As part of the "Road to Six" program, Warsaw's ZDM is closing selected streets in the immediate vicinity of schools. The lack of access by car to the very doors of the institutions is supposed to help improve the safety of children, and at the same time improve air quality in the area. In this way, city authorities want to promote independence and commuting by bicycle and public transport.
first an audit
photo: ZDM Warsaw
The first pilot edition of the program was launched in 2020. The ban on commuting to schools by car was associated with many protests from parents, driving their children to the door. However, the pilot involved those schools that themselves expressed interest in the venture. The first stage of the work was a safety audit of the access roads. The road engineers checked how many and what types of traffic incidents had occurred in the immediate vicinity, as well as the recommendations of establishments and neighborhood councils. The audit also included an analysis of the functionality of the space around the school and a pictorial analysis of the situation at the entrance to the facilities. It examined where exactly dangerous situations occur, how students use public spaces during breaks and after school, and what their route to public transportation stops looks like.
recommendations
photo: ZDM Warsaw
The results of the audits were used to develop recommendations for changes around the eight selected schools. Designs for the new organization of the space around the institutions were consulted with the school community and district authorities. Nearly 2,000 students took part in the surveys. Schools of diverse architectural and spatial character were selected - they included small and large establishments, located along busy roads, but also those located inside neighborhoods.
sense of danger
photo: ZDM Warsaw
One of the basic pieces of information that the organizers of the campaign obtained was the level of feeling of security among the students themselves. It turns out that one in five students was "almost hit by a car or bicycle,""almost forced or forced to take precedence," had to dodge a recklessly maneuvering car or cross a pedestrian crossing obscured by improperly parked cars.
Photo: ZDM Warsaw
It also turns out that, on average, more than 40% of students get to lessons on foot, and 20% by public transportation. Another 20% choose active forms of getting to school, i.e. bicycles, scooters, rollerblades and skateboards. Travel by car accounts for just over 20% of the morning commute and only 14% of the total return from school. This proves once again that the numerical advantage of cars is only apparent and visual. The fact that they occupy the most space in urban spaces gives the false impression of constituting the majority of commutes. The same is true in the context of the discussion of narrowing downtown streets, where drivers are in the vast minority despite occupying the largest portion of space.
solutions
Photo: ZDM Warsaw
Analyses of audits and surveys have shown, however, that there are no universal solutions that can be implemented top-down in all schools. Each project for changes around a specific school must be treated individually, taking into account the behavior of students and the spatial structure of the neighborhood.
Photo: ZDM Warsaw
Thefirst "School Street" will be implemented in Ursynów, at Elementary School No. 323. Both the audit and recordings of the school's access and entry zones indicate numerous dangerous situations in the area that everyone has to cross - the entrance square and the doors of the establishment. The recommended solution was to reduce the number of cars maneuvering at the entrance to the school - the introduction of a school street, that is, a temporary restriction of entry under the "gate" itself. This solution can improve not only the safety of students, but also the comfort of local residents, due to the reduction of traffic right under their windows.
Photo: ZDM
School Street is a project involving a temporary ban on cars entering the street leading directly to the school - usually between 7:30 and 8:15 a.m. During this time, residents' exit is possible. The key is to reduce traffic and, above all, maneuvering cars just outside the facility - this is one of the most common dangers reported by students. Parking lots adjacent to the school will make it safer to get to school in a few minutes. Not being able to drive under the school itself should also improve air quality in an area with the highest number of people sensitive to pollution.
