Birmingham City Council is proposing new road safety measures for six schools as part of its Vision Zero commitment to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on the city's roads. The measures, funded through the Clean Air Zone, are part of the Safer School Journeys programme, which aims to make streets around schools safer, healthier, and more welcoming.
Schools Selected for Measures
The schools set for new safety measures include Colebourne Primary School in Hodgehill, Harborne Primary School Annex, Broadmeadow Junior School in Kings Norton, The Olive School in Tyseley, Ninestiles, an Academy in Acocks Green, and Alston Primary School in Bordesley Green East.
The council states that the programme aligns with the city's Road Harm Reduction Strategy, adopted last year, which reaffirmed Birmingham's commitment to Vision Zero. The council has previously said that it is "not inevitable nor acceptable that anyone should be killed or seriously injured when travelling around Birmingham."
Proposed Measures for Each School
Colebourne Primary School: Measures include narrowing junctions at Southbourne Avenue and Westbourne Avenue with raised table crossings to slow vehicles, installing a pedestrian refuge island at the junction with Beaufort Avenue, speed cushions along Stechford Road, and bollards and double kerbing to prevent pavement parking.
Harborne Primary School Annex: Plans include no waiting restrictions (double yellow lines) along a section of Court Oak Road, junction narrowing at Wood Lane/Fellows Lane and Earls Court Road to slow vehicles and improve crossing safety, a new crossing point on Court Oak Road with a pedestrian refuge island, and a relocated westbound bus stop away from the school entrance.
Broadmeadow Junior School: Proposed measures include no waiting restrictions along sections of Monyhull Hall Road and Broadmeadow Lane with targeted no loading restrictions at school peak times, no waiting restrictions at the top of Walkers Heath Road, a relocated eastbound bus stop away from the school entrance on Bells Lane with removal of the layby area, and bollards or planters to stop pavement parking.
The Olive School: Plans include raising the zebra crossing on Reddings Lane, installing a pedestrian refuge island at the junction with Weston Lane, bollards and double kerbing to prevent parking on pavements and grass verges, and cycle lane separators on Battery Way for greater protection.
Ninestiles, an Academy: Measures include a one-way system on Hartfield Crescent (from Fox Hollies Road to Greenwood Avenue) to improve access and safety, speed humps, junction narrowing at both ends of the road with raised crossings, and no waiting restrictions (double yellow lines).
Alston Primary School: Plans include a one-way system on Repton Road (from Belchers Lane to Kenwood Road), raised crossing points, speed humps, and junction narrowing to slow vehicles and improve visibility.
Vision for Kids Streets
The Safer School Journeys programme also supports the Vision for Kids Streets across the region, an initiative backed by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker. This vision focuses on reducing road harm, managing speeds, protecting pavements, and creating places where children can "move, play, and connect with confidence."
Road safety commissioner Mat MacDonald and active travel commissioner Beccy Marston previously stated: "The mayor has been clear that safer and healthier streets are essential to building a fairer and more prosperous West Midlands. This Vision for Kids Streets responds directly to that challenge. It sets out a shared ambition to design our streets through the eyes of children, recognising that when streets work for children, they work better for everyone."
Public Consultation
The full proposed measures are available on the Birmingham Be Heard website, where public consultations are being held until July 24. The council says it is committed to working towards a road network where no one is killed or seriously injured.
