Region: Bristol

To reduce traffic danger and congestion in the area, Bristol City Council has turned a section of Springfield Avenue into a walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting-only zone at school drop off and pick up times.

Vehicles are not be permitted to enter the zone for 1 hour in the morning between 8:15 and 9:15 and 1 hour in the afternoon between 2:30 and 3:30. Emergency vehicles, Blue Badge holders and residents of the affected section of Springfield Avenue are exempt from these restrictions.

Please note, a permanent one-way system has also been introduced on a section of Springfield Avenue between Burnham Road and Grove Leaze. This one-way system is in place 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The scheme can be enforced by the police. The penalty for ignoring the rules is a fixed penalty notice. Advanced warning signs have been installed, and temporary barriers placed at the entrance to the scheme and monitored by school staff. All vehicles already parked in the zone before the times of operation are able to exit without incurring a fixed penalty notice.

School Streets make it easier for Blue Badge holders to access the school entrances by reducing traffic outside the school gates. Those holding valid Blue Badges are exempt from the restrictions, but existing parking restrictions (e.g. double yellow lines) still apply. We ask that Blue Badge holders display their Blue Badge clearly in the windscreen of their vehicle and they may be stopped and asked to confirm their details on some occasions.

We would ask people with additional access requirements and those with disabilities to contact the Bristol School Streets team to discuss any personal access needs as they may be eligible for an exemption access permit.

Parents or carers dropping children at school are not eligible for an exemption, unless you or your child are a Blue Badge holder or a resident of the School Street zone. We are pleased that parents at our existing Bristol School Streets schools are embracing the scheme and are choosing to walk, cycle or scoot where possible.

School staff need to be inside the School Street zone area before it comes into operation. Only staff who have a Blue Badge are exempt. School staff are able to leave the zone during the times of operation without requiring an access permit.

Bristol School Streets aims to encourage and prioritise a safe environment around schools to allow for walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting. Parents and carers who feel they need to drive will need to park legally nearby and walk the remainder of the journey.

We are working with the school to promote active travel to school, which includes walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting. We are also looking at identifying suitable park and stride locations, enabling parents and carers to park slightly further away from the school and walk the remaining distance.

Evidence suggests that where School Streets have been implemented, the result is a reduction in car use rather than displacement to surrounding streets. We will continue to monitor the impact of the scheme once it has been implemented.

The affected section of Springfield Avenue should be visibly calmer and feel safer during these times. Data was collected before the scheme is implemented and will be monitored once the measures are in place, so we can assess the change in traffic levels and how pupils are travelling to school. We will continue to review feedback from the school and local community.