Trial road closure to encourage pupils to walk to school in St Clement

01 April 2019

As part of the Safer Routes to School Programme, Rue de Maupertuis will be closed to through traffic, except access to premises, for a one-year trial period.

The 12 month trial closure will begin on Wednesday 3 April and will be supported by St Clement honorary police to help manage traffic on the day.

The decision to close the road has been made by the Parish of St Clement with the assistance of Growth, Housing and Environment, following consultations with residents and schools in the area.

The Safer Routes to School Programme aims to create safer ways for pedestrians and cyclists, using busy roads to travel to and from school. It is hoped that the trial will encourage more students to use a more active way to get to school.

The Constable of St Clement, Len Norman said: “Rue de Maupertuis is a popular route used by students from two primary schools and Le Rocquier Secondary School. It isn’t right that these pupils walking and cycling have to compete for space with drivers using the narrow lane as a short cut. We will continue to monitor the effect of the closure for both pedestrians and vehicle users.”

The impact of the restricted access will be measured by a survey of the roads use before and after the closure. The observations will contribute toward deciding whether the closure will become permanent.

Rob Hayward, Senior Transport Planner said: “We have liaised with the schools and anticipate that the closure will have a minimal impact on motorists but a positive impact for students, who should be able to feel safe when travelling to school.”