Northern Beaches Council will conduct a road safety audit on all 80 schools in the area as part of a two-year plan to accelerate arrangements that address safety concerns around schools. 

All 80 schools are being contacted to gather information about the perception of safety around the school, local issues as well as student and parent travel behaviour.

The results of this will form the basis of a road safety action plan, taking into account traffic, parking, infrastructure and pedestrian movements, for each school.

Mayor Michael Regan said the safety of schoolchildren, entering and leaving schools, is of utmost importance to Council.

“I am often contacted by concerned parents looking to make it safer around the high pedestrian areas outside our schools,” Mayor Regan said.

“We have completed safety improvements at 17 schools with scheduled improvements at an additional six schools by the end of June this year.

“These have been undertaken to address a specific issue that has been raised by the school community. However, it is great now to be looking at all schools so we can roll out these types of measures across our whole area,” Mayor Regan said.

Council’s Road Safety Officers and Traffic Engineers work closely with local schools to discuss and address pedestrian safety concerns.

The two-year accelerated and targeted school road safety program will particularly address safety concerns at schools adjacent to high traffic roads and those in the growth areas of the Northern Beaches.

The program will begin with primary schools in these areas and will then be rolled out to the remaining primary schools and then high schools.

Following the outcome of the safety audit process, Council will begin the next stage of improving road safety by phasing-in measures at each school, where it is deemed beneficial, to encourage students to walk and cycle more, and to travel less by car.

This will be done by improving and expanding the walking and shared path networks around schools.