The Council's School Travel Initiative is taking steps to increase the safety of children walking and cycling to school.
Six schools in the borough - Horn Park, Woodhill, Wyborne, Notre Dame, Millennium and Timbercroft -will benefit from the changes.
The improvements will include highway engineering works such as:
- new signs
- railings
- road markings
- traffic calming.
Pupils and parents will learn about road safety and the health and environmental benefits of walking and cycling to school.
Changes will be made in consultation with the schools.
Health and environment benefits
The Leader Member for Education, Cllr. David Grant, has welcomed the initiative saying; 'Greenwich Council is keen to recognise the importance of encouraging children to walk or cycle to school. There are clear health benefits to our children from the extra exercise they will be taking.
The scheme also decreases traffic congestion around schools, which benefits the environment. Greenwich Council is committed to the health and welfare of our school children and this scheme is designed to help.'
Other plans afoot
Some of the other practical measures of the Schools Travel Plan include:
- a walking bus initiated by Notre Dame School where children walk to school accompanied by volunteer parents
- the 'Kerbcraft' project at Woodhill and Wyborne where volunteers teach Year 1 and 2 pupils how to cross roads safely
- a recent theatre production for Timbercroft and Woodhill pupils all about road safety and sustainable transport.
Over thirty schools in Greenwich are now working on a School Travel Plan and taking advantage of the benefits.
Further information and grants
Parents, governors and teachers can all lead on the development of a School Travel Plan. Anyone interested in getting involved at their school should contact the Council’s Home and Road Safety Team on 020 8921 8120 for further information.
Grants are available as added incentives for schools to get involved.
ENDS
4 February 2005