Beginning their partnership over a decade ago, the collaboration has seen SEA install more than 90 camera systems throughout the London Borough of Enfield to enforce bus lanes and box junctions as well as restricted access zones.
However, Enfield Council became increasingly aware of the challenges that people walking and driving, including students and parents, were facing around schools during school drop off and pick up times. Not only was there a high number of vehicles passing through these areas, but there was also poor driver behaviour, including speeding, and parking was restricting lines of sight for people crossing the road.
With experience of civil enforcement of moving traffic conventions, Enfield Council through the Journeys and Places programme began introducing School Streets to make the areas near to schools safer, cleaner and healthier. School Streets restrict motor vehicles from passing through the street at times when students are travelling to and from school. This effectively reduces traffic on the roads and in turn the risk of traffic accidents, while also improving air quality; in some instances nitrogen dioxide has been reduced by up to 23%.
By reducing the risks for people walking, the School Streets initiative also aims to encourage more environmentally friendly and active forms of transport for the school run, such as walking, cycling or scooting.
To enforce the closure periods within its borough, Enfield Council turned to SEA and its intelligent transport systems.
“We are delighted to be working with Enfield Council to provide them with the essential tools to deliver the safety, environmental and health benefits that come from reducing traffic around schools and promoting active travel for the school run.
Acting as a highly effective deterrent, SEA's ROADflow Fusion camera enforcement systems encourage positive driver behaviour change, whilst ensuring streets remain accessible to emergency vehicles – something which is not possible with traditional bollard barrier solutions.”
A smart and flexible camera enforcement solution for parking, bus lane and all types of moving traffic enforcement, including School Streets, as well as Clean Air Zones and free-flow tolling applications, ROADflow Fusion is capable of supporting councils with all civil traffic enforcement requirements.
The use of SEA’s ROADflow Fusion systems has resulted in up to a 78% reduction in traffic volumes across Enfield Council’s School Streets at the beginning and end of the school day.
“Enhancing road safety around schools is of paramount importance not only for people walking, wheeling and cycling to school, but also for other road users and local residents. By working with SEA we’ve been able to effectively reduce the flow of traffic during school drop off and pick up times at locations such as Chesterfield Primary and Latymer All Saints Primary schools following the introduction of School Streets, with our monitoring suggesting this reduction is in excess of 70%. This clearly shows the positive impact the solution is having on the local area which is now safer and at lesser risk of traffic accidents, and healthier with improved air quality.
“We’re excited to be continuing our partnership with SEA and helping make the environment around our schools safer so people can choose to walk, wheel or cycle to school.”
Enfield Council now have 24 School Streets across the borough, improving air quality and making it safer for primary school pupils to walk, cycle and scoot to school.
