Banning parents from dropping off their children by car resulted in a big drop in toxic particulates at a primary school in the Olympic park, according to new research.
A study into the impact of the “school street” restrictions at Mossbourne Riverside Academy – which ban vehicles outside the school gates at the start and end of classes – found there had been a 45 per cent reduction in PM2.5 soot particulates in the morning.
Nitrogen dioxide levels were also said to have fallen.
The primary, at the northern end of the park, is thought to have one of the biggest number of children in London who cycle, walk or ride scooters to school.
Mossbourne headteacher Amy Wood said: “The school street has been a fabulous improvement, the change is noticeably safer for all children and helps them to start the day safely and calmly.
“It also encourages children and families to arrive in a sustainable way. Our children are able to focus better when they have arrived at school actively exercising, walking, scooting or cycling.”
School streets have been credited with reducing the environmental impact of the “school run” by making it harder to use a car. Drivers who ignore the restrictions are at risk of being fined.
Will Norman, London’s walking and cycling commissioner, said: “Schools Streets are game-changers when it comes to both safety and air pollution, and this is made clear by the improvements in air quality seen at Mossbourne Riverside Academy.
“There are more than 500 School Streets in London that make it easier for kids to walk cycle or scoot to school, helping to improve road safety, reduce air pollution and build a better, greener London for all.”
Mossbourne is located beside the River Lea canal but is also close to the A12, a notoriously busy and polluted inner city trunk road.
Earlier this year, the Standard revealed £150m of plans to encourage more people to walk or cycle to the Olympic park.
The school street was introduced at Mossbourne in February. The air quality analysis, by Aeternum Innovations, compared July last year with this July.
Aeternum’s network of sensors found PM2.5 levels fell from 31 parts per million to 17 parts per million during the morning peak hour.
Rose Carter, from Aeternum, said “We all know that school streets help to keep children safe from traffic, but what we found from this study is that it also improves the ambient air quality.
“We were able to quantify these benefits by a reduction of both particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide levels. We all have a role in making our air cleaner to breathe, and smart city technology like this can be quickly deployed to measure the positive impact changes are having on the local community.”
The study was commissioned by the London Legacy Development Corporation, which oversees the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, and the SHIFT innovation agency.
Abdul Rahim, chief innovation officer, SHIFT, said: “It’s great to see proof that changes made at a very local level can have significant benefits on the quality of life for those in the immediate area.”
