate on their normal route with minimal disruption.

Evidence of traffic-related problems near the school

What evidence exists to show that the site experiences problems caused by motorised traffic, how significant are these problems and could they be addressed (at least in part) by the introduction of traffic restrictions?

Factors that an authority may wish to consider include:

• air quality: are there high levels of pollution outside the school? Is the school in an Air Quality Management Area?
• road safety: Is there any evidence to indicate a widespread perception that traffic poses a particular danger and acts as a deterrent to walking, wheeling and cycling to school? Does collision and casualty data indicate a problem that a School Street could help to address?
• antisocial or nuisance parking by parents/guardians: is this a particular problem at the site and does it have a significant impact on residents and other road users? What other attempts have been made to address this?

Level of community support

• Is the school headteacher supportive and are staff and parents able to help with development and implementation?
• Are residents and businesses willing (overall) to collaborate in the development of a workable scheme?

When assessing community support, authorities should consider public opinion and consult on active travel schemes as set out in chapters 5 and 8 of the Active Travel Guidance and our advice on stakeholder engagement.

Most people do not feel strongly about walking, wheeling and cycling schemes. Those who do express a preference tend to support rather than oppose schemes, on average by a ratio of more than 2:1.

In general, only a small minority express strong opposition for a scheme and this tends to diminish following implementation. School Street schemes are generally more supported than other active travel schemes due to the benefit to children. 

Authorities should not expect universal support for schemes and should not allow any one group to exercise a veto over them. Public consultation processes should be designed to gather a representative picture of views, including from the less vocal.

Active travel: commitment and potential

A School Street is more likely to deliver desired outcomes where a school demonstrates a clear commitment to encouraging active travel and where there is potential for existing car/van trips to shift to active modes.

When assessing possible sites for a School Street, authorities may therefore wish to consider:

• whether the school has an up-to-date School Travel Plan
• what activities the school has undertaken to encourage and enable active travel to school and what impact these have had
• whether there has been and continues to be support from the school to deliver child pedestrian and cycle training for pupils
• available data on the current mode share for travel to school by car/van, public transport and active modes and on the proportion of pupils living close enough to the school to walk, wheel or cycle
• whether the school has the capacity and is willing to administer its own staff and visitor permits

School Streets schemes can be relatively low cost, high impact interventions. However, the cost can vary significantly between schemes depending on factors such as the size and layout of the School Street, whether cameras will be used to enforce the traffic restrictions and whether complementary measures to support active travel are delivered alongside the restrictions.

The budget for any School Streets scheme will need to include provision for the following items and activities:

• engineering/design: design and installation
• legal: processing and advertising Traffic Regulation Order (TRO)
• consultation and publicity materials: design, print and delivery
• monitoring and evaluation: before and after implementation
• staff costs: value of staff time spent on scheme development and implementation
• enforcement: provision and operation of CCTV cameras (if applicable)

Hackney’s School Streets toolkit provides an example of these costs for an individual School Street with 2 entrances and restrictions enforced by cameras. 

In addition to these generic School Street costs, the site-specific funding requirements of a particular scheme will become clearer during scheme design. For example, a particular School Street might also require investment in measures to improve accessibility such as wider footways, higher quality surfaces and the provision of dropped kerbs.

Engaging a diverse range of stakeholders is key to developing an effective and well-supported School Streets scheme. Efforts should be made to actively engage stakeholders throughout the development and implementation phases of a scheme. 

The local authority officer leading on a School Street scheme (or programme) will play a key role in this, acting as the bridge between internal local authority stakeholders and external stakeholders from a school and its wider local community. 

Internal stakeholders

Within the local authority and its broader delivery chain, the officer leading on a School Street will need to establish effective working relationships with the following stakeholders (among others) listed with their roles: 

Elected members

Provide a mandate for the programme, offer support and challenge

School Travel and Road Safety Officers

School engagement, promotion

Highways Officers

Emergency and alternative route information

Education Officers

Strategic/policy support and integration

Traffic Engineers

Design and installation

Traffic Orders team

Implement TRO

Public Health team

Strategic/policy support and integration

Environmental Health team

Air quality management

Sustainability/Climate Change team

Strategic/policy support and integration

Urban design/landscape architect

Design and installation support

Tree officers

Design and installation support

Access and equalities officer

Advise on compliance with the authority’s Public Sector Equality Duty 

School transport providers

Co-design workable arrangements for home to school transport

Communication officers

Consultation and engagement support

Parking team including Civil Enforcement Officers

Enforcement and Penalty Charge Notices

Gritting, refuse and cleansing teams

Agree workable arrangements

Play development teams

Support for Play Street initiatives

External stakeholders

It is vitally important to develop a close and ongoing relationship with schools that are selected for the delivery of a School Street and with their wider local communities including residents and businesses, local interest groups and the police.

High quality external engagement can lead to more effective and well-supported School Streets schemes by:

• ensuring the scheme’s objectives and its practical implications are widely understood by those most impacted by it
• identifying potential problems with a scheme at an early stage and facilitating the co-development of solutions before implementation
• providing a clear understanding of school travel patterns and any specific barriers or challenges to increasing active travel as well as flagging up previous or ongoing initiatives that the School Street can build upon

To support external engagement, it may be helpful to establish a working group of school and local community stakeholders. Such a group should include the school headteacher, designated governor/trustee, school travel plan lead and representatives of the following stakeholder groups:

• school staff
• pupils
• parents/carers
• residents
• local businesses (if applicable)
• local Police Community Support Officers (PCSO)

Wider engagement with local residents can be undertaken through surveys and events. This will enable a broad range of feedback to be obtained on the scheme before and during delivery.

Online platforms are a popular and efficient way to gather feedback, which can be complemented by alternative formats such as paper forms, email and telephone. 

Events provide an opportunity for constructive dialogue and co-design with local stakeholders and could include site visits and workshops.

Face to face conversations with affected businesses may help to alleviate any concerns and gain understanding and support. Targeted and tailored communication approaches may be required to ensure that engagement is accessible to all.

Read more about communicating with local stakeholders.

In addition to ongoing engagement, an authority will also need to conduct formal consultation on the scheme – see the section on Traffic Regulation Orders.

Once a school has been selected for the introduction of a School Street, an authority can develop a preliminary design of the scheme layout. 

Schemes can cover a whole street, part of a street or even several streets immediately outside a school. There is no ‘one size fits all’ solution: the unique circumstances of each site need to be carefully considered. The aim should be to develop a scheme layout that maximises the effectiveness of a School Street in delivering its objectives whilst minimising undesirable impacts.

Key factors to consider when determining the appropriate layout for a School Street include:

• how many school entrances are in use and where they are located
• the impact of disrupting access to residential properties, businesses and other trip generators such as doctors’ surgeries
• how many residents will be exempted from the prohibition on entering the School Street during operational hours
• whether alternative routes are available for through traffic diverting around the School Street and the impact of such traffic displacement
• the displacement of school-related traffic and parking to streets on the periphery of the School Street

A small School Street zone, such as a short section of street immediately outside a school entrance, might appear to have fewer negative impacts but may also fail to increase active travel because traffic volumes remain high on most of the journey to and from school. This does not mean that more extensive School Street zones are always better.

In a high-density area, if a School Street zone is too broad the number of vehicles qualifying for an exemption from restrictions may mean that traffic levels do not reduce sufficiently to give parents confidence in children walking, wheeling and cycling to school.

In some cases, it may be helpful to organise an event involving a road closure to test an emerging approach, seeking feedback from the school and local community and collecting evidence to inform decisions on the preferred layout.

As it develops the scheme layout, an authority should consider the potential for introducing measures that mitigate the negative impacts of traffic restrictions. For example, some authorities have addressed the issue of parking displacement by establishing ‘park and stride’ sites within a walkable distance of the school gate.

While traffic restrictions are the principal means by which School Streets deliver increased active travel and other objectives, all timed schemes will need to provide limited exemptions for residents’ vehicles and other essential traffic.

Local authorities will need to determine what exemptions should apply to a particular School Street scheme, balancing the need for essential motor vehicle access against the reduction in a scheme’s effectiveness if levels of traffic remain high. 

School Streets schemes typically provide exemptions for: 

• vehicles registered to an address within the area covered by the School Street (both residents and businesses)
• emergency services vehicles and utility providers on emergency callouts
• Blue Badge holders who have reason to access the school site
• carers for vulnerable residents that require access and can provide suitable evidence
• school transport
• parents/carers of pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN) that require a car to access school
• vehicles already parked within the School Street that need to exit

Authorities may also consider providing exemptions for other groups such as delivery drivers, tradespeople and local authority waste collection vehicles (where rescheduling or rerouting has not been possible). However, exemptions are not normally provided for school staff and parents/carers (unless they are already covered by another exemption such as being a Blue Badge holder).

It is essential to give people sufficient notice of the introduction of a School Street to enable them to apply for an exemption and for applications to be processed by the authority. The application process itself will need to be clear and accessible.

Cardiff City Council provides an example of how the exemption process could be managed.

Vehicles exempted from traffic restrictions will either need to display a physical permit or be granted a virtual permit (with details recorded on an authorised vehicle list). The proposed enforcement method for a School Street will influence what type of permit is used, with CCTV enforcement providing an opportunity to dispense with physical permits. 

Read more about enforcement.

Throughout the development and implementation of School Streets, local authorities must comply with their obligations under the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) (Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). 

The PSED requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities. In Wales, certain public bodies are subject to specific duties found in the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 also known as the Welsh specific equality duties. Further information: Public Sector Equality Duty.

Authorities should consider how the proposed School Streets scheme(s) will impact individuals with the 9 protected characteristics of:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership
• pregnancy and maternity
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

Authorities must produce an Equality Impact Assessment to provide evidence that they have thoroughly considered potential impacts and taken action to avoid or mitigate negative impacts on people with protected characteristics (for example, by providing exemptions to Blue Badge holders and carers).

A School Street is created using standard vehicle access restrictions. Most School Street schemes impose restrictions for short windows (commonly an hour) coinciding with school drop-off and pick-up times on weekdays during term times.

A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will need to be made to give effect to the restriction and allow effective enforcement. 

There are 3 main types of TRO, which may be relevant for School Street schemes:

Permanent (PTRO)

This process includes prior consultation on the proposed scheme, the publication of notices regarding the proposals, a 21-day notice period for statutory consultees and others to log objections; there can be a public inquiry in some circumstances.

Experimental (ETRO)

These are used to trial schemes that may then be made permanent. Authorities must put in place monitoring arrangements and carry out ongoing consultation once the measure is put in place to help decide if the scheme should be made permanent.

Although the initial implementation period can be quick, residents and businesses should still be given an opportunity to comment on proposed changes and the need for extra monitoring and consultation afterwards can add to costs.

Schemes made using experimental orders will be subject to an ongoing objection period for 6 months once in place This allows a trial scheme to be adjusted in the light of experience and feedback, which can lead to a more suitable scheme overall.

Temporary (TTRO)

These can be made for the reasons set out in section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and, in general, can be in place for up to 18 months. There is a 7-day notice period before making the TRO and a 14-day notification requirement after it is made, plus other publicity/notice requirements.

It is also recommended that authorities consult residents and businesses at the design stage to ensure schemes will not have unintended consequences.

For School Streets, permanent or experimental TROs are likely to be the most appropriate.

The Local Authorities' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (England and Wales) Regulations 1996 set out the procedure for permanent and experimental orders.

The Road Traffic (Temporary Restrictions) Procedure Regulations 1992 set out the procedure for temporary orders.

When preparing the TRO, it may be helpful to consult the British Parking Association’s best practice guide on Traffic Regulation Orders.

All traffic signs used in conjunction with School Streets must be as prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 or as specially authorised by Welsh Government.

Bilingual/Welsh language versions of traffic signs can be found on Traffic signs and road markings.

School Streets are signed using the prescribed ‘no motor vehicle’ (diagram 619) or ‘pedestrian and cycle zone’ (diagram 618.3C) traffic signs, available at Traffic signs: regulatory signs (schedule 2).

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Where a ‘pedestrian and cycle zone’ sign is used at the entrance to the School Street, installing a ‘pedestrian and cycle zone ends’ sign (diagram 618.4B) at the end of the zone can be helpful to road users.

As School Streets usually operate only in term-time, flap-type signs are recommended that can be folded to show a blank face during school holidays. Arrangements will need to be made for carrying this out, including access and keyholding.

Cardiff City Council has made use of electronic ‘flashing’ signs and notes. They make the restrictions clear and highly visible, as well as negating the need for officer time in attending sites to ‘flip’ the static signs during school holidays when the restrictions are not active.

General advice on sign design and placement is given in Chapter 3 of the Traffic Signs Manual. The Appendix C: Wales Variations is due to be updated following implementation of the default 20mph speed limit. Once reviewed this will be available on the Welsh Government website. 

There are no specific requirements for pedestrian and cycle zone signs used for School Streets, but the general requirement to ensure drivers can see signs in time to be aware of an upcoming restriction and act on it should be borne in mind.

Local publicity in advance of the scheme going live will help drivers familiarise themselves with the new restriction. It may be suitable to sign a diversion route for through traffic, especially if it is desirable to keep rat-running to a minimum.

Enforcement of School Street restrictions can be carried out by local authorities where they have taken on the powers to do so under Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004.

Information on applying for Part 6 powers is available in the guidance to local authorities.

It is recommended that local authorities allow for a minimum of 6 months for the process to apply for these powers. The powers allow local authorities to issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) to any non-exempt motor vehicles entering the School Street during its hours of operation.

The police retain powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for contraventions of School Street restrictions even if the local authority has taken on the Part 6 powers. If the police and the local authority initiate enforcement for the same contravention, police action would take precedence.

Automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras can be used to enforce School Streets by issuing PCNs remotely to registered keepers of non-exempt motor vehicles.

Cameras can be fixed or in a mobile unit.

Mobile cameras can be a more cost-effective option, as they can be moved between sites, allowing spot checks across multiple School Streets and other locations. 

If CCTV enforcement is used, authorities should consider alerting drivers to this by installing the advisory sign prescribed by the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016 for areas in which enforcement cameras are in use (diagram 878).

In line with the statutory guidance on enforcing moving traffic offences, authorities should issue warning notices for first-time contraventions.

Where the local authority has not taken on enforcement powers, the enforcement of School Street restrictions remains a police responsibility. 

Given the competing pressures on police resources, it is important to engage with the police at an early stage in the development of plans for a School Street to understand what support and enforcement they will be able to provide. 

Use of barriers

Some School Streets have been implemented using portable barriers and volunteer stewards. This approach needs careful thought and is unlikely to be an appropriate solution.

Maintaining a stewarded and barriered School Street has significant resource implications which may risk the long-term viability of a scheme; some authorities are moving away from this approach as ‘volunteer fatigue’ results in fewer willing stewards coming forward over time. Volunteer harassment has unfortunately been a problem in some areas as well, which may also contribute to a reluctance to get involved. Volunteer stewards do not have the legal power to stop traffic but must rely on the signs and barriers.

A physical barrier creates a road closure, which is different to an access restriction. Barriers cannot be used to give effect to a TRO for ‘no motor vehicle’ access restrictions, as these are different and must be signed as shown above.

‘No motor vehicle’ signing should not be used in conjunction with barriers, as this creates a conflict between the vehicle access restriction and the road closure which will make enforcement difficult. 

A road closure requires a TRO, in the same way an access restriction does. Closures are usually put in place for road works or special events with temporary TROs. A temporary TRO can only be made for specific reasons and is unlikely to be suitable for a permanent, part-time restriction for School Streets. 

Exceptions from a closure cannot be provided as comprehensively as with an access restriction; as well as the physical barrier making it harder for permit holders to access the road, there is no equivalent of the sign plate showing ‘except permit holders’ or similar. 

Requiring volunteers to open the barrier to allow permit holders through is not appropriate as it puts an onus on them to determine if the driver is a genuine permit holder and opens them up to possible harassment and abuse, and potential road safety risks. 

Road closure signs and barriers are not enforceable by local authorities as they are not included within Part 6 of the Traffic Management Act 2004, meaning engagement with the police will be needed at an early stage of scheme development.

If used, barriers must incorporate the sign shown in Diagram 7105 and prescribed in the Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016.

Barrier designs used for roadworks and other temporary situations will incorporate this. White-on-red temporary signs should also be provided stating the details of the closure.

Barriers and stewards may be effective for a short-term trial or events such as Walk to School Week but signed access restrictions and camera enforcement are more likely to be successful for permanent schemes.

Before implementing a School Street, authorities should conduct a site-specific assessment of the road safety risks to all users under the proposed arrangements and put in place appropriate mitigation measures.

For example, lower levels of motorised traffic could lead some children and their parents/carers to become less vigilant when using a School Street. Interventions (such as road safety education sessions to pupils, staff and parents and carers) should be put in place before commencement to ensure users remain aware that exempt motor vehicles will still be allowed to use the road.

Authorities should follow their own established risk policies and processes when developing risk management plans for School Streets. These plans are most likely to be effective when developed in close collaboration with the school’s leadership team. 

You may decide to have stewards to help run your School Street, especially for a period immediately following implementation. These people do not have legal powers to stop traffic and should be well briefed and trained on how to safely undertake their role. There is no requirement for stewards to undertake specific training on delivering School Streets but authorities should consider providing such training opportunities. 

Active travel organisations can provide useful information and advice. Sustrans and Playing Out have developed a short film on how to steward a School Street or Play Street. Issues such as insurance, and appropriate PPE should be part of local authority risk policies and processes.

Direct, tailored, advance communication with all residents and businesses within and just outside the School Street is important so that they know what to expect and how the scheme will impact them. Authorities should consider providing materials in different formats and languages that reflect the make-up of the local community. Details of School Streets should be easily accessible online, providing information on the streets affected by the scheme.

It is also important to communicate with people who may be driving through the area. This can be done using a range of materials such as school gate banners and lamp post wraps as well as making use of various communications channels including social media and local news outlets. Developing a School Streets logo and a distinctive brand will help to build recognition and understanding. Any promotional material placed on or near streets should not include or resemble traffic signing.

Transport for Wales' active travel promotional toolkit includes a walking, wheeling and cycling to school guide which will include key messaging around School Streets.

Hackney’s School Streets toolkit provides a range of publicity materials that can be freely adapted for other authorities’ School Street schemes.

Authorities and schools may wish to hold a street party or games morning in a School Street’s first week of operation to start it off in a positive and celebratory way. This will require closing the road to motor traffic so the appropriate TRO (such as a temporary TRO for special events) barriers and traffic signs will need to be in place. Stewards should be present as well. Access will need to be maintained for emergency services vehicles and Blue Badge holders. 

It is also worth considering opportunities to co-ordinate the timing of a School Street launch with relevant community events or national observance weeks such as Cycle to School Week, Walk to School Week or Road Safety Week.

It is essential for the authority and school to agree clear roles and responsibilities for the ongoing operation of a School Street scheme, which will vary depending on how the scheme is implemented. 

Several authorities have found it helpful to develop a Memorandum of Understanding with a school, setting out responsibilities for:

• promoting the School Street scheme
• delivering complementary interventions to support sustainable school travel
• managing the permit regime for exempted vehicles
• maintaining signs and providing marshals (where applicable)
• monitoring and evaluating the impacts of the scheme
• reviewing and amending the scheme

It is essential to monitor and evaluate School Street schemes to determine whether they are working as intended. Arrangements for monitoring and evaluation need to be considered at an early stage of scheme development to inform the collection of baseline data before introducing the scheme.

To provide clear evidence of the impact of the School Street scheme, care should be taken to minimise variations in the pre- and post-implementation monitoring regime by controlling as many variables as possible. This includes, for example, using the same data collection methods and collecting data at similar times of day and seasons of the year.

The objectives of the scheme determine what monitoring data should be collected.

Once an authority has analysed the monitoring data, it should share the key findings with stakeholders, local networks and the media.

For School Streets, monitoring is likely to focus on measuring changes to:

This data can be obtained through a simple mode of travel survey which a school may already collect. If not, a ‘hands up’ survey of pupils (and ideally staff too) can be carried out to ask about the usual mode of travel to school. If postcode data is obtained as well, it is possible to identify the degree to which pupils living within walking, wheeling or cycling distance are still being driven to school and also to include other geographically located data in evaluation.

Monitoring traffic on School Streets and surrounding streets is important for understanding the impact of any traffic or parking displacement, especially where residents have raised concerns about such impacts. Automatic traffic counters and/or video surveys are both useful methods of capturing this data.

The Local Air Quality Management process requires local authorities to regularly review and assess air quality in their areas. The time-limited and small-scale nature of School Streets schemes can make it difficult to identify the precise impact of a scheme on air quality but general trends can be discerned, particularly where data is collected over a period of time before and after introduction of a School Street.

Other sources of information to help evaluate the impact of a School Street (as well as to inform potential changes to the scheme) include:

• interviews and questionnaires with stakeholders, including pupils and teachers. These can provide insight into how a scheme has affected travel habits and parental perceptions of road safety as well as being used to find out whether people want the scheme to be made permanent.
• analysis of driver compliance with traffic restrictions and whether any patterns emerge from this data
• analysis of comments received on the scheme
• analysis of other data to assess wider impacts, such as childhood obesity, physical activity and mental health
• photographs: before and after pictures can be incredibly powerful in showing the impact of a School Street.

A School Street is not always the best or only solution for improving school travel. There are many other interventions that can help encourage safer, more sustainable journeys to and from school. These can be used before, alongside, or instead of a School Street.

Taking steps to promote active and sustainable travel can help shift travel habits and build support for change. If a School Street is later introduced, these efforts will make it more likely to succeed. But even if a School Street is not pursued, other measures can still make a significant difference.

Schools should consider a range of options to improve school travel and monitor their impact. Below are some examples of interventions that can help create a safer and healthier school environment.
 

Before considering a School Street, schools should develop an Active Travel School Plan (ATSP).

An ATSP contains evidence about school travel patterns and identifies actions to enable safer and more sustainable travel.

Schools lead this work, but the best plans will involve the wider school community.

Plans should be reviewed and updated regularly, with evidence of changes in pupils' travel habits and the impact of any initiatives.

Sustrans has resources and templates to support schools to develop ATSPs.

Initiatives that aim to provide pupils and their parents/carers with the information, skills and confidence they need travel actively include:

• identifying and mapping safe walking, wheeling and cycling routes to school
• producing walking, wheeling and cycling zone maps (these depict the area within a 5-10 minute walk, wheel or cycle of the school gate and address the common tendency to overestimate walking and wheeling times and distances)
• teaching pupils about the health and environmental benefits of sustainable travel
• providing pedestrian skills training for younger pupils
• giving pupils with Additional Learning Needs or disabilities access to Independent Travel Training
• offering cycle training and embedding this within learning activities
• introducing balancing, scooting and cycling games and activities as part of PE, breaktimes and other school activity

Ways to get the school community interested in and excited about active travel, and ultimately choosing to walk, wheel or cycle to school, include:

• taking part in organised challenge events such as Living Streets’ Walk to School Week and Sustrans’ Big Walk and Wheel
• establishing school clubs for scooting and cycling
• running a reward scheme for pupils who walk, wheel and cycle to school such as Living Streets’ WOW walk to school challenge and Sustrans' Active Travel School Award
• setting up a walking bus or a bike bus
• as part of community consultation, organise a Play Street outside the school to enable temporary street play. These are often resident-led but can also be school-led. Play sessions take place on streets outside the school when the teaching day ends, often running once a term, but can be more frequent. Organising a Play Street will enable engagement with residents and the wider community. It will also show parents and children what they can expect if the area becomes a School Street

Consideration should also be given to including pupils who live further away from school and are reliant on public transport or car as the main mode for their journey. 

Pupils using public transport can be encouraged to get off at an earlier stop and to walk the remainder of their journey. 

Similarly, some pupils who are reliant on a car might be encouraged to ‘park and stride’, parking away from the school and walking the remainder of the journey. In some areas, it may be possible to set up an official park and stride point a walkable distance from a school by gaining permission, for instance, from a local supermarket or village hall to use their car park for this purpose.

Physical improvements can be made to routes to school to make them safer and to ensure that they are fully accessible. Interventions could include improving the surface quality and width of footways, installing dropped kerbs, providing additional safe crossing points and introducing various traffic calming measures including lower speed limits and road narrowing.

Local authorities may also consider installing gateway features such as planters or modal filters. It may be possible to create a School Street purely by physical changes to the area outside the school that restrict vehicular access.

Mapping postcodes of pupils, mapping routes to school and conducting walking and wheeling ‘street audits’ of common routes can help to identify barriers to active travel and prioritise improvements. It is important to involve pupils in these audits and local authorities and active travel organisations can often provide guidance and support to schools.

In addition to physical improvements to the surrounding highway, consideration should be given to improving facilities on the school site. Providing sufficient levels of cycle parking and secure storage for scooters and buggies will ensure that pupils and parents/carers are not deterred from walking, wheeling and cycling by a lack of facilities at their destination.

Bikeability Trust

Aiming to activate a nation of cyclists by ensuring everyone has the confidence to enjoy the life skill, independence and fun of cycling. 

Hackney Play Streets

More than 50 streets have taken part in the Play Streets scheme in Hackney. Residents close off their streets to through traffic for a few hours weekly or monthly, so that children can play out more safely and neighbours come together – making streets friendlier for all.

Living Streets

Living Streets mission is to achieve a better walking environment and inspire people to walk more. It offers advice and resources on safer routes to schools.

School Streets Initiative

An independent website with links to a range of information and advice.

Sustrans

A charity working to make it easier for everyone to walk, wheel and cycle. Sustrans can organise, deliver and provide built environment design for a School Street scheme.

Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA)

RoSPA has compiled guidance to help schools and colleges understand the importance of managing health and safety in a proportional and planned way.

Play Wales

Advice for local authorities about closing streets to traffic so that children can play safely.

Play Wales also offers support for parents when organising play sessions on their street.

In January 2020, Cardiff Council launched 5 School Streets as pilot projects. 

The initiative has since expanded to 19 School Streets, reducing traffic at 22 schools across the city. 

School Streets are a key component of the council’s broader active travel schools programme, which supports schools in developing and implementing Active Travel Plans. This programme includes interventions such as cycle training, cycle shelters, the Living Streets WOW travel tracker, and school bike/scooter fleets.

The active travel schools team collaborates closely with the education department to ensure that new schools funded through Welsh Government Band B have integrated active travel provisions.

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Cardiff Council’s School Streets are implemented through timed vehicle access restrictions enforced by automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras using Moving Traffic Offences powers. Residents, blue badge holders, carers, and businesses/community premises can apply for free School Street permits.

These permits are linked to residents' parking permits, where applicable, to streamline the application process. Collaboration with the Council’s enforcement and parking services teams has been crucial in delivering School Streets.

Pencaerau Primary School

One of the first pilot schools, Pencaerau Primary School, introduced its School Street in January 2020 using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, which became permanent in 2021. 

The school, located in a small cul-de-sac, had long-standing safety concerns regarding parking and driving behaviour. 

“Keeping our children safe is always our first priority. Being part of the Cardiff Council's School Streets initiative ensures that our children can walk safely into and out of the school. The scheme has been well received by the whole school community, and we know that keeping our children safe is everyone's responsibility.” - school spokesperson

Lawrenny Avenue is a recent addition to the School Streets initiative, introduced in September 2023 to support 3 schools with a combined total of 2,300 pupils. The relocation of Fitzalan High School to the junction of Lawrenny Avenue and Leckwith Road, a busy arterial route, necessitated the introduction of the School Street to mitigate safety risks for pedestrians, cyclists, and other vulnerable road users.

The School Street was implemented alongside a new highway and footway layout at the junction and new crossing facilities on Leckwith Road. The Active Travel Team facilitated a 'park and stride' arrangement from a nearby car park and supported the primary school in setting up a walking bus, incentivised by sourcing a fleet of scooters to promote active travel.

The School Streets initiative has been well received by the school community, with positive feedback highlighting improved safety for children. The scheme is part of a broader effort to increase active travel for school journeys through targeted interventions and behaviour change support. School Streets address safety concerns from schools, residents, local ward members and council officers, and aim to reduce congestion, improve relationships between schools and their communities, and decrease air/noise pollution.

The initiative supports Cardiff’s ambition to be a ‘Child Friendly City’ by prioritising public space for children and their families during peak times. It also aligns with the Well-Being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013.

Cardiff Council’s School Streets initiative demonstrates a successful approach to improving safety and promoting active travel for school journeys. By addressing traffic congestion and safety concerns, the initiative fosters a safer, healthier, and more community-oriented environment for students and their families.

In September 2020 Vale of Glamorgan Council commissioned Sustrans to address road safety issues at Fairfield Primary School, in Penarth. 

The scope was to make the streets around the school safer for walking, wheeling and cycling. 

Workshops took place with school staff, pupils, parents and residents. They agreed a list of improvements, including: 

• a timed closure (School Street) on Dryden Road
• introducing a one-way system outside the school
• widening the footway
• planting a rain garden along the length of the street.

As part of consultation with the community on School Streets, the road outside Fairfield School was transformed into a Play Street.

For an initial 1-week trial in October 2021, the road was temporarily closed to traffic before school pick-up. This allowed children to play, walk, wheel, cycle and scoot home in safety.

It also helped parents and residents experience the benefits of temporary road closures and ask questions about the scheme.

Sustrans co-ordinated engagement with the school and neighbours. Play Wales provided traffic management equipment, while Vale of Glamorgan’s Play Development Team provided play equipment and staff to help with stewarding. 

The integration of play and active travel initiatives creates a safe and engaging environment for children, encouraging families to walk, wheel, or cycle to school. This holistic approach not only promotes physical activity but also advances a sense of community and ownership of the local streets. 

The initial pilot project has been a success, offering valuable insights.

On Dryden Road, 81% of residents said they supported the School Street.

“I’m glad that there is a one-way system being put in place […] to stop congestion around the area.” - local resident

“I’m really enthusiastic of all measures suggested. They are a great opportunity to change the current, not ideal situation.” - Dryden Road resident

The School Street has transformed the area into a safer and more welcoming environment. 

The initial trial, led by Sustrans along with the local authority and school staff, accumulated primarily positive feedback from residents, parents, and school staff.

During the trial period, issues such as traffic displacement and inconsiderate parking were effectively managed through the increased presence of the local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) and traffic enforcement officer. 

Consistent communication with parents and carers was also crucial, facilitated by the school through various channels including in-person drop-in sessions, information leaflets, and emails. Pupils' voices were also considered, as they collaborated closely with Sustrans to express their views on the desired street improvements. This comprehensive approach ensured that the trial period was successful in addressing key concerns and incorporating valuable feedback from the school community.

Sustrans worked with the local authority to secure capital funding through the Safe Routes in Communities fund, and the caretaker and headteacher successfully staffed the closure point from April to October 2023, limiting traffic during this period.

In addition to the trials, improvements have been implemented on Dryden Road to enhance safety, accessibility, and sustainability. 

One of the key additions is the installation of rain gardens, also known as Sustainable Drainage Systems (SUDs). These gardens provide a natural approach to managing flood and pollution risks by absorbing and filtering rainwater, minimising the risk of flooding. 

Additionally, a one-way system has been introduced to improve traffic flow and reduce congestion, enhancing overall road safety. 

A permanent timed closure on Dryden Road further contributes to pedestrian safety by restricting vehicular access during peak hours, allowing parents and children to walk, wheel or cycle without traffic. 

Layout improvements and footway widening have been carried out to improve accessibility for all pedestrians, including those with disabilities. These enhancements ensure that the street is more inclusive for all users. 

Collectively, these interventions create a safer, more sustainable, and accessible urban environment for the community.

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The challenges of staffing the closure point, and the increasing number of cars entering the street during the timed closures, have highlighted the need for automated enforcement.

Cameras are due to be installed in autumn 2025. 

This process has strengthened the local authority’s commitment to creating safer, more accessible streets for everyone.

You can read more about Fairfield Primary Community Street Design project and the School Street. 

With 50 active School Streets, Hackney Council runs the UK’s largest School Streets programme, benefiting over 20,000 pupils.

Currently it covers 48 primary schools, 87% of primary schools in the borough. It also includes 5 secondary schools, 26% of local secondary schools. The council has committed to assessing all its primary schools for a School Street.

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The council has developed its approach over time, using evidence and learning from pilots at:

• St John the Baptist Primary School
• Gayhurst Community School
• Millfields Community School
• Oldhill Community School

School Streets are introduced using experimental traffic orders for up to 18 months. 

Following consultation, a decision is then made on whether to make the schemes permanent, with or without changes.

Hackney has been using CCTV to enforce School Streets for several years. 

A mixture of permanent and temporary cameras is now used. This means enforcement can be targeted where it is needed, without the cost of installing permanent cameras at every school.

The schemes are generally well supported by the local community. A 2022 poll of Hackney residents found that more than 7 in 10 wanted to see at least some of Hackney’s School Streets made permanent.

Between 2020 and 2021, following the rollout of more than 30 new School Streets, the borough average for walking and cycling to school had increased from 61% to 69%.

On Hackney's School Streets, the number of children walking to school increased by up to 30%. The number of children cycling to school increased by up to 51%.

On average, schools in Hackney with a School Street scheme saw a 68% reduction in traffic outside school gates, resulting in a significant drop in vehicle emissions.

Hackney Council has used its experience of delivering School Streets to create a toolkit and templates for promotional materials that are available free to other local authorities.

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