News / Road Safety
Car-free school streets program set to go national
Open Streets was pioneered in Brunswick and Coburg
Brunswick Voice
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A program pioneered in Brunswick and Coburg to ban cars from local streets during school drop-off and pick-up times could be adopted nationally.
Merri-bek Council last week launched a toolkit to help other local councils and schools across Australia transform busy school streets into safer and more welcoming places for active travel, play and community connection.
Developed from five years of experience, the School Open Streets Guide and Toolkit for Australian Local Governments provides practical advice, resources and proven approaches to support councils looking to establish their own initiatives.
First trialed at Brunswick East Primary School in 2021, the Open Streets initiative creates temporary car-free spaces around schools during drop-off and pick-up times.
Across Australia, councils that have delivered Open Streets have seen 20% more walking and riding, 80% of families perceiving the street to feel safer, and 88% of families wanting to see Open Streets held more often following a pilot.
The toolkit was officially launched last Friday by Merri-bek and Kingston councils at a monthly Open Street at Coburg North Primary School, the first school in the country to fully transition to school-led Open Streets in 2023 in partnership with Merri-bek Council – where, rather than an annual event, Open Streets can run more regularly facilitated by local parent volunteers.
The toolkit brings together the experiences and lessons learned from Merri-bek and Kingston, both of which have pioneered their own approaches by sharing practical resources and lessons learned.
Merri-bek has held 120 Open Streets days over the last five years, with 85 of these led by school volunteers. The guide and toolkit are designed to scale the program across the country so other councils can take part in the movement.
Merri-bek Mayor Nat Abboud said the toolkit would help councils across the country create safer, healthier and more connected neighbourhoods around schools.
“By equipping councils with practical tools and tested approaches to delivering Open Streets, we hope this guide will support a future where Australian children can safely and independently travel to school, and where streets outside schools better reflect the needs of the communities they serve,” she said.
“I’m proud we can showcase the practical insights, challenges, and successes that have shaped Merri-bek’s approach over the years to create people-centred streets that foster joy and connection in our communities.”
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