Creating safer school zones in Herzele with data

In the morning when school starts, and in the evening, after the final bell rings, the street is closed to motorized traffic, allowing only pedestrians and cyclists to pass while cars must take an alternate route. 

Telraam's role

Telraam counters were installed in 21 locations across the municipality of Herzele. The data provided clear insights into key questions as: did traffic increase on surrounding streets? Or: was there a noticeable shift from cars to bicycles or public transport? 

In addition to the 21 traffic counters, 10 air quality sensors were installed to monitor pollution levels. The goal was to assess whether the school street not only impacted traffic but also influenced air quality in the municipality.

This allowed the municipality of Herzele to monitor both traffic and air quality simultaneously. All data was integrated into an online dashboard, making it easy for residents and others to access and understand the results. Explore the findings on the Policy Monitoring Dashboard (PMD).

How did the school street project begin?

As part of the European CompAir project, a municipality willing to implement a school street was needed to study its impact on both traffic and air pollution. Herzele municipality applied, as there was already local interest in testing such an initiative. 

Initially, recruiting enough residents to host traffic counters seemed challenging. However, thanks to Paul - a dedicated local volunteer who personally went door to door advocating for Telraam - the project secured over 20 locations for installations, making comprehensive monitoring possible.

Positive impact of the School Street

The data confirms that the school street in the municipality was a success. It did not significantly increase traffic on neighboring streets, and residents, students, and the school’s headmaster all responded positively. Even the local police supported the initiative. 

One nearby street saw an increase in traffic, as detected by Telraam's continuous monitoring. Thanks to ongoing data collection, the issue was identified early, and additional measures were put in place to address it effectively.

Conclusion

The school street project in the municipality of Herzele demonstrates how Telraam provides valuable insights for evaluating and refining new traffic measures. By continuously monitoring the impact, it ensures that initiatives like school streets are effective, adaptable, and supported by data-driven decisions.