People who drive their children to school and "School Streets"

[Needmorelego]

Good Morning All.
I am after some honest answers about "School Streets" and driving to school.
The scheme closes roads outside schools at drop off/pick up times so people can't drive down the road and/or park there. This is supposed to encourage less cars outside schools.
Now - honest answers - if you drive your children and your school has one of these schemes have you actually stopped driving or have you just taken to parking somewhere else (like the next road over).
Thanks.
(not a journalist - it's just this scheme is being introduced where I live and it's going to be a pain in the arse for residents for various reasons)

@Gooseysgirl the problem is where I am it's potentially going to move all the car drop offs to the nearest alternative roads. One is a main road with much heavier traffic and the other one has a slightly dodgy difficult to see junction.
I can't see how it's going to improve safely of the children.

We live close to the local primary in London which now has a school street. I think it’s great, the street immediately outside the school is much safer for kids coming in and out of school. Yes parents now park on adjacent roads but they did anyway and at least the chaos of cars turning in and out of the school road is now avoided. Kids would need to be more careful on the busier adjacent roads anyway.

London so most parents live within walking distance, majority don’t drive to work, school is on 3 bus routes. Still a surprising number driving (and yes some parking up nearly an hour early!) I think some of the driving is parents who WAH and don’t have before/after school childcare, they nip out in the car to pick Up/ drop and don’t have time to walk

We have that also! As well as staggered drop offs, parents with under 8s and or babies and toddlers in tow, can drive into the school and the teachers will get them out the car and into the line! We don’t even need to get out! It’s great!

@SophieinParis don't you just end up with a long line of cars like a drive thru waiting their turn? Plus some of the younger children might still be in car seats that aren't so easy to just jump out of the car?

I also live near a primary school and not only is the road outside it at a stop and difficult to navigate from about 30 mins beforehand, it already spreads over into our neighbouring road as well as others (they often block my car in on my drive by parking over my dropped kerb), so I think doing this just moves the problem over; it doesn't solve it

No actually! It’s all very efficient with a good number of teachers on duty, and at least 10 cars can stop and have children jump out at the same time (we drive actually into school grounds and there’s a long stretch where people can pull up and empty the children out). I’ve never waited more than 10 or 20 seconds tbh, if that.

Yes if a child is on a car seat then either the parent can briefly get out to lift them out and hand them over or like me, you can just turn around in your seat and undo them and they hop out.

Where I live, there is one road that is about 0.5mile long that has entrances/access points to 5 different schools, a nursery and a leisure centre on it. It's crazy in the mornings and children only have about 10-15 minute window to get into school from doors open to being late (unless in a breakfast club)

@SophieinParis sounds a good system.
(wouldn't work for the school by me as they don't have anywhere to do that - it doesn't even have a staff car park).

This is part of the problem at the school by me. Reception-year 6, 4 form entry every year so a minimum of 28 teachers, countless support staff, TAs etc. I haven't even included the nursery! The car park has 6 spaces. Before the parents even get there, the staff are having to park. It doesn't help matters.

I don't blame the staff for this, it's so frustrating not being able to park near work. It's just another example of the short sightedness of the school and council when they continued to expand.

Local junior school combined infants (site
was sold off and in another street) school and added a nursery. They also sold off the caretaker’s house. Parking is now in the old front playground where we used to play and play netball and the old smaller car park has been turned into a bike store (partly for cycling proficiency). Luckily there was a big underused playground area attached to the main back playground which means everyone has space to play. There’s been a new apartment and town house block built in the street next to the school overlooking the park, both of which have lots of cars including using apartment underground parking space. Not sure how many teachers there are there but I’m sure some workers (nursery) have to park opposite the school by the park. The safer schools scheme has made things better but you wouldn’t believe the behaviour of some parents before when driving and parking.

She could have worked from home and needed to be online at a certain time. Sometimes also if children are playing up when walking to school it causes lateness and she may of been avoiding that as the attendance laws are so strict now. Or other commitments or health issues she may of had. I dont think it's helpful judging people when you don't know anything about their lives

I do agree with no parking right outside a school it gets so dangerous.

Personally I think they should have buses for children to be escorted to school . That way it's one bus , less traffic , safer for children as they don't have to risk walking and children get to socialise with peers on the way to school and it arrives on time so no dangerous driving of parents trying to get to work. Would also reduce the parking issue dramatically in the area . The buses then drop off in the school car parks and everyone is happy. Reduces emissions as well. In an ideal world of course . Only issue is school pupil numbers in schools and amount of transport needed . But as school is a legal requirement then the governments should really be helping more . But they don't lol

Zombie thread alert.....
@Cat2488 you've made my thread from a whole year ago pop back up !
Anyway......for anyone interested.
The scheme started and it's on the whole it's working fine.
A lot of the concerns (ie people just parking in the next streets over) don't seem to have happened.
It is annoying not being able to get a taxi at certain times of the day or a delivery. I've had food deliveries have to turn back and deliver the next day because I picked a delivery time during what I call the "forbidden time" (usually my error) but I have learned to live with that.
I would prefer it to allow taxis during the restricted times and I did tell the council that on a feedback thing but in conclusion the scheme hasn't turned out to be the nightmare I thought it was going to be.
🙂

Least it worked . I seem to be getting zombie threads coming up everywhere and no recent ones . However it is interesting to see updates and if something worked out or not. Annoying about the taxi and food shop thing though, I didn't know it affected that so learnt something new lol