Kingston School Streets: Greener school streets for a sustainable future
Background
The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames launched the School Streets programme as part of its Third Local Implementation Plan (LIP3) and the Mayor’s Transport Strategy (MTS). The Council aimed to promote more sustainable travel patterns, reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by encouraging walking and cycling. GHD was engaged to manage the programme, oversee existing schemes and identify new locations for school streets across Kingston upon Thames.
The challenge
The council sought to do the following:
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Reduce congestion and vehicle emissions during school drop-off and pickup times
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Improve air quality and create safer environments for students and parents
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Implement pedestrian and cycle zones, restricting motor vehicle access at key times
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Assess the effectiveness of current School Streets and determine where new schemes could be introduced
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Engage local stakeholders, including councillors, residents and school communities, to refine and expand the programme
Our response
We provided day-to-day management and strategic oversight of the School Streets programme. This involved the following:
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Collaborating with the Royal Borough’s highways and parking teams to resolve operational challenges
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Facilitating stakeholder discussions through on-site and virtual meetings with councillors to address community concerns
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Identifying new School Street locations by analysing traffic patterns and environmental data
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Updating engagement portals and council websites to improve communication and transparency
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Preparing reports for councillors, helping determine whether schemes should be trialled, made permanent, or adjusted based on feedback
The impact
By the programme’s completion, we successfully transitioned management back to the borough after strengthening the programme’s foundation. The initiative has helped improve air quality, increase safety and encourage greater adoption of active travel amongst students and families. Our work has helped establish a sustainable model for future transport planning, supporting healthier and more accessible school commutes across the borough.