Implementation of School Streets Programme and Its Impact on Traffic and Air Emissions – Case Study in Leeds using SATURN

Abstract

Air emissions from motor vehicles adversely impact public health, especially among students who are vulnerable to pollutants when commuting
to/from schools located near busy roads. Various policies have been implemented to address this issue, including the School Streets programme, which restricts
motor vehicle access around the school area at the beginning and end of the school day. The programme has been adopted in several cities across the UK, including
Leeds, to improve the safety and air quality around school environments. The SATURN traffic model and the DEFRA Emission Factor Toolkit were used to evaluate
the impact of School Streets on private vehicle route changes and air emissions at 4 school corridors in Leeds: Armley, Chapel Allerton, Weetwood, and Woodhouse.
Moreover, 5 morning time-segment scenarios were simulated to analyse the effects of road closures on traffic flow and pollutant emissions. The results show that
road closures successfully diverted traffic but increased congestion on alternative routes. This programme was also had potential cost-disbenefits of up to ₤558.7
at the end of the scenario. The emissions of 4 pollutants, namely CO₂, NOx, PM10, and PM2.5, were found to be significantly decreased in Chapel Allerton and
Weetwood schools but increased in Armley and Woodhouse schools. The study concludes that the effectiveness of the School Streets programme is highly contextdependent and recommends micro-level evaluations and integration with complementary policies within local context—such as 20-mile/h zones and park-andstride schemes.