Lower Saxony starts a test run for safe routes to school without cars!

Lower Saxony starts a test run for safe routes to school without cars!

In Lower Saxony, something is happening in terms of road safety in front of schools. Some cities are relying on temporary car-free streets to get traffic chaos under control in the morning and afternoon. How sat1regional.de reports, the city of Lüneburg is planning a pilot project after the autumn holidays that will close the road in front of a primary school at certain times. Parents should switch from their car to walking both in the morning and in the afternoon.

The Lower Saxony Ministry of Transport had already published a circular in April that enables the legally secure establishment of such school streets. The main goal is to increase the safety of children and to regulate pick-up and drop-off traffic so that chaotic conditions do not constantly arise, for example due to overcrowded parking spaces or problematic traffic situations. A spokesman for the city of Lüneburg expressed optimism that the idea would be met with great receptiveness among parents, although some concerns were expressed.

First successes in Braunschweig

A look at Braunschweig shows that the idea of ​​school streets definitely has potential. A pilot project has already been successfully implemented here. How sat1regional.de reported that the street in front of a primary school was closed for half an hour every day. Before its introduction, dangerous situations often occurred as many parents brought their children to school by car. The police now regularly monitor compliance with the ban, and due to the positive response, School Street will remain in place permanently.

The new circular from the Ministry of Transport, which is an effective means of creating safe routes to school, also suggests that the number of parent taxis should be reduced. More and more parents are bringing their children to school by car, which is putting an enormous strain on the safety situation and traffic flow. Schulstrasse offers a practical solution to block out vehicle traffic at peak times.

Measures for safe routes to school

But what else can be done to make school routes safer? The ministry proposes various measures that can complement temporary zones in front of schools. These include:

• Die Anordnung einer Tempobegrenzung von 30 km/h vor Schulen und auf stark frequentierten Schulwegen.
• Elternhaltestellen in ausreichendem Abstand zur Schule, sodass Kinder den letzten Teil des Weges zu Fuß oder mit dem Rad zurücklegen können.
• Versenkbare Poller oder Schranken, um den Zugang für Autos während der Schulzeiten zu verhindern.
• Bauliche Maßnahmen wie Sperrpfosten und verbesserte Querungsmöglichkeiten, die das Überqueren der Straße sicherer machen.

In summary, it can be said that the new regulations and proposals from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Transport represent a step in the right direction to improve the safety of children on the way to school. With pilot projects like those in Lüneburg and Braunschweig, a lot could happen here in the near future. After all, it is important to make the journey to school as safe as possible for the little ones!