Car-free Davies Lane Street Party Wed 01 Jul 2009

West End School has found a fun, positive way to make its Davies Lane entrance safer, and its students fitter.

Both the school and New Plymouth District Council are encouraging parents not to use Davies Lane for picking up and dropping off their children, but to instead walk them to school from home or from their cars parked elsewhere.

“For the sake of a couple hundred metres and a little exercise we can have a car-free, kid-friendly community street,” said NPDC Sustainable Transport Coordinator Nathaniel Benefield.

To celebrate and promote the initiate to keep Davies Lane car-free, West End School is throwing a street party at its end of Davies Lane on from 8.00am to 9.30am tomorrow (THURSDAY).

West End School Principal Mike Clarke says Davies Lane, about 140m long, is regularly the scene of heavy traffic, resulting in near accidents.

“These potential accidents can be easily avoided by drivers choosing safety over convenience by parking in a nearby street and walking their children to the school gates,” says Mr Clarke.

“We want Davies Lane to be a people-first street.”

This joint project between the school and NPDC aims to:

• Reverse current hazardous driver behaviour during pick-up and drop-off times.
• Encourage a more sustainable travel ethic among parents.
• Promote the new Kea Crossing for school road patrols on Belt Road (beside the entrance to Davies Lane).
• Create a safe, community-friendly Davies Lane for the benefit of West End School students and local residents alike.

The police will close Davies Lane to all vehicles (except those for residents) during the street party to ensure the safety of 320-plus children, parents and Davies Lane residents who will be participating in the festivities.

“The Davies Lane Street Party is a light-hearted and positive approach to the serious issue of chaotic traffic and poor driver behaviour that occurs twice daily at the school’s gate,” says Mr Benefield.

The car-free street party will involve food, games, prizes and a slow bike race for the enjoyment of the children, parents and Davies Lane residents.

Mr Clarke hopes other schools will take note of West End School’s efforts to improve driver and pedestrian safety, and consider similar projects for their problem roads.

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