Castel’s parents-only cycle area proves popular
A NEW dedicated parents-only cycle area at Castel Primary School has proven a huge hit with families taking on the school run by bike.
The area, which was introduced at the start of the school term, was designed to fit eight cargo or electric bikes, but is often seen packed with many more.
PTA communications officer Nicole Bromley has a daughter in Year 1 and cycles with her to school on the back of her bike.
‘After the second lockdown, a lot of people got electric bikes and cargo bikes. There was a struggle with finding places to park them and people kept sort of moving them around, they were scattered everywhere,’ she said.
‘It’s been really popular with parents even on the first day. On a good day the space will be overflowing.’
Previously, cycling parents leant their bikes against the playground walls, or took up space on the pavement.
The painted area was introduced in a collaboration between the PTA, the Health Improvement Commission and Traffic and Highways, due to the area being on the public road.
‘This is just the first step, it was an easy win, and there is the opportunity to expand and develop,’ said Traffic and Highways road safety officer Paul James.
‘We hope that it will change the attitudes of other parents and encourage more parents and carers to cycle.’
One parking space has been removed to make way for the bike parking, but often more than eight cars have been taken off of the roads as a result.
‘We work with local schools to create active travel plans around making roads safer, where parents and children can walk or cycle where possible,’ said Health Improvement Commission active travel officer Alex Costen.
‘It was a win-win situation, taking bikes off of the dedicated pavements and having more people to cycle as well as it being really well received by parents.’
Planning permission has been granted to install an additional bike rack inside the school grounds for pupils to store their bikes.
The school is looking for someone to install it.
