Rural communities allow the implementation of school access roads and designated school safety zones
Baden-Württemberg Expands MOVERS Program for Safer School Routes
The state of Baden-Württemberg is taking significant steps to ensure a safer and healthier journey to school for its children. Transport Minister Winfried Hermann announced the expansion of the Landesprogramm MOVERS - Active to School program, which will complement a new decree aimed at promoting independent and road safety for children.
The decree, titled "Guidelines for the implementation of school streets and school zones in traffic and street law," provides legal foundations for introducing school streets and school zones. These measures aim to ensure that children can walk, scoot, or cycle to school safely, while reducing dangerous situations caused by parent taxis in front of schools.
Under the MOVERS program, the Ministry of Transport provides diverse support to schools and municipalities, free of charge and tailored to practical needs. This support includes the MOVERS consulting offer and extensive information material, designed to provide practical support for the implementation of school streets and school zones.
School Streets temporarily close one or more street sections near schools during school start and end times for motorized traffic, with exceptions for residents or people with disabilities. School Zones, on the other hand, permanently close streets to motorized traffic, ideal for streets only used by schools and previously used as shortcuts by drivers. These streets can be redesigned as meeting places for young and old, for playing and connecting.
Appropriate signage is necessary for both School Streets and School Zones. Municipalities can also set up pick-up and drop-off zones for parents, if an independent school route is not possible.
Close cooperation between the municipality, traffic authority, and school is necessary for the implementation of School Streets and School Zones. The MOVERS toolkit "Visible School Routes" will be presented as a new offering for primary schools in the near future.
The MOVERS - Active to School program aims to strengthen the independent and safe mobility of children and young people on their way to school. With the new decree, children in Baden-Württemberg may soon have safer school routes, as dangerous situations like traffic jams and U-turns on sidewalks could be minimized.
The Ministry of Transport in Baden-Württemberg has not explicitly mentioned working alongside the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education in the provided texts. However, the Ministry of Transport is cooperating with local authorities and municipalities to implement these measures as part of the MOVERS program.
Crucially, no bureaucratic or expensive expert opinions are required for the implementation of School Streets and School Zones. This makes it easier for municipalities to implement these measures and provide a safer environment for their children.
In conclusion, the expansion of the MOVERS program and the new decree are significant steps towards promoting independent and safe mobility for children in Baden-Württemberg. By implementing school streets and school zones, the state aims to provide children with a safe, healthy, and independent journey to school.
