Walk-to-school push aims to tackle traffic jams
Leeds City CouncilPeople are being discouraged from taking children to school by car in parts of Leeds as part of a plan to get more people walking and cycling.
The streets surrounding six schools in the Middleton and Halton Moor areas suffered from high levels of congestion and pavement parking during school drop-off and pick-up times, according to Leeds City Council.
The Access to Schools project, which was aimed at making walking to school feel safer, also included improving junctions, adding crossing points, widening pavements and enforcing parking restrictions, a spokesperson said.
People who travelled in the area were asked by the authority to take part in a public consultation by 18 February.
In a statement, the council highlighted two schools - Elements Primary School in Middleton and Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School and College in Halton Moor - saying the majority of students at those sites lived "within a 10-minute walking distance".
"Despite this, they have a higher than average percentage of pupils travelling to school by car in Leeds," the spokesperson said.
'Eliminating serious injury'
The authority said it wanted to reduce car dependency on busy streets around six schools in Middleton and Halton Moor:
- Elements Primary School, Middleton
- Cockburn Laurence Calvert Academy, Middleton
- Corpus Christi Catholic Primary School and College, Halton Moor
- Corpus Christi Catholic College, Halton Moor
- Temple Learning Academy, Halton Moor
- Meadowfield Primary School, Halton Moor
Jonathan Pryor, the council's deputy leader, said the Access to Schools project was "a vital step toward creating safer, easier ways for people to choose active travel to and from school".
Pryor added: "Investments like this help towards eliminating serious injury and deaths on Leeds roads by 2040, by creating safer walking and cycling links in key areas and improving road safety for everyone.
"We urge everyone who uses this route - whether you walk, cycle, drive or take the bus - to share your views and help shape the future of this area."
Peter Carlill, deputy chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority's transport committee, said he wanted "as many people as possible to have their say, so we can make it easier for people in Middleton and Halton Moor to get around".
The council also highlighted a number of drop-in events taking place next month:
- Starlight Dance Academy, Osmondthorpe, 3 February, 15:00-19:00 GMT
- Middleton Leisure Centre, 5 February, 15:00-19:00 GMT
- Corpus Christi Catholic Club, Halton Moor, 11 February, 15:00-19:00 GMT
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