Solve The School Run

We always knew this local election campaign was going to be epic! Here's the story - in numbers - of our #StreetsForKids campaign with @cleancitiescampaign We had THREE asks for councils: 🚸 More effective School Streets 🚲 More funding and storage for cargo bikes 🛑 Fewer cars parked on the kerbside so children can cross roads safely Why? Our streets are not safe or healthy for kids! We kicked off our campaign with new research that shows 443 children are injured on their way to or from school every day. ➽ We worked with four London boroughs: Hackney, Lambeth, Lewisham and Southwark, to sign up to our manifesto and met SEVEN cabinet-level candidates and many more councillors, explaining why these asks are so important. ➽ Our incredible parent network mobilised, with hundreds of families joining their local WhatsApp group to support change and sending 361 emails to local candidates, securing 59 pledge signatories. And SEVEN local parties included our asks in their own manifestos. ➽ We also held SEVEN events, bringing together HUNDREDS of families alongside councillor candidates, showing the huge demand for safer streets around schools. ➽ TWO rallies featuring DOZENS of tiny (and very cute) zebras, highlighting the dangers children face near their schools. ➽ TWO joyful bike buses, demonstrating the appetite for safe cycling routes to school — including ONE led by the amazing @coachbalto ➽ THREE “Show & Tells”, where families walked councillor candidates through the danger hotspots their children navigate every day. ⭐ To top it off, we launched research showing that a London family using a cargo bike could save £4,000 a year compared to owning a second-hand car. 💪 Almost all the cabinet level candidates we engaged now have significant roles in office. And they go into that office having pledged to deliver on our manifesto. We look forward to holding them to that. 📣 This campaign showed the enormous appetite for #StreetsForKids across London. Parents, children and communities are crying out for safer, healthier streets, and when people are given the chance to speak up, they do. Loudly.

Lovely bit of coverage for our cost findings on cargo bikes vs cars in collaboration with @cleancitiescampaign 😍 💫 Thank you @ebiketips

We had an amazing bike bus with @coachbalto of @bikebusworld last month! 🚲 Bike Bus World was co-founded by Coach aka Sam Balto, a former PE teacher from Portland, Oregon in the US who is now a stone cold active-kids legend. Since his first ever bike bus, just over four years ago in April 2022, Sam's helped to bring the joyous bike bus concept to school runs all over the globe and turned it into an amazing movement. 🚲 + 🚌 What is a bike bus? It's like a school bus, but on bikes! And with a lot more kids. The bus picks up pupils - and their parents - along the route on a ride to school that's safe (because you can't miss a bike bus) and powered by positivity, camaraderie and banging tunes. 🩷 Sam was passing through London from the States for two days only but managed to squeeze in joining us for the our bike bus to Rosendale Primary School, where there's an incredible community of families who love cycling and walking to school. We felt very lucky to have him for the morning! 🌟 Rosendale is our local primary in Lambeth, and where Solve the School Run started, which made the event even more special. ❓So how was it? We think the video speaks for itself. (It was BRILLIANT!) @solverosendale @coachbalto @safer_alleynpark @betterstreetswestdulwich @lovewestdulwich @ibikelondon @cleanairdulwich @joinourcargocollective @greenschoolruns @safe_air_schools_uk @bikeportland @jonathan.maus @kiddicalmass_london @cleancitiescampaign @bikebuscamden @mumsforlungs @hernehillforum @londoncityranger @peddlemywheels @ourbikeuk @londonbikebus @thisisdulwichvillage @charlotte_critical_mass @dulwichwoodprimary @dulwichhamletjs dulwich_village_infants @stjudeslambeth @hernehillschool @hernehillsociety #bikebus #bikebusworld #rosendaleprimary #streetsforkids #westdulwichmums

Thank you southwarklabour for championing child safety and committing to our Streets For Kids campaign manifesto. Southwark Labour say: 🚸 We will guarantee a School Street for every eligible school by 2030. 🚲 We will increase funding for cargo bikes, with more storage spaces and bike share schemes, to help families reduce the miles they drive. 🦓 We will continue to invest in new crossings and cycle hangars where our communities need them, while expanding walking and cycle routes. This will include making more of our kerbsides child-friendly with safer crossings and other road improvements. @cllrsarahking @johnbatteson @cllrrichardleeming @cllrmargynewens #southwarklabour #LabourParty #childsafety #localelections2026 #RoadSafety #StreetsForKids

Thank you @southwarkgreenparty for championing child safety and committing to our Streets For Kids campaign manifesto. Southwark Greens say: 🚸We will deliver a School Street for every eligible school and make children’s safety a priority. 🚲 We will install new cycle lanes, cycle hangars and more cycle parking, including for cargo bikes and adapted cycles. #roadsafety #childsafety #localelections2026 #RoadSafety #StreetsForKids @cleanairdulwich @greenjamesmcash @rachaelpenny.greenparty @suzannewisegreenparty @eloise_eastdulwichgreens

Thank you @hackneylabour for championing child safety and committing to our Streets For Kids campaign manifesto. Hackney Labour say: 🚸 We will increase our school streets enforcement. 🚲 We will increase parking for cargo bikes. 🌳We will look at ways to use our kerbsides more effectively, from parking for people with disabilities, managing dockless bike hires and cargo bikes. @sarahjoannayoung @caroline.woodley @solvehackney @hackney_new_primary @lowtraffichackney #hackneylabour #LabourParty #roadsafety #childsafety #localelections2026 #RoadSafety #StreetsForKids

Thank you @hackneygreenparty for championing child safety and committing to our Streets For Kids campaign manifesto. Hackney Greens say: 🚸We will create traffic-free School Streets for all eligible primary and secondary schools, as well as introducing them at colleges. 🚲We will expand the network of e-cargo bike hire schemes across Hackney. 🌳We will design and implement a kerbside strategy to bring new life to kerbside spaces for safer crossings, greater accessibility, public seating, climate resilience and increased urban biodiversity. We will introduce new car parking permit structures that reflect vehicle size, weight and emissions, to deter the use of SUVs and ensure people pay their fair share to improve the safety and accessibility of our roads. #localelections #solvetheschoolrun #LocalElections2026 #RoadSafety #StreetsForKids #LondonParents @zoegarbettgreen @hackneycable @solvehackney @hackney_new_primary @lowtraffichackney

Thank you @lambethgreenparty for championing child safety and committing to our Streets For Kids campaign manifesto asks. Lambeth Greens say: 🚸 We will introduce school streets around every Lambeth school, with appropriate bollards and cameras, and ensure that all schools have a transport strategy for drop off and pick up. 🚲 Reduce existing barriers to family cargo bike use through providing secure kerbside storage for these bikes and expanding appropriate subsidies. 🦓 Work towards a child-friendly kerbside, prioritising play, green space, and safe crossings. @solvelambeth @solverosendale @paulvalentine87 @alangreenlambeth @louiseairaware @scott.ainslie.73 @cleancitiescampaign @solvehackney @solvesouthwark @solveschoolrunlewisham #LocalElections2026 #RoadSafety #StreetsForKids #LondonParents

Tired of the stress and strain of trying to keep your children safe every day on this simple journey? 💫 Wish it was safe enough for them to make this short trip on their own? 🦓 🚲 This week we’ve been out demanding bike lanes and zebras in south London - as a parent-led charity working to turn the school run into a healthier, more sustainable and safe journey for everyone, this is what we do! 🚸 But we shouldn’t have to - and nor should our children! Agree? 👉 Join us and read more about our campaign in the link in our bio. #londonparents #streetsforkids #solvetheschoolrun #saferstreets #londonschoolrun

📣 New research shows that families can save thousands of pounds a year by ditching their car for an electric cargo bike - but many households, particularly those living in flats, cannot make the switch. 💷 As the war in the Middle East pushes up fuel prices, @solveschoolrun and @cleancitiescampaign have calculated that using an e-cargo bike and public transport for family travel is £4,000 a year cheaper than using a second-hand family car and public transport. The analysis includes purchase price, depreciation, running costs, and additional transport costs. 🚘 Since the beginning of March petrol prices have jumped 20 per cent, while the diesel spike has been even bigger, increasing by 36 per cent. 📢 We're calling on London boroughs to introduce subsidies to make cargo bikes more accessible to families, as outlined in our #StreetsforKids manifesto. 👉 Find out more in the news link in our bio - or go to 🔗 /blog #cargobikes #cargobikefamily #cargobikesofinstagram #londonparents #parentinghacks #solvetheschoolrun

😮 Yes, that's right: there are just TWO secure cargo bike parking spaces in London. That's one space for every 4,500,000 people in the capital. 😁 E-cargo bikes are an increasingly popular option for those concerned about the cost of living. Analysis in partnership with @cleancitiescampaign cleancitiescampaign analysis of data from Transport for London shows that cargo bike journeys doubled between 2022 and 2024 and 2025 figures from the Bicycle Association show a 36% year on year increase in e-cargo bikes sales. 🤨However, sales in the UK are way behind other European countries, with just 4,000 sold in 2022, compared with 70,000 in France and 90,000 in Germany. 💷 The barriers include up front costs - an e-cargo bike can cost around £6,000 - and a safe place to store the bikes. 🗝 With councillors due to be elected across the country on 7 May, the researchers have found that families are being “locked out” of thousands of pounds in potential savings because of a severe shortage of secure cargo bike parking. 🗣“We speak to hundreds of families every year who are keen to buy an e-cargo bike, but lack of secure storage stops them,” said Alper Muduroglu, CEO of Peddle My Wheels.” Even in London, which often has better bike storage facilities than other parts of the country, there are just two secure spaces in on-street cargo bike hangars, one for every 4,500,000 people in the capital. 🚘 There are one million parking spaces for cars. 🔗Link to full story in bio.

😁 Seen our news about the cost of cargo bikes vs cars, out today? . 👉 Click the link in our bio or check our last post.