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7.d) Southwest JR SRTS PlanSafe Routes to School Plan Forest Lake School District I Forest Lake, Minnesota I December 2015 bO�NNE5l7T4y0 a a Funded through a MnDOT federal o Safe Routes to School Planning Assistance GrantoxTfk Acknowledgements The following key people/entities participated in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan efforts for this Safe Routes to School Plan. Their creativity, energy, and commitment were critical to the success of this effort. Mike Conway, St. Peter's Catholic School Jill Gillach, Century Junior High Jeffrey Ion, Forest Lake Elementary Kelly Lafean, Central Learning Center, STEP Larry Martini, Director of Business Services Steve Massey, Forest Lake Area High School Scott Urness, Forest View Elementary Plan document prepared by: alta con-irnuntty W■ design 00 group ■■N Table of Contents Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................................................... iii Tableof Contents.....................................................................................................................................................................iv Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................1 Whatis Safe Routes to School?............................................................................................................................................1 Benefits of Walking and Bicycling to School.................................................................................................................... 3 Howto Use this Plan............................................................................................................................................................. 4 Visionand Planning Background.......................................................................................................................................7 RelevantPlanning Background............................................................................................................................................ 7 ExistingConditions..................................................................................................................................................................9 SchoolContext........................................................................................................................................................................ 9 SchoolTravel Patterns..........................................................................................................................................................12 Traffic Conditions and Crash Analysis.............................................................................................................................15 SiteAudit.................................................................................................................................................................................16 Infrastructure Issues and Recommendations............................................................................................................18 Maintenance............................................................................................................................................................................IS ProgramsRecommendations........................................................................................................................................... 21 SchoolCommunity Programs.............................................................................................................................................22 Evaluation............................................................................................................................................................................... 27 ImplementationStrategy.................................................................................................................................................... 30 YearOne.................................................................................................................................................................................. 30 FutureActions....................................................................................................................................................................... 30 ProgramsAction Plan............................................................................................................................................................31 InfrastructureAction Plan..................................................................................................................................................32 Introduction What is Safe Routes to School? Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a program with a simple goal: helping more children get to school by walking and bicycling. Envision active kids using safe streets, helped by engaged adults (from teachers to parents to police officers), surrounded by responsible drivers. Safe Routes to School programs use a variety of strategies to make it easy, fun and safe for children to walk and bike to school. These strategies are often called the "Five Es." • Education: programs designed to teach children about traffic safety, bicycle and pedestrian skills, and traffic decision-making. • Encouragement: programs that make it fun for kids to walk and bike. These programs may be challenges, incentive programs, regular events (e.g., "Walk and Bike Wednesdays") or classroom activities. • Engineering: physical projects that are built to improve walking and bicycling conditions. • Enforcement: law enforcement strategies to improve driver behavior near schools. • Evaluation: strategies to help understand program effectiveness, identify improvements, and ensure program sustainability. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan I 1 The Challenge Although most students in the United States walked or biked to school pre -1980's, the number of students walking or bicycling to school has sharply declined. This decline is due to a number of factors, including urban growth patterns, school siting requirements, increased traffic, busy student schedules, and parental concerns about safety. The situation is self-perpetuating: as more parents drive their children to school, there is increased traffic at the school site, resulting in more parents becoming concerned about traffic and driving their children to school. Ib4 Safe Routes to School? Within the span of one generation, the percentage of children walking or bicycling to school has dropped precipitously. 48% yew 13/ 1969 009 Kids are not getting enough physical activity. Roads near schools are congested, decreasing safety and air quality for children. -Ar, � 1 More information, including primary sources, can be found at http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org. 2 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Kids who walk IV $ or bike to school: • Arrive alert and able to focus on school • Get most of their recommended daily physical activity during the trip to school • Are more likely to be a healthy body weight • Demonstrate improved test scores and better school performance • Are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety' The downward cycle of traffic and reduced walking and bicycling Benefits of Walking and Bicycling to School Safe Routes to Schools programs directly benefit schoolchildren, parents and teachers by creating a safer SRTS benefits children: travel environment near schools and by reducing motor vehicle congestion at school drop-off and pick-up zones. Increased physical fitness and cardiovascular Students that choose to bike or walk to school are health rewarded with the health benefits of a more active lifestyle, with the responsibility and independence that comes from being in charge of the way they travel, and learn at an early age that bicycling and walking can be safe, enjoyable and good for the environment. Safe Routes to Schools programs offer ancillary benefits to neighborhoods by helping to slow traffic and by providing infrastructure improvements that facilitate bicycling and walking for everyone. Identifying and improving routes for children to safely walk and bicycle to school is also one of the most cost-effective means of reducing weekday morning traffic congestion and can help reduce auto - related pollution. In addition to safety and traffic improvements, an SRTS program helps integrate physical activity into the everyday routine of school children. Health concerns related to sedentary lifestyles have become the focus of statewide and national efforts to reduce risks associated with being overweight. Children who bike or walk to school have an overall higher activity level than those who are driven to school, even though the journey to school makes only a small contribution to activity levels. Active kids are healthy kids. Walking or bicycling to school is an easy way to make sure that children get daily physical activity. • Increased ability to focus on school • A sense of independence and confidence about their transportation and their neighborhood SRTS benefits neighborhoods: • Improved air quality as fewer children are driven to school • Decreased crashes and congestion as fewer children are driven to school • More community involvement as parents, teachers and neighbors get involved and put "eyes on the street" SRTS benefits schools: • Fewer discipline problems because children arrive "ready to learn" • Fewer private cars arriving to drop off and pick up children • Opportunities to integrate walking, bicycling and transportation topics into curriculum (e.g. "Walk & Bike Across America") • Increased efficiency and safety during drop-off and pick-up times Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 13 M 71 A k, - M., I-. - - How to Use this Plan This SRTS plan provides an overview of Safe Routes to School with specific recommendations for a 5 E's approach to improve the safety and the health and wellness of students. The specific recommendations in this plan are intended to support infrastructure improvements and programs over the next 5 years. It should be noted that not all of these projects and programs need to be implemented right away to improve the environment for walking and bicycling to school. The recommended projects and programs listed in this plan should be reviewed as part of the overall and ongoing Safe Routes to School strategy. Some projects will require more time, support, and funding than others. It is important to achieve shorter -term successes while laying the groundwork for progress toward some of the larger and more complex projects. This plan includes recommendations for infrastructure projects both long- and short-term as well as programmatic recommendations. At the heart of every successful Safe Routes to School comprehensive program is a coordinated effort by parent volunteers, school staff, local agency staff, law enforcement and community advocates, such as public health. The following paragraphs highlight the unique contributions of key partners in Safe Routes to School. Parents can use this report to understand the conditions at their children's school and to become familiar with the ways an SRTS program can work to make walking and bicycling safer. Concerned parents or city residents have a very important role in the Safe Routes to School process. Parent groups, both formal and informal, have the ability and the responsibility to help implement many of the educational and encouragement programs suggested in this plan. Parent groups can also be critical to ongoing success by helping to fundraise for smaller projects and programs that are implementable without serious effort on behalf of the district or local agency. School district and school administrative staff can use this report to prioritize improvements identified on District property and develop programs that educate and encourage students and parents to seek alternatives to single family commutes to school. Parents lead students on walking school bus from a park and walk site Parents waiting in queue for students at pick up play a significant role in student transportation safety District officials are perhaps the most stable of the stakeholders for a Safe Routes to School program and have the responsibility for keeping the program active over time. District staff can work with multiple schools sharing information and bringing efficiencies to programs at each school working on Safe Routes. 4 1 South west Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan School administrators have an important role in implementing the recommendations contained within this SRTS plan. The impetus for change and improvement must be supported by the leadership of the school. School administrators can help with making policy and procedural changes to projects that are within school grounds and have the responsibility to distribute informational materials to parents within school publications. City and County staff can use this report to identify citywide issues and opportunities related to walking and bicycling and to prioritize infrastructure improvements. City staff can also use this report to support Safe Routes to School funding and support opportunities such as: MnDOT Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grants Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grants Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) For all infrastructure recommendations, a traffic study and more detailed engineering may be necessary to evaluate project feasibility, and additional public outreach should be conducted before final design and construction. For recommendations within the public right-of-way, the responsible agency will determine how (and it) to incorporate suggestions into local improvement plans and prioritize funding to best meet the needs of each school community. Police department staff can use this report to understand issues related to walking and bicycling to school and to plan for and prioritize enforcement activities that may make it easier and safer for students to walk and bike to school. The Police Department will be Enforcement is a key component of successful SRTS programs. Safety officers can become a key ally of students walking and cycling to school instrumental to the success of the enforcement programs and policies recommended in this plan. The Police Department will also have a key role in working with school administrations in providing officers and assistance to some of the proposed education and encouragement programs. Public health staff can use this report to identify specific opportunities to collaborate with schools and local governments to support safety improvements and encourage healthy behaviors in school children and their families. SouthwestJunior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 15 m 71 A k, - M., I-. - - This Page Intentionally Left Blank 6 1 SouthwestJunior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Vision and Planning Background "Safe Routes to School initiatives will improve safety and encourage more students and families in Forest Lake to walk, bike or roll to school. The program will result in less traffic congestion, higher levels of physical activity, and an enhanced quality of life in our neighborhoods. The program will connect students and their familics withyear-round opportunities for active transportation through education, encouragement, and use of a safe on -street and trail network. Safe Routes to School will foster a culture of healthy and active families by encouraging non -motorized forms of transportation as a safe, comfortable and normal way of getting to and from school." The vision of walking and bicycling around the Southwest Junior High School will help frame the Safe Routes to School planning process and inform recommended improvements to pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and programs. Relevant Planning Background This is the first year that the Forest Lake Area School District is partnering with local elementary and junior high schools to support them in developing individual Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plans. Local support for SRTS comes from the Forest Lake City Engineer, the Washington County Department of Public Health and Environment, Parent Teacher Associations, and the City Administrator. Law enforcement from the city is also providing local support to participating schools, building on their past work of over 20 years of providing annual bicycle safety camps for elementary school students. Some existing district and city policies already support SRTS goals, including a district policy about student wellness. District policy requires parental permission to walk or bike to school, and busing is available for all students based on the school board's definition of hazardous road crossings. This policy has high community support, as it was funded by a levy. In 2008 the City of Forest Lake adopted its 2030 Comprehensive Plan, which includes chapters on Transportation and Parks, Trails &t Open Space. The Trails section of the Transportation chapter includes the statement that "as residential developments are proposed the City will require sidewalks and trails through its review process to ensure connectivity within [the] development and to important points outside... such as schools, parks, public facilities and commercial areas." Priority trails to link schools to the Hardwood Creek Regional Trail are also identified in this chapter. The Parks, Trails &r Open Space chapter incorporates the 2003 stand-alone Parks, Trails & Open Space Plan. It includes the goal of "developing a trail system that meets the needs of all residents of the City," and identifies a list of high priority trail locations for the improved safety of residents. These locations include several near Forest Lake area schools. In 2012 the Highway 61 Aesthetics and Water Quality Planning Study identified the need for improved pedestrian connections along U.S. Highway 61, 11th Avenue, and 81h Street. This Planning Study also identified other community priorities: improving non -motorized network connectivity and providing safe places for kids to walk or bike to school. South west Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 17 z 71 A k, - M., I-. - - The district was recently awarded funding for infrastructure improvements near several schools that will make it easier for more students to walk or bike to school. Planned projects include cooperative MnDOT projects, and SRTS projects, are slated for completion by 2016. Planned infrastructure projects include a roundabout and pedestrian overpass at U.S. Highway 61 and MN Highway 97; Sidewalk connection on 8th Street SE between 15th Avenue Southeast and Scandia Trail North; Sidewalk connection on 11th Avenue Southeast between U.S. Highway 61 and South Shore Drive; Sidewalk connection on Scandia Trail North between U.S. Highway 61 and 8th Street Southeast; and a sidewalk connection on U.S. Highway 61 north of Scandia Trail Drive. Additional sidewalks are planned for the area that will help to support a more complete pedestrian network in Forest Lake. Planning Process The year-long planning process for these SRTS plans included building a SRTS team, gathering data and information about existing conditions, developing recommendations for the 5 E's, and developing a report that outlines the priorities for infrastructure and programming improvements for participating schools in the Forest Lake Area School District. The graphic below illustrates key stages in the planning process: October - N ovem ber SRTS Team Meeting 1; Collect existing conditions data. conduct commmunity survey, walk;bikeaudit February - April Assemble draft plans based on existing conditions, survey, audit and community meetings 8 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan May -August SRTS Team Meetfng 4; Finaiiae plan document Fal Discuss implementation strategies and opportunities December - Fall January Execute Contract SRTS Team Meetings Develop iiftial 2 & 3; Produce existing contacts with SRTS conditions memo and team leaders develop plan alternatives October - N ovem ber SRTS Team Meeting 1; Collect existing conditions data. conduct commmunity survey, walk;bikeaudit February - April Assemble draft plans based on existing conditions, survey, audit and community meetings 8 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan May -August SRTS Team Meetfng 4; Finaiiae plan document Fal Discuss implementation strategies and opportunities Existing Conditions School Context Seven Forest Lake Area Schools are participating in the 2014-2015 SRTS planning process including Forest Lake Elementary School, Forest View Elementary School, Central Montessori K-6 School, Southwest Junior High School, Century Junior High School, and St. Peter's Catholic K-6 School. Southwest Junior High School is a Forest Lake Area School that serves grades 7-9. School enrollment for the 2014-2015 school year was 767 students. Scott Geary is the principal of the school. Arrival time is 7:42am and Dismissal is 2:10pm. School Enrollment Boundary SouthwestJunior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 19 z 71 A k, - M., I-. - - Surrounding Land Use Southwest Junior High is bound by 9th Avenue Southwest on the south,12th Street Southwest on the west, and 7th Avenue Southwest on the north. The east side of the campus connects to open space and the west side of the Forest View Elementary campus. Interstate 35 is located a 1/2 mile west of the school. 11th Avenue Southwest (also known as County Road 83 and 220th Street North) is located less than a 1/4 mile south of the school. There is very little residential development south of llth Avenue Southwest because of Clear Lake. Commercial development, including a Target and Walmart, are located less than a 1/2 mile northwest of the school along 12th Street Southwest. Single-family residences are located north and south of the school. Multi -family apartments are located southeast of the school, west of 12th Street Southwest, and across the street on 7th Avenue Southwest. Student Walking and Biking Southwest Junior High is mostly attended by students who live in surrounding communities / suburbs who are bused in. Students in the surrounding community are automatically assigned to attend (and be bused to) Century Junior High. In order to attend Southwest, students living across the street or in the surrounding neighborhood must open enroll. The principal estimated about 90-95% of the students are bused or driven. Sidewalks are generally not present in the surrounding area. There is a sidewalk on the west side of 12th Street Southwest and for brief extent on the north side of 7th Avenue Southwest. The sidewalk on 7th Avenue Southwest was well maintained and clear of snow, though the sidewalk itself was crumbling in some areas. The sidewalk on 12th Street Southwest was not well maintained. It was visible only in some areas, and was mostly covered in snow and blocks of ice during the walk audit. There is neither a student patrol program nor any adult crossing guards at Southwest Junior High. A Target and Walmart are located a block northwest on 12th Street Southwest. There are opportunities to improve snow removal from sidewalks along 12th Street Southwest, a route that connects Southwest Junior High to apartments and commercial destinations. Single- and multi -family housing surround Southwest Junior High. 10 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Campus Layout The Southwest Junior High School property takes up a full block, with the school building located in the center. A parking lot is located on the east side of the school, and a bus loop is located on the south side of the school. Students may enter on the east or south side of the building. Doors are locked when school begins. One driveway is present on 7th Avenue Southwest, and two are present on 9th Avenue Southwest. Buses drop off along the east side of the school, and along the south side of the school in the bus loop. Parents drop off in the parking lot, and in the bus loop when buses are not present. There are no direct pedestrian connections between adjacent roads and the school sidewalk network. A comb - style bicycle rack is located near door 6 at the northwest corner of the building. Buses drop off along the east side of the school while Parents circulate throuah the Parkina lot. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan I 11 z 71 A k, - M., I-. - - School Travel Patterns In -classroom tallies of students' arrival and departure travel modes were conducted at Southwest Junior High School in October 2014. A total of 1,430 trips were tallied in the morning and 1,436 trips were tallied during the afternoon. Overall, 72% of students traveled to and from school by school bus and 22% by family vehicle. Three percent of students walked to and from school, 3% carpooled and 0% traveled by bike. As shown in the chart, the mode split was fairly consistent during the morning and afternoon, with slightly fewer students being driven home in the family vehicle in the afternoon. Student Travel Survey Summary Southwest Junior High School Travel Mode Split 800/0 70% 60% 50% 40% 3(1% 20% 10% 3°/a 3% 0 --- ­11111111111111111illll %0%0% Walk Bike 72%72% School Bus Family Vehicle Carpool Transit Other Morning ■ Afternoon Parent Survey Summary In January 2015, Southwest Junior High School parents were asked to fill out a short survey about how their children travel to and from school, perceived barriers to walking and biking to and from school, and their own attitudes related to walking and biking. Administrators received 245 total surveys relative to a school enrollment of 800 students. Current Travel Patterns: Mode and Distance The vast majority of Southwest Junior High School students travel to and from school by school bus or family vehicle. However, survey results indicate that students who live closer to school (within 1 mile) are more likely to walk to school. All of the students who walked to or from school live within two miles of the school. 12 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Proximity to School vs. Children's Walk & Bike to School Rate 3%of respondents live within a 30 minute walk of the school (up to one mile away) 1 0 of respondents' children "usually" walk /� to/from school of respondents live within a 30 minute bike 9 % ride of the school (up to two miles away) of respondents' children "usually" bike 0 % to/from school Barriers to walking and bicycling Only 3% of respondent's children could walk to school in 30 minutes or less, and 9% of respondent's children could bike to school in 30 minutes or less, so it is not surprising that only 1% of parents reported that their children usually walked to/from school and none reported that their children usually biked to school. Parents may be reluctant to allow children to walk and bike to school for a variety of reason, though many students seem interested in walking or bicycling. The survey reveals that 89% of students who live within one mile of the school and 62% of students who live within two miles of the school have asked permission to walk or bike to school. The parent survey also asked specifically about barriers to walking and biking to school. More than half of respondents who do not allow their children to walk or bike to school reported that the following issues affected their decision: • Distance (89%) • Amount of Traffic Along Route (56%) • Speed of Traffic Along Route (54%) • Weather or Climate (54%) Other reasons given by respondents for not allowing children to walk or bike include concerns about safety of intersections and crossings (460/6), lack of sidewalks or pathways (410/6), the additional time required compared to other modes (340/6), child's participation in after school programs (22%) violence or crime (140/6), a lack of crossing guards (90/o), a lack of available adults to walk/bike with (80/6) and the convenience of driving (7%). Parent attitudes about walking and bicycling Ninety-one percent of parents who answered the survey think that Southwest Junior High School neither encourages nor discourages walking and biking to and from school. Three percent of parents responded that they believe Southwest Junior High School encourages or strongly encourages walking and biking to/from school and 0% of the respondents believe that the school discourages walking and biking to/from school. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 113 M 71 A k, - M., I-. - - The survey also revealed parent opinions about how much fun walking and bicycling is for their children, and how healthy walking and bicycling is for their children. Seventy-seven percent of parents felt that walking and bicycling to school was very healthy or healthy for their children, while 26% think riding bikes or walking to and from school is fun or very fun for their child. 14 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Traffic Conditions and Crash Analysis An assessment of collisions surrounding the campus of Southwest Junior High School was completed using Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) crash data from 2004 - 2013. A primary objective in analyzing this data is to identify crash patterns and particular locations or corridors that have been unsafe for pedestrian and bicyclists over a period of time. Data from 2004 - 2013 reported a total of 477 collisions within 1/ mile of Southwest Junior High School. Of these collisions, 20 involved pedestrians or bicyclists. Southwest Junior High School Area Crash Locations 2004 - 2013 • Legend School Location 'h mile radius from school location 0 Crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists OAll other crashes Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 115 • • 03rdAve SW• •• • 0 41111 •z i •. • • • i N : �i • • • • • i • i • Sout est N • • Junior Hi N 220th St N • - -Me i • Y N U • • O O -2 M J • • Legend School Location 'h mile radius from school location 0 Crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists OAll other crashes Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 115 M 71 A k, - M., I-. - - Site Audit The Southwest Junior High School site visit took place during arrival on November 13, 2014. The temperature was approximately 10°F, and the weather was sunny. Two members of the consultant team conducted the arrival observation and a community walking audit afterward. Walking and Biking No walkers or bikers were observed at the time of the arrival observation. According to faculty, students who choose to open enroll in Southwest usually do so due to proximity (instead of busing to Century Junior High), and live within a block or two of the school, either just west of 12th Street Southwest, north of 7th Avenue, or east of 8th Street Southwest. These students live so close that they typically walk instead of bike. School Bus School buses enter from the north and southeast driveways, and exit from the two southern driveways. They drop off curbside on the east and south sides of the building and mix with parent drop-off traffic. In the afternoon, buses (about 11) double-park on the south side of the building, and parents pick up primarily on the east side and in the parking lot. In the morning, Southwest Junior High serves as the "transit center" for several shuttle buses. Students from several of the elementary schools unload and change buses at Southwest Junior High before arriving at the appropriate school. Stage 2 shuttle buses wait along the curb until all buses have arrived to drop transferring students. Parent Vehicle There is no defined parent drop-off area. Private cars enter via the north driveway on 7th Avenue Southwest and the southeastern driveway on 9th Avenue Southwest, and use all three driveways to exit. Before buses arrive, they drop off curbside along the east and south side of the school. When bus traffic picks up, they still sometimes drop off curbside, but mostly drop off in the parking lot travel lanes. Students cross through parent traffic, parked cars, and bus traffic to access the eastern doors. There is no clear direction or flow for parent drop-off. Private cars and buses often crossed paths, especially near the southeast driveway. 16 1 South west Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Tracks in the snow from the end of 8th Street Southwest to Southwest Junior High. Southwest Junior High students walk into school, as elementary students transfer buses on their way to school. Most parents drop off students in the parking lot. Students then cross through other parent traffic, parked cars, and the bus line to access the school. This Page Intentionally Left Blank Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 117 Infrastructure Issues and Recommendations The initial field review and subsequent meetings yielded specific recommendations to address the key identified barriers to walking and bicycling at Southwest Junior High School. This plan does not represent a comprehensive list of every project that could improve conditions for walking and cycling in the neighborhood, but rather the key conflict points and highest priority infrastructure improvements to improve walking and cycling access to the school. The recommendations range from simple striping changes and school signing to more significant changes to the streets, intersections and school infrastructure. Short-term projects that should be addressed in the 2015-2016 school year are noted as such in the Implementation Strategy section of this plan. Some of the more significant recommendations for changes to streets and intersections may require policy changes, additional discussion and coordination, engineering, and significant funding sources. All engineering recommendations are described in Table 1 with locations shown on the Recommended Improvements Map. It should be noted that funding is limited and all recommendations made are planning - level concepts only. Additional engineering studies will be needed to confirm feasibility and final costs for projects. Maintenance School routes and crosswalks should be prioritized for maintenance. To ensure high visibility crosswalks maintain their effectiveness, review all crosswalks within one block of the school each year. If there is notable deterioration, crosswalks should be repainted annually. In addition, crosswalks on key school walk routes should be evaluated annually and repainted every other year or more often as needed. Because walking and cycling diminish during the cold winter months, it is particularly important to prioritize snow removal and maintenance of school routes. Snow removal is a critical component of pedestrian and bicycle safety. The presence of snow or ice on sidewalks, curb ramps, or bikeways will deter pedestrian and cyclist use of those facilities to a much higher degree than cold temperature alone. Families with children will avoid walking in locations where ice or snow accumulation creates slippery conditions that may cause a fall. Curb ramps that are blocked by ice or snow effectively sever access to pedestrian facilities. Additionally, inadequately maintained facilities may force pedestrians and bicyclists into the street. Identified routes to school should be given priority for snow removal and ongoing maintenance. 78 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 371A►i �. �a Table 1. Southwest junior High Issues and Recommendations Project # Location Sol ution/Recom menclation Anticipated Outcomes Lead Agency Increased vehicle yielding A 12th Street Southwest and 9th Ave SW Install marked crosswalk and median refuge island on the north side of the at crosswalk; increased City of Forest Lake intersection. pedestrian comfort and safety. Increased vehicle yielding B 12th Street Southwest and 7th Ave SW Install marked crosswalk on the east side of the intersection. at crosswalk; increased pedestrian comfort and City of Forest Lake safety. Increased pedestrian safety, particularly for C On -campus, parent circulation Reconfigure the lot for clear drop-off. students. More consistent School District drop off routine for parents. School property bound by 12th St, 7th Ave Increased pedestrian D SW and 9th Ave SW Construct path along border of school property. connectivity to school School District grounds. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 119 M 71 A k, - M., I-. - - o �l:JfJ tkfl;JlJ � D D `• j j i OL 7 Pill 7" :` d_! dill r• _ t A~ • _d t- - 20 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Montessori K-6 School Forest View Elementary School r UV OVV + 1,01JV i -- Feet School Grounds A Traffic Signal = Sidewalks/Paths ® Projecti ly ► ► ►. i install marked crosswalk and median refuge island on the north side of the intersection. 9nsta11 marked crosswalk on the east side of the intersection. 1!1 m High Visibility Crosswalk M Reconfigure the lot for clear drop-off. &4> School/Pedestrian Warning Sign • Construct path along border of school property. School Grounds A Traffic Signal = Sidewalks/Paths ® Stop Sign Standard Crosswalk Rapid Flash Beacon 1!1 m High Visibility Crosswalk M Bike Parking &4> School/Pedestrian Warning Sign Q[3 Parent lBus Loading ]Qt School/Pedestrian Crossing Sign © Crossing Guards Road Reconfiguration Rapid Flash Beacons » ® SidewalkslPaths Crossing Signage IM EM High Visibility Crosswalk ® OM Enhanced Crosswalk Programs Recommendations The Safe Routes to School movement has been a leader in acknowledging that infrastructure changes are a necessary but insufficient condition for shifting school travel behavior. While engineering improvements like sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways are important, equally important are education programs to make sure children and families have basic safety skills, encouragement programs to highlight walking and bicycling to school as fun and normal, enforcement against unsafe and illegal motorist behavior, and evaluation of the impact of investments and non -infrastructure efforts. Recommended Programs • International Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day • SRTS walk and bike maps • School SRTS Communication • Classroom lessons (Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum) • School specific trip tracking/competitions The following programs were identified as priority programs for Southwest Junior High School during the SRTS planning process. These programs were selected to meet the interest and needs of the school community in the near term (one to five years). The programs are recommended to serve both schools and can be implemented in tandem, however programs can be tailored and implemented to meet the age group and interests of the school and students. For each program concept, the recommendation includes the primary intended outcomes, potential lead and partners, a recommended timeframe for implementation, resources and sample programs, and a short description. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 121 z 71 A k. - M., I-. - - School Community Programs 'Walk and Bike to School Day Increased walking and bicycling; youth empowerment ' • School Administrators • • Forest Lake Schools; Forest Lake PTO, Forest Lake Police Department, students; local businesses; local celebrities • Twice a year - Annually on or around International Walk and Bike to School Day in October and in May around Bike to School Day. • Form an event planning team • Consider the scale and format of the event and assess volunteer capacity • Set a date early • Determine incentive structure International Walk to School: http://www.iwalktoschool.org/ Walk Bike to School: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/ MnDOT Walk and Bike to School Day Webinar: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/saferoutes/tooIkit.htmI ' • • Oregon Safe Routes to School: http://www.walknbike.org/schools Walk and Bike to School Day is an international event that attracts millions of participants in over 30 countries in October. The event encourages students and their families to try walking or bicycling to school. Parents and other adults accompany students, and staging areas can be designated along the route to school where groups can gather and walk or bike together. These events can be held for one or more days. Walk and Bike to School Day events are often promoted through press releases, backpack/folder/electronic mail, newsletter articles, and posters. Students often earn incentives for participating, such as healthy snacks, buttons, or stickers. The event International Walk to School Day draws large numbers of students and families to walk to school planning team can work with local businesses, such as grocery stores, to provide donations to students participating in the events. There can also be a celebration at school following the morning event, such as an awards ceremony, lunch time party, or a raffle. This can require substantial coordination time, as well as time to develop promotional materials and secure donations. Walk and Bike to school can be combined with other programs such as Park and Walk for those students that live too far from school to walk or bike. 22 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan `—,1k and Bike to School Route Map,, • Improved walking and bicycling safety, knowledge of supportive infrastructure ' City of Forest Lake Planning Department School administrators; teachers and crossing guards, parents, students ' Distribute when students and families are adjusting to new habits, e.g., back -to -school, following winter/spring break, as weather gets warmer. Revise and redistribute annually, if possible. • • Determine format of map • Identify resources to produce and distribute map • Collaborate with parents to identify key routes National Center for Safe Routes to School's Map -a -Route Tool: http://maps.wal kbiketoschool.org/ MnDOT Walk and Bike to School Maps Webinar http://www.dot.state.mn.us/saferoutes/tooIkit.htmI Bozeman, MT:http://www.bozeman.kl2.mt.us/schools/safe routes/ Santa Clarita, CA: http://www.santa-clarita.com/index.aspx?page=177 Rochester, NY: http://www.waIkinginfo.org/pedsafe/casestudy.cfm?CS NUM=33 Walk and Bike to School Maps, sometimes called Suggested Route to School maps, help families choose the best route for walking or bicycling to school. Maps show stop signs, signals, crosswalks, sidewalks, bikeways, paths/trails, school entrances, bike parking, and crossing guard locations around a school. Maps may also show transit routes and stops, school enrollment areas, pick- up/drop-off zones, and important destinations, such as community centers and parks. Some less objective elements to consider include recommended routes, good walking/biking routes, and hazardous locations. The team leading the mapping effort should decide in advance whether the maps will be distributed electronically or in paper form as this can inform how the map is produced. Maps may be produced using mapping walk and Bike to School Maps show the safest streets or drawing technologies, such as GIS or Adobe and crossings for getting to school. Illustrator, but can also be as simple as hand drawn maps or marked up Google maps. Students may also be engaged in the making of maps through classroom or after- school activities. The City of Forest Lake can take leadership in developing maps that serve all the schools and school administers should collaborate on development of suggested routes and addition of information that supports other education and encouragement programs. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 123 M 71 A k, - M., I-. - - School Safety Campaign • Will depend on campaign focus, but may include improved walking/biking safety behavior, improved driving safety behavior, and youth empowerment • . City of Forest Lake Police Department; Forest Lake School District • . Teachers/administrators/staff; PTO/parents; City of Forest Lake Planning or Public Works; local groups/advocates/volunteers; local businesses Annual or semi-annual; when habits, traffic patterns, or seasons change: upon returning to school in the fall, when the weather gets warmer, when daylight saving time ends • Forma team to lead the development of the campaign • Identify the key issue(s) to focus the message of the campaign • Decide on the preferred format (signs, posters, billboards, etc.) • Identify funding for promotional material production and distribution. • City of Portland: http://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/272948 . • San Jose (CA) Street Smarts Program: http://www.getstreetsmarts.oM/- MnDOT Share the Road (broad community focus): httr)://www.dot.state.mn.us/sharetheroad/ A safety campaign is an effective way to build awareness around students walking and bicycling to school and to encourage safe driving behavior among parents and passersby. A School Traffic Safety Campaign can use media at or near schools—such as posters, business window stickers, yard signs, or street banners—to remind drivers to slow down and use caution in school zones. This type of campaign can also address other specific hazards or behaviors, such as walking or bicycling to school, school bus safety, and parent drop-off and pick- up behavior. Campaigns may have significant costs to produce promotional materials and collateral, though these items can often be covered through grants. Advertising can also be an important part of safety campaigns to inform the community and expand the reach of the messaging. A collaborative effort between the police department and the district can pool resources and expand the reach of the campaign. A campaign that coordinates with all schools in the area can be very effective. The location of several schools in one area with shared transportation facilities provides a unique opportunity to support mentorship and leadership options for the high school students. School administrators can work together to develop a comprehensive campaign that targets the three age groups, their families and the broader community. A School Traffic Safety Campaign can use media at or near schools to remind drivers to use caution in school zones 24 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Classroom Lessons (Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum) • Improved walking and bicycling safety behavior; youth empowerment • . Teachers/administrators at Southwest Junior High School • . Forest Lake School District; PTO/parents; City of Forest Lake Regularly integrated as viable. Safety training and skills elements twice per year. • Download and review curriculum • Identify interested teachers • Have a key teachers attend a Bike Minnesota training session • Teachers plan for integration of curriculum Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum http-//www.dot.state.mn.us/saferoutes http://www.bikemn.ora/education/srts-education-curriculum • . • Oregon Safe Routes to School: http://walknbike.org/pedestrian-safety/ National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: http://www.nhtsa.gov/ChildPedestrianSafetyCurriculum A variety of existing in -classroom lessons and skills training activities are available to help teach students about walking, bicycling, health, and traffic safety. Benefits One of the quickest and easiest ways to ensure all children receive important information on the safety basics and benefits of walking and bicycling Flexible activities can accommodate a variety of time/ space constraints and grade levels Helps institutionalize pedestrian and bicycle safety as a priority life skill (similar to home economics or driver education) Pedestrian safety training teaches basic lessons such as, 'look left, right, and left again". In -class lessons introduce the topic of pedestrian and bicycle safety to children, including what types of situations they may encounter on the road, how to follow street signs, and how to interact with drivers. Rhymes, songs, and videos can be used to help children remember how to walk and cross streets safely. The new Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum is a two-part curriculum designed specifically for Minnesota's schools and is structured to meet Minnesota education standards. The Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum was developed by the Bicycle Alliance of Minnesota in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The curriculum was designed to help children ages five to thirteen learn traffic rules and regulations, the potential hazards to traveling, and handling skills needed to bike and walk effectively, appropriately and safely through their community. This curriculum is free for anyone to download and use. Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 125 Z 71 A k, - M., I-. - - Trip/Mileag- `—eking " rograrr Increased walking, bicycling, transit use, or carpooling; youth empowerment • Forest Lake Area Schools Administration and teachers; PTO/parents Forest Lake School District; local groups/advocates/volunteers; local businesses • Annually, possibly in conjunction with International Walk and Bike to School Day or Bike Month • Identify staff and volunteer resources available • Determine the duration and format of the competition • Consider coordination with other events or learning objectives at the school National Center for Safe Routes to School Guide: http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/encouragement/mileage clubs and contests.cfm Fire Up Your Feet Minnesota: http://mn.fireupyourfeet.org/about/fire-your-feet- minnesota MnDOT Encouragement Programs: Trip Tracking and Competitions webinar http://www.dot.state.m n.us/saferoutes/tool kit.htm I .. Marin County (CA) Pollution Punchcard: http://www.saferoutestoschools.org/SR2Si mages/Pol I ution-Guide-09-2.pdf A trip or mileage tracking program can be implemented as an opt -in club, a classroom activity, or a collaborative school -wide event. Students track trips or mileage made by walking, bicycling, transit, or carpools with some type of goal or culminating celebration or reward. Students can work towards a certain milestone to earn a prize or raffle entry, or they can track their individual or group progress as miles across their town, the state of Minnesota, or the United States. The program should encourage all students to participate, regardless of where they live; those who live too far to walk can participate in a "park and walk' activity or students can be accommodated in PE class or during recess. Example programs include Pollution Punchcards or Walk Across America. ,,, Do it , 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Simple punch cards can be used to track trips 26 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Classrooms can complete for the 'golden sneaker award' or other that honors their walking and cycling efforts Evaluation Why evaluate? Evaluation is an important component of any Safe Routes to School effort. Not only does evaluation measure a program's reach and impact on a school community, it can also ensure continued funding and provide a path forward for ongoing and future efforts. Evaluation can measure participation and accomplishments, shifts in travel behavior, changes in attitudes toward bicycling and walking, awareness of the Safe Routes to School program, and/or the effectiveness of processes or programs. Safe Routes to School evaluation is beneficial in the following ways: • Indicates whether your SRTS efforts are paying off. Evaluation can tell you what's working well, what's not, and how you can improve your program in the future. • Allows you to share your program's impact with others. Evaluation can demonstrate the value of continuing your program, with school faculty and administration, the district, parents, and elected officials. • Provides a record of your efforts to serve as institutional memory. The nature of Safe Routes to School teams is that they change over time, as parents and their children move on to other schools and as staff turns over. Recording and evaluating your efforts provides vital information to future teams. • Tells you if you are reaching your goals. Evaluation can confirm that you are accomplishing or working towards what you set out to do. On the other hand, evaluation efforts can reveal that there is a mismatch in your efforts and your goals or that you need to correct course. • Encourages continued funding for Safe Routes to School programs. Data collected and shared by local programs can influence decisions at the local, state and national level. In part, today's funding and grant programs exist because of the evaluations of past programs. Basics of Evaluation At a minimum, SRTS evaluation should include the standard classroom hand tallies and parent surveys expected in order to be consistent with the national Safe Routes to School program. Evaluating the programs can - and should where possible - delve beyond this, but it need not be burdensome. Evaluating the program can be as simple as recording what you did and when you did it, and counting or estimating the number of students who participated or were reached. Recording planning efforts and taking photos is also helpful for the legacy of the program. In most cases, it is beneficial to measure more, such as school travel mode split and miles walked/biked, from which the school, district or city can estimate environmental, health, and other impacts. There are two kinds of information that can be collected: quantitative data (numbers, such as counts, logs, and survey results) and qualitative data (words and images, such as observations, interviews, and records). Further, there are several different ways to collect information. This includes the following: 1. Conducting tallies/counts 2. Keeping logs (such as for mileage tracking) 3. Conducting surveys and interviews 4. Conducting observations and audits 5. Keeping planning and process records Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 127 z 71 A k, - M., I-. - - Regardless of how elaborate you make your evaluation, it is important to plan ahead for measuring and tracking results. When you are designing your program, consider how you are going to evaluate it from the beginning, so that you can build in mechanisms for collecting the necessary data. For example, if showing changes in travel behavior over time is important to your effort, you will need to start by collecting baseline data so you know how students are getting to school currently in order to be able to demonstrate any change later. Below is a series of basic steps to take in designing and executing your program evaluation: 1. Establish your goals and plan the specific program. 2. Decide what, how, and when to measure. 3. Collect baseline information, if necessary. 4. Conduct the program and monitor progress. 5. Conduct any post -program data collection, if necessary. 6. Interpret your data. 7. Use and share your results. More resources for evaluation can be found on the National Center for Safe Routes to School's website here: http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/evaluation/index.cfm. Before and After Study of Infrastructure It's also helpful to understand the impact of the specific infrastructure projects on travel behavior and patterns. When planning to improve the built environment to serve school travel, a simple before and after study can be completed with minimal resources and in some cases little more than volunteer support. Document baseline conditions before the project and evaluate a few months after completion. A complete traffic count is very helpful but may be cost prohibitive. At a minimum, complete a count of pedestrians and bicyclists and note any large vehicles. For information on how to conduct a pedestrian and bicycle count refer to the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project, which can be found online at http://bikepeddocumentation.org/ Document motorist compliance with traffic laws, such as yielding at crosswalks and obeying the speed limit. Note pedestrian and bicyclist behavior that may cause safety concerns, such as wrong -way riding or crossing outside of crosswalks. Annual Evaluation Tasks At the beginning of each year establish which programs and improvements will be made and what needs to be done to complete basic steps 1-3. 28 1 South west Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan This Page Intentionally Left Blank Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 129 Z 71 A k. - M., I-. - - Implementation Strategy The following section outlines an estimated implementation timeline for both the infrastructure and programmatic recommendations. This strategy identifies programs that can be started in first year of plan implementation and summarizes the estimated timing of infrastructure improvements. Year One The programs identified for year one implementation will require the leading organization to take some immediate actions to make progress and follow this timeline. See the Recommended Programs chapter for detailed descriptions of each program, including a list of steps to get started on implementation. Year one programs were selected based on existing capacity and interest identified during the planning process. Most education, encouragement and enforcement programs will be ongoing and once started can be integrated into school programs year after year. Future Actions While some recommendations may not be implemented in year one, it is still important to plan and prepare for future programmatic and infrastructure projects. These future actions are displayed in simplified timeline, illustrating a potential approach to phasing in certain activities. Example Project qAL Planning Implementation ilL 30 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan Programs Action Plan Table 2. Proarams to Implement at Both Schools International Walk to Encouragement School Day and Bike to School Day Education SRTS walk and bike maps Education SRTS Communication Classroom Lessons Education (Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum) Encouragement School specific trip tracking/competitions School Administrators City of Forest Lake 4A" AA m6v Planning 4p& Implementation 4IF 4V City of Forest Lake School District 4F 4F 4F School District School Administrators Forest Lake School Teachers District School Teachers Administrators Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan 131 z 71 A k, - M., I-. - - Infrastructure Action Plan See the Infrastructure Issues and Recommendations chapter for detailed discussion of the infrastructure projects listed here. Table 3. Implementation Plan RecommendationProject Solution/ Lead Priority Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 A Install marked crosswalk and median refuge island on the City of Forest Medium north side of the intersection. Lake B Install marked crosswalk on the east side of the intersection. City of Forest High La ke C Reconfigure the lot for clear drop-off. School Medium District D Construct path along border of school property. City of Forest High Lake Planning Implementation 32 1 Southwest Junior High School Safe Routes to School Plan