More Angus schools are set to join the list of traffic-free primaries.
School Friendly Zones (SFZ) already operate at eight primaries across the district.
They ban vehicles from nearby streets at key times in the school day.
The scheme has proved so successful Angus Council’s communities committee is being asked to approve an 18-month trial at three new locations. They are:
- Maisondieu Primary School, Brechin
- Seaview Primary School, Monifieth
- Newtyle Primary School
- A second SFZ will be brought in at Muirfield in Arbroath to cover the primary’s second main access gate.
Seaview Primary in Monifieth is set to become a School Friendly Zone. Image: Dougie Nicolson/DC Thomson
It follows complaints about parents bringing vehicles too close to the school gates at the start and end of the day.
Headteachers at the four primaries back the idea.
The SFZs will operate from 8:45 to 9:15am and 2:45 to 3:45pm.
Where in Angus are the School Friendly Zones already in place?
Ferryden, Muirfield and Langlands in Forfar were first to trial the scheme and those are now permanent.
In addition, trial zones are in place at Liff, Southesk in Montrose, Letham, Carlogie in Carnoustie and Brechin’s Andover primary.
Angus infrastructure director Graeme Dailly says the schemes are proving their worth.
“Early indications are that the five (trial) zones are operating well with only minor amendments required at Carlogie, Letham and Southesk,” he reports.
“The rationale behind the initiative is that the road network outside the school gate or in the surrounding streets will be closed to vehicular traffic, except cycles, blue badge holders, resident permit holders, school buses and emergency vehicles for set periods each day.
“Schools with gates onto main roads which serve as bus or emergency service routes would not be considered.
“This is due to the impact of diverting high volumes of traffic through adjacent residential streets creating additional safety issues.
“This reduces the number of suitable schools to those with entrances on routes with no, or limited, through traffic.
“The problems being experienced at the four schools chosen for the trial is common at several other schools in the Angus area,” says Mr Dailly.
“There may be requests for School Friendly Zones at other schools.
“However, given the necessary costs for signing and the additional maintenance expenditure, pressure will be placed on limited financial resources.”
How is success judged?
Before and after studies are carried out to look at:
- Air pollution samples taken at the school gates
- Road traffic accidents
- Traffic flows
- Active travel uptake
- Public perception i.e., support for or objection to the experimental order.
At Ferryden, morning drop-off traffic dropped by 37.5% after the driving ban came into place, and by 68.5% at afternoon pick-up time.
And air quality monitors revealed pollution dropped significantly.
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