Safe School Routes (SSR)

Childhood is considered a cross cutting priority on mobility matters. Collective support systems of the school allow organizing different mobility, increasing the number of children walk or use the bike and developing a wider social network around the child welfare, that involves security and confidence. The goal of the practice was to create safe route networks for young school pupils to change their transport habits. The promotion of this initiative foster to develop healthier lifestyle, encourages children to socialize and improves the environment and the public space. The Mobility Area of the Council of Valladolid collaborates with stakeholders on setting up each route, as well as in adapting it to the itinerary: mainly introducing the vertical or horizontal signs, new road marks, parameterizing traffic lights or speed limits. The General Directorate of Traffic (DGT) and the Municipal Police, as well as the schools, parents and neighborhood associations have an active role in the implementation of the practice. The project promotes different tools that can be used to monitor and follow up what happens on tracks. A key role in the initiative play also so called “friendly shops” - providing firsthand information to children and exercising a social control over the security of some areas of the route.SSR involves a high degree of commitment, not only from school or the council side, but also from social side (families, teachers, associations); from design to implementation