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Routes to school Amics de la bici (Friends of the Bicycle). What are school routes?. The routes that children and teenagers have to follow from their homes to school. How we can improve safe routes to school?.
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What are school routes? • The routes that children and teenagers have to follow from their homes to school.
How we can improve safe routes to school? • Above all, we must improve access by foot and bicycle, because these are the most accessible and healthy means of transport for pupils. • And most important, we need to achieve traffic calming to guarantee everybody’s safety.
How can we achieve traffic calming? • By placing traffic signals on the streets to reduce the speed of cars around schools. Tabor School, Sagrada Familia, Barcelona
How can we achieve traffic calming? • By placing speed humps at pedestrian crossings. Raised pedestrian crossing, Viladecans
How can we achieve traffic calming? • By enlarging existing and building new pedestrian areas. Enlarged sidewalk in Gràcia, Barcelona
How can we achieve traffic calming? • By making cycling easier, by building cycle paths and bicycle parking. Bicycle parking in front of Tabor School, Barcelona
Deltebre pollution-free El Periódico, November 17, 2002
The experience of the I.E.S. MarianaoSchool in Sant Boi de Llobregat • This school is a member of the Green School Network run by the Department of Education of the Catalan Government (north-eastern Spain). Its main objective is promoting nature and respect for the environment. • One of the school’s main aims is to promote the use of clean transport such as walking and cycling. • Each year a bicycle tour for new students (primer d’ESO, 12 years old) is organized. • In 2002 and after having made a request, the school obtained permission from the Sant Boi town council to build bicycle parking.
Bicycle parking • The parking area is easily watched from the bar and can be locked with a key kept at the school porter’s desk.
Bicycle parking • Students and employees can use this parking area situated on the main playground.
Bicycle event • The Biciclot company organizes a bicycle tour for the younger students (“primer d’eso”, around 12 years old), including a course on traffic education.
Bicycle event Getting ready for a tour around town.
Bicycle event On the ride, the students learn tips about the environment. Photo above: at the foot of Sant Ramon mountain.
Weak points • The bicycle parking is not used as it could be. This is because: A lack of bicycle paths or safe school routes to the center from Sant Boi and from nearby towns or villages. Difficulty for students as well as school employees (teachers and other school workers) to find a good place to keep the bicycle at home. Living close to school, as the majority of the students do, means they prefer to walk, also a healthy habit. Generally, people are not used to using bikesas an alternative means of transport.
We want safe school routes! • We have to solve the problems step by step and it is especially important that the town council promote safe routes to school by improving the conditions for walking and cycling to school.