The aim of the city of Erlangen is to promote car-free mobility for children and young people. In particular, the mobility behavior learned in childhood is formative for traffic behavior in adulthood, and the way to school is a decisive element in this.
Despite the many advantages that walking offers schoolchildren, e.g. better concentration in class, time for social bonding, training in traffic behavior, children are increasingly being taken to and picked up from school by car. This leads to a high volume of morning pick-up and drop-off traffic in front of schools and causes considerable obstruction and danger to schoolchildren.
The aim of the pick-up and drop-off zones, which are gradually being introduced at Erlangen schools, is to prevent stopping and parking directly in front of the school and thus increase road safety. Furthermore, pupils who are brought to school by car are to be encouraged to walk a short distance before the start of lessons. This is accompanied by campaigns in lessons and comprehensive information for parents and children to draw attention to the use of the pick-up and drop-off zones and to encourages walking.
In spring 2018, a pick-up and drop-off zone for the Loschge elementary school on Theaterplatz was set up as a pilot project. This has led to a significant reduction in car traffic directly in front of the school on Loschgestraße. Due to the positive results, pick-up and drop-off zones were also set up at Michael Poeschke Primary School, Adalbert Stifter Primary School, Max and Justine Elsner Primary School and, most recently, at Friedrich Rückert Primary School. So far, positive experiences have been gained at all evaluated schools. The city of Erlangen therefore intends to implement the concept at other elementary school in Erlangen.
