Rural regions enable the establishment of schools roads and school safety zones

Germany's New Decree Empowers Municipalities to Establish School Streets and Zones

In a bid to ensure the safety of schoolchildren and promote independent travel, the Ministry of Transport in Germany has issued a new decree. This decree provides legal foundations and practical support for municipalities to introduce measures for safe and independent school travel, such as School Streets and School Zones.

School Zones are permanent closures of streets to motorized traffic, particularly suitable for streets primarily used for school access and serving as shortcuts for drivers. On the other hand, School Streets are temporary closures of one or more street sections near schools during specific times, with exceptions for residents and people with disabilities. Both initiatives aim to ensure that children can safely walk, scoot, or bike to school while reducing dangerous situations caused by parent pick-ups at school entrances.

The MOVERS - Active to School program, a cross-ministerial initiative developed under the leadership of the Ministry of Transport, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Education, includes the creation of school route plans, the establishment of a continuous, safe, and attractive infrastructure for the school journey, and new components like school streets and the cycling proficiency badge for the school year 2025/2026.

The decree also includes the MOVERS Consultation Offer and extensive information material for local implementation of school streets and school zones. Close cooperation between the municipality, traffic authority, and school is necessary for implementation.

Transport Minister Winfried Hermann has encouraged all responsible parties to build school streets and school zones at suitable school locations. He believes that this decree will provide municipalities with clear legal foundations and practical support for implementing these measures.

The "Guidelines for the traffic and street law implementation of school streets and school zones" has been published, detailing legal foundations for introducing school streets and school zones. The state of Baden-Württemberg is expanding the MOVERS - Active to School program, which supports schools, municipalities, and parents in promoting greater independence and road safety for children.

Municipalities can also set up pick-up and drop-off zones for safe and brief parent-child interactions. Expensive and bureaucratic assessments are not required.

The Landesprogramm MOVERS - Active to School supports schools, municipalities, and parents in shaping their school journey safely and independently. It is part of the decree and aims to reduce dangerous situations outside schools, such as traffic jams, U-turns on sidewalks, and children navigating through heavy traffic.

The new decree is part of the Landesprogramm MOVERS - Active to School, which has also announced the upcoming presentation of the MOVERS toolkit "Visible School Routes" as a new offer for primary schools.

No specific cities or municipalities in Baden-Württemberg have been explicitly named as having already implemented official measures for school streets and school zones following the new law. However, the state government has issued the decree to facilitate and legally enable municipalities to introduce these measures starting with the 2025/2026 school year.

In conclusion, the new decree in Germany is a significant step towards promoting safe and independent school travel. It provides municipalities with the necessary legal foundations and resources to implement School Streets and School Zones, thereby ensuring the safety of schoolchildren and reducing dangerous situations outside schools.