Recommendation, which is not binding, was presented by municipal deputies Miguel Graça and Daniela Serralha, of the Citizens for Lisbon (CPL), and was approved by majority vote this Tuesday.
Study which school streets can be pedestrianized, carry out a pilot project in the most suitable streets involving the respective school community and proceed with the work so that everything is ready by the start of the 2023/24 school year. This was the ambition that municipal deputies Miguel Graça and Daniela Serralha, from Cidadãos Por Lisboa (CPL), took to the Lisbon Municipal Assembly (AML) this week. In the form of a recommendation, the CPL representatives' idea was approved by a majority.
In the proposal, the Citizens for Lisbon recommend that Lisbon City Council "carry out a survey of the nurseries, kindergartens and primary schools that fall under the municipality's competence" where possible "apply any of the types of pedestrianization solutions"or a definitive closure (like this school in Olivais), or a temporary closure (as is done on Tuesdays at this school in Areeiro).
Miguel Graça and Daniela Serralha suggest that we then "study and carry out a pilot project pedestrianization" in a set of streets "considered to be the most appropriate for the implication of this measure"involving, of course, the "school community covered". Finally "start the pedestrianization of the streets considered most suitable so that, at the start of the next school year, Lisbon can already contribute to a safe return to school".
The Citizens for Lisbon recommendation was approved by a majority. The vote was taken by points: on points 1, 2 and 4 of the text, CPL, PS, Livre, BE, PCP, PAN, MPT, PPM and CDS voted in favor, PSD abstained and IL, Aliança and Chega voted against; on point 3, PSD, CDS, Aliança and PPM abstained and Chega voted against. It's important to note that this is a recommendation, so it's not binding - in other words, the Municipal Assembly is recommending something to the Council, but the Council can apply it or not.
However, the Citizens for Lisbon proposal is inspired by solutions already applied in cities like Paris or BarcelonaThe aim was to protect the school population from heavy road traffic, excessive speeds and air pollution. In 2020, Barcelona decided eliminating parking, reducing roads and lowering speeds near schools. And Paris has a broad project of pedestrianizing streets near schools.
In Lisbon, in eight parishes (Areeiro, Arroios, Carnide, Misericórdia, Penha de França, Santa Maria Maior, Santo António and São Vicente) walking to school is the most popular option, according to data from the latest report Hands Up!. In 2022, Jardim-Escola João de Deus dos Olivais achieved close a small street to traffic in front of the gate, where the cars used to stop. Another school in Olivais started experimenting with closing a small street on Fridays. The area around Agrupamento de Escolas D. Filipa de Lencastre, in Arco do Cego, is car-free every Tuesday. There have also been some improvements to the public space around schools, as in this case in São Vicente.
