The pilot project at the Om Berg elementary school in Holzlar/Hoholz and the Marktschule in Pützchen (both in the district of Beuel) will begin on Monday, September 25, 2023. The two schools are informing parents, and the city administration has distributed information letters to residents living in the immediate vicinity.

At Om Berg elementary school, the Pützhecke area will be closed to cars on school days between 7:30 am and 8:15 am, while at Marktschule the school road in Von-Ketteler-Straße at the junction with the cul-de-sac next to the gym will be closed between 7:15 am and 8 am. Only authorized traffic will be permitted from the respective school by means of a barrier.

"We have made road safety an important goal in order to reduce the risk of accidents and make public spaces in the city more attractive and enjoyable. The safety of schoolchildren is a particularly important aspect of this," explains Mayor Katja Dörner. "At the same time, we would like to encourage parents to avoid taking their children to school by car, as this leads to dangerous and unmanageable traffic situations. Children are hardly able to get an overview in such situations, which they urgently need in order to cross the road safely."

Despite the establishment of the temporary school streets, residents and their visitors will still be able to drive through. The city administration will issue authorization cards or permits for this purpose. Residents can also pass through on presentation of their identity card, on which the current registration address in the closed street is noted.

In collaboration with Bochum University of Applied Sciences, the pilot project at Om Berg elementary school is being monitored and evaluated as part of a bachelor's thesis. The first results of the evaluation are expected at the end of the year.