Enforcement works best when used in combination with other strategies. Communities tailor enforcement, engineering, education and encouragement strategies to address the specific needs of their schools.
The main goal for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) enforcement strategies is to improve safe behaviors and deter unsafe behaviors of drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Enforcement is one of the complementary strategies that SRTS programs use to enable more children to walk and bicycle to school safely. Enforcement includes students, parents, adult school crossing guards, school personnel and neighborhood watch programs all working in conjunction with law enforcement.
Educating parents and students on proper drop-of and pick-up process is essential in developing a safe and efficient system.
An on-site temporary drop-off and pick-up zones is a section of the school grounds, such as a play area or parking lot, which can be used as a dedicated drop-off and pick-up zone only when children are arriving at, or leaving, school. Temporary drop-off and pick-up zones can be useful in older, urban schools that were built with no student loading areas and when most children walked to school rather than being driven to school.
Officially close street to traffic or create a one-way street only during drop-off and pick-up times.
Temporary street closures during student arrival and departure times can improve the efficiency and safety of the drop off and pick up of students at school. Temporary street closures eliminate motor vehicles in areas congested with pedestrians, bicyclists, and perhaps busses. Another similar technique is to designate a street as one-way during drop-off and pick-up time. Signs are essential for this method.
Another strategy to improve the safety and efficiency of the drop-off and pick-up process is the use of off-site queuing lanes or line of cars.
A drop-off and pick-up lane is an area on a street adjacent to school grounds or directly on the school grounds that is dedicated to the loading and unloading of students by private motor vehicles.