NW3 Green School Runs
Did you know NW3 has the highest concentration of schools in Europe?
No wonder there is a direct link between school run traffic and poor air quality in the area! Look into results of local measurements and you will find the air quality around us is truly shocking!
Not only are there far too many schools for what was once a hilltop village, but circa 80% of them are private.
We all love our outstanding schools, but private ones don’t have a catchment area. Parents can come from as far as Islington and Stroud Green (N4) and many feel forced to drive up to Hampstead and Belsize Park because the public transport network is not necessarily good enough. This is only adding to the manic morning traffic of the already overly congested, dangerously busy, narrow roads in the area.
We are lacking a healthier alternative.
This is why 'NW3 Green School Runs' was formed in September 2018.
This group of concerned local parents is offering a concrete alternative as an outcome-focused group that is requesting to stop debating and to just get into action.
They demand urgent decisions on practical solutions to drastically reduce traffic, starting September 2019. In order to do so they shared their knowledge of Hampstead’s traffic and pollution issues and encouraged local schools and head teachers in Hampstead to start collaborating.
NW3 Green School Runs believe no one can tackle traffic alone but that together we can make a change. Self-regulation and offering alternatives are the way forward!
Here are a few practical steps you can take yourself and convince others to commit to:
Make sure there is scooter & bicycle parking provided at your school
Initiate and repeat anti-idling events and reinforcements near your school
“Green” your school by pushing for more trees and plants to be planted in and around it
Share your car or cab journeys with more people
Change your behaviour and reduce the number of journeys you drive
Park farther away and walk the last bit of your trip
Respect traffic and parking rules
DO NOT IDLE
Push your schools to acquire apps to share school runs like www.homerun-app.com
Get your school to join NW3 Green School Runs’ multi-school bus initiative (trial starting in May 2019!)
We are hoping this network of buses will massively alleviate the school run for parents of these schools that are already on board:
UCS Junior
St Anthony’s
St Mary’s
Hampstead Hill
Devonshire House
Lyndhurst School
The Hall
(Many other schools have been contacted and will be able to join at a later stage if this first phase is successful)
Therefore and in addition to the practical points mentioned above, you can help by doing the following:
Help spread the word about this new exciting service
Push your school to commit and provide staff to accompany children to and from the bus stops.
Use this service yourself!
Please join NW3 Green School Run's Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/greenschoolrun/
Follow them on Twitter https://twitter.com/NW3GSR and join this extremely important initiative!
'Air pollution is the tobacco of the 21st century'
WHO
We owe it to our children and grandchildren.
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