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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSunnyside Elementary School SRTS Plan FINAL The following key people/entities participated in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan efforts for Sunnyside Elementary School. Their creativity, energy, and commitment were critical to the success of this planning effort. Karsten Anderson, Superintendent of ISD256. Lisa Bayley – Red Wing City Council Member Ashlyn Christianson - Goodhue County Health & Human Services Kevin Johnson - Red Wing Public Schools ISD256 Michelle Leise - Live Healthy Red Wing Coordinator Jay Owens - City Engineer, City of Red Wing Chris Palmatier - Principal of Twin Bluff Middle School - Red Wing Public Schools ISD256 Brian Peterson - Planning Director, City of Red Wing Patti Roberts - Principal of Sunnyside Elementary School – Red Wing Public Schools ISD256 Michael Schultz – Red Wing City Council Member 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. Safe Routes to Schools programs directly benefit schoolchildren, parents and teachers by creating a safer travel environment near schools and by reducing motor vehicle congestion at school drop-off and pick-up zones. Students that choose to bike or walk to school are 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 biking 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 biking 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, a 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 health 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.           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. Statistics show that 48 percent of students between 5 and 18 years of age walked to school in 1969, with 87 percent walking or bicycling within a mile of school. In 2009 fewer than 14 percent of all students walked to get to school1. This decline is due to a number of factors, including urban growth patterns and school siting requirements that encourage school development in outlying areas, increased traffic, 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. According to a 2005 survey by the Center for Disease Control, parents whose children did not walk or bike to school cited the following barriers:  Distance to school 61.5%  Traffic-related danger 30.4%  Weather 18.6%  Crime danger 11.7 %  Prohibitive school policy 6.0%  Other reasons (not identified) 15.0% A comprehensive Safe Routes to School program addresses the reasons for reductions in walking and biking through a multi- pronged approach that uses education, encouragement, engineering and enforcement efforts to develop attitudes, behaviors and physical infrastructure that improve the walking and biking environment. 1 National Safe Routes Partnership, 2009 The planning process for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) at Sunnyside Elementary has received broad support and enthusiasm from local partners, and is characteristic of the City of Red Wing’s commitment to supporting bicycle and pedestrian mobility. Sunnyside has found a strong partner in Live Healthy Red Wing (LHRW), a program which started in the fall of 2008 with a grant through the YMCA of the USA’s Pioneering Healthy Communities. LHRW is a collaboration which represents the local support for SRTS, with local partners including the Red Wing School District and the City of Red Wing, as well as local health, business, and non-profit organizations. Specifically, local support for SRTS has come from LHRW, the City of Red Wing, Red Wing School District, and the Director of Building and Grounds/Technology for Red Wing Schools. Sunnyside has support from existing policies at school district as well as city levels. The Sunnyside Sneakers Walking Wednesday program encourages participation by students and parents in “walking school buses” with the offer of prizes to participants. The school also encourages students to ride their bikes and provides bike racks in convenient locations. Additionally, the district is in the process of discussing its bussing routes and policies, including the current walk zones, with the potential for more students walking and biking to school. Sidewalk policy in the City of Red Wing has had a mixed history, resulting in well -connected sidewalk networks in older parts of the city, and more sporadically connected networks in newer parts of the city, especially those parts which were developed during the 1960s and 1970s. Previous but recent SRTS work has resulted in the implementation of new sidewalks on some of the previously lacking streets around Sunnyside Elementary. Over the past decade, school consolidation and other policy decisions have impacted school traffic patterns in Red Wing. The Red Wing School District has two grade level centers: Sunnyside which serves children in kindergarten through second grade and Burnside which serves children from second through forth grades. The move away from neighborhood based grade schools limits the number of students that live within a distance easily traveled by walking or cycling. Sunnyside Elementary serves as a bus hub for students that are transported to Burnside – thus increasing some opportunities for neighborhood students aged 7 through 11 to walk and bike to transfer to the bus. Sunnyside will receive implementation support from LHRW, Red Wing School District, the City of Red Wing. Additionally, LHRW will lead in measuring the success of any policy and infrastructure implementation. In 2012, the City of Red Wing received a grant from the Minnesota Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School Planning Assistance program to help further the goals outlined above. This funding is given to schools that need to complete a Safe Routes to School plan to help analyze existing conditions, gather public input and identify potential infrastructure and non-infrastructure solutions at K-8 schools. This plan is a result of that funding and builds on the existing information and enthusiasm already present for Safe Routes to School at Sunnyside Elementary School. In the spring of 2013, the City of Red Wing received a MnDOT Non Infrastructure Implementation Grant to help support Safe Routes to school programs at Sunnyside Elementary and Twin Bluff Middle School. The grant will provide funds for a Safe Routes to School Assistant, Walk and Bike to School maps and posters, National Bike-Walk to School Day incentives, a second phase of the Walking Wednesdays program, Park & Walk signs, and bike par ts for the Fix a Bike Program. More details about the priority programs are included in the Program Recommendations section of this plan. The following plans, programs, and efforts have taken place in Red Wing separate from this SRTS planning process, and may have important implications for student walking and biking to area schools:  The City of Red Wing Comprehensive Plan (2007) A healthy and active community was one of the guiding principal identified in the planning process. The Comprehensive plan process included substantial analysis about walking access to services and community assets – or walkability. The plan identified that 21% of households lived within a half mile of the schools, but noted that not all households have safe and completed facilities for connecting to the school.  Complete Streets Policy Resolution (2010) Red Wing passed a resolution to declare its commitment to maintaining a “safe, efficient, balanced, and environmentally sound city transportation system and to support and promote active lifestyles and a vibrant/healthy community.” The resolution goes on to state that “early consideration of all modes for all users will be important to the success of this Policy. Those planning and designing street projects will give due consideration to bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities from the very start of planning and design work.”  Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan (2007) The 2011 plan documented existing conditions and future needs for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the areas of engineering, education, enforcement, encouragement, and evaluation. Safety of pedestrians and bicyclists in neighborhoods with schools was identified as a key concern by citizens. In addition the safety of crossings and connectivity of the walking and bicycling network were noted as priorities. A number of intersections that serve schools were identified as difficult crossings. Those that directly serve Sunnyside and Twin Bluff include Pioneer Rd/Twin Bluff Rd and Pioneer Rd/ Burton Fork.  Sustainability Report (2008) This report identifies a number of community indicators for sustainability that directly relate to SRTS, such as bicycle and pedestrian safety and connectivity of the sidewalk network. Increased bicycling and walking to school is aligned with the City’s sustainability objectives.  Policy Change: The Mayor's Task Force on Streets and Sidewalks for a Healthy Red Wing (2014) This effort, funded by an Active Living for All contract from the Center for Prevention of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, brings together a local Community Advisory Committee, a staff support team, and the engineering firm Stantec to work on an 18-month initiative that will improve Complete Streets policies citywide. The Task Force will research best practices regarding transportation policies and ordinances, sidewalks assessments, and design standards (especially those related to Safe Routes to School); create action plans around steps outlined in the Bike-Pedestrian Master Plan; and work with City Council to approve changes in 2014 and 2015. The year- long planning process for this SRTS Plan included building a SRTS team; gathering data and information about existing conditions; developing recommendation for the 5 E’s; and developing a written document that set forth a path for the SRTS program at Sunnyside Elementary School. The graphic below depicts key milestones in the planning process. 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 Sunnyside Elementary School students. The specific recommendations in this plan are intended to support infrastructure improvements and programs over the next 4-6 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 biking to school. The recommended projects and programs listed in this plan should be reviewed as part of the overall and ongoing strategy for Sunnyside Elementary School. 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 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. can use this report to understand the conditions at their children’s school and to become familiar with the ways a SRTS program can work to make walking and biking 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. 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. 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. have an important role in implementing the recommendations contained within this SRTS Plan. This plan is unique to Sunnyside Elementary School; as such 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. can use this report to identify citywide issues and opportunities related to walking and biking 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 Future 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 will be conducted before final design and construction. For recommendations within the public right-of-way, the responsible agency will determine how (and if) to incorporate suggestions into local improvement plans and prioritize funding to best meet the needs of each school community. staff can use this report to understand issues related to walking and biking 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 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 administration in providing officers and assistance to some of the proposed education and encouragement programs. 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. Sunnyside Elementary is a K-2 school located on Southwood Avenue in Red Wing, a small town/exurban community of 16,459 people about 45 miles southeast of St. Paul along the Mississippi River. The school is immediately surrounded by low density single family housing on the south, east, and north sides. To the west there is a golf course, and beyond the immediately residential neighborhoods there is undeveloped green space. The average age of Red Wing residents was 41.8 years at the time of the 2010 U.S. Census, above the state average of 37.4 years. Median household income in Red Wing is $49,145, below the statewide average of $58,47 6, based on 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Forty four percent of students are eligible for free of reduced lunch. School enrollment for the 2012-2013 school year was 486 students. The principal of Sunnyside Elementary School is Patti Roberts, and the SRTS Grant Coordinator is Brian Peterson. The Minnesota Department of Health’s Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) has for the past two years supported Safe Routes to School efforts. The SHIP program requir ed travel behavior surveys in 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades. For the 2012-2013 Safe Routes to School program, MnDOT elected to follow the SHIP format for data collection. This more limited survey requirement reduces the burden for surveying on individual school s and maintains consistency across programs to allow for data sharing and comparison in the future. However, this framework does not work well for Sunnyside as a K-2 school. In October and December 2012, head counts of students were collected on Walking Wednesdays. Teachers and volunteers counted student walking and cycling to school. In October, staff counted 69 walkers (14%) and 7 bicyclists (1%). In December, staff counted student walking and biking to Sunnyside as well as those came to access the bus to Burnside. Staff counted 30 walkers (6%) and again 7 bicyclists. An additional 42 walkers and 6 bicyclists came to campus to access the bus. Additional baseline data should be collected using the in classroom hand tallies for all grades in Fall of 2013. The Sunnyside Campus is located south of downtown Red Wing in a residential area. The campus has a playground and play fields on the northwest and western portions of the site. A small visitor and staff parking lot is located at the south end, while the bus loop is located on the northeast portion of the site. The bus lot is also used for picking up students who are shuttled to Burnside Elementary on the outskirts of Red Wing. A larger staff lot can be found along the back (east) side of the school. Sidewalks exist along the west side of the school, and through the site from the front entrance leading to Southwood Ave to the west. Bike racks are present near the bus lot. The surrounding neighborhood is low density residential with a fairly complete sidewalk network in good condition, thanks in part to a previous Safe Routes to School Grant. To the west of the school, across Southwood Ave is the Red Wing Golf Club. Twin Bluff Rd/West Ave is probably the busiest corridor in the neighborhood of the school. Sunnyside is on the north side of the same bluff that fronts Twin Bluff Middle School, and is linked to the site via Twin Bluff Rd. Also of note is a small church on the east end of the bus lot which allows parents to pick up and drop off their students from their lot. Well maintained neighborhood sidewalks are pervasive in most of the surrounding neighborhoods on one or both sides of the streets. The site has sidewalk or paved path connections to Southwood Ave (west of campus), Maple St (north of campus), West Ave (east of campus), and Reichert Ave (southeast of campus). As previously mentioned, bike racks can be found near the bus drop off area, but are not in good condition. No designated bike routes are present in the surrounding neighborhood. One adult crossing guard is present at the intersection of Maple St and West Ave, a four way stop with marked crossings. A second adult crossing guard is located at the intersection of Southwood Ave and Foursome St. The young age of the students and the higher traffic volumes during pickup/drop off time warrant the two crossing guards. Parent drop off occurs both in the visitor/teacher parking lot (south side of the school) and on Maple St. Parents are not supposed to enter the south lot for drop off. Parents are supposed to park on Southwood and walk students in or let them walk to the supervised playground. Parents dropping off on Maple St. generally park and walk their child into the school. Cars parked too close to the bus loop entrance on Maple St can make it difficult for buses to turn in and out due to the wide turning radii needed for the bus movements. Cars also park too close to the mid-block crossing on Maple Street, which limits visibility for pedestrians and drivers. The bus lot entrance is located on Maple St and the exit on West Ave. There are 6 buses which park with an open space in between each of them so that students can easily and safely board and depart. Bus area operates smoothly with the exception of noted conflicts with parked cars at the entrance on Maple Street. For this plan, current conditions were assessed during a walking audit and observation of the arrival process on October 29, 2012, during which planning consultants met with school and City staff. During the walking audits, comprehensive observations and accounts of the infrastructure assets and barriers facing Sunnyside Elementary were made as a collaborative effort between local partners, and SRTS experts. Key issues identified include:  Speeds on Twin Bluff Road. Many residents use this route as a direct access to downtown and the high school. High speeds are a concern for both Sunnyside and Twin Bluff students  Blind spot at intersection of Twin Bluff Road and Wilkie Street. The retaining wall is part of resident’s yard and augments the sightline issues created by the hill crest which occurs at this intersection as well.  Cars park close to the entrance of the bus lot on Maple Street and create difficulties for buses turning in - thus creating conflicts with the adjacent crosswalk.  New sidewalk leading to the playground extends all the way to Southwood Avenue – which may encourage crossing away from the more controlled intersection The initial study yielded specific recommendations to address the key identified barriers to walking and biking at Sunnyside Elementary 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. Short term projects that should be addressed in the 2013-2014 school year are noted in the One Year Action Plan at the end of the infrastructure and programmatic recommendations. Some of the more significant recommendations for changes to streets may require policy changes, additional discussion and coordination, or significant funding sources. Some of the recommendations overlap with issues that impact students at Twin Bluff Middle School and collaboration will benefit any implementation of the improvements. All 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. The MNMUTCD guidelines (7C.2), encourage the use of crosswalks and signing on school routes in areas where there are likely to be conflicts and/or the need to delineate student travel paths. While existing traffic controls may meet standards for average traffic volumes on the roadway, the presence of school aged children should be considered a mitigating factor in selecting appropriate traffic control infrastructure. Crossings and key access points on school routes should be enhanced to provide increased legibility of desired travel patterns and behavior for all modes. For more information about specific types of facilities mentioned, reference the Infrastructure Toolkit Glossary which is include d directly after the recommendations map. 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 evaluated annually and repainted every other year or more often as needed. While 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. A B C D E F G This toolkit is intended to provide an introduction to the specific infrastructure improvement commonly used for Safe Routes to School. It is included directly in the plan in effort to make it an easily available reference poin t for all parties using this plan. Not all treatments are appropriate at every school location. In all cases engineering judgement should be exercised when determining the best infrastructure solution. The School Sign (S1-1) is used to warn drivers that they are approaching a school area, or to identify the beginning of a designated school zone. The School Sign may be combined with small plaques to indicate specific crossing locations. A school sign combined with an AHEAD plaque (W16-9p) creates a School Advance Crossing Assembly, used to warn road users that they are approaching a crossing where schoolchildren cross the roadway. At specific crosswalks or crossing locations, a School Crossing Assembly indicates the location of the crossing point where schoolchildren are expected to cross. It includes a School sign (S1-1) and a diagonal downward arrow (W16-7p) must be included. A School Zone Speed Limit Assembly identifies a speed limit for used in a specific geographic area. Speed limits may apply over limited time frames or conditions as indicated on the sign. As a supplement to a marked crosswalk, the SCHOOL word marking may provide additional warning to drivers about the potential presence of school children. Active warning beacons are user-actuated flashing lights that supplement warning signs at unsignalized intersections or mid-block crosswalks. Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons (RRFBs), a type of active warning beacon, use an irregular flash pattern similar to emergency flashers on police vehicles. In-street pedestrian crossing signs reinforce the presence of crosswalks and remind motorists of their legal obligation to yield for pedestrians in marked or unmarked crosswalks. This signage is often placed at high-volume pedestrian crossings that are not signalized. On streets with multiple lanes in each direction, additional treatments such as median islands or active warning beacons may be more appropriate. The simplest form of marked crosswalk is two transverse lines, indicating the crossing area. A marked crosswalk signals to motorists that they must stop for pedestrians and encourages pedestrians to cross at designated locations. Installing crosswalks alone will not necessarily make crossings safer especially on multi-lane roadways. A marked crossing typically consists of a marked crossing area, warning signs and other markings to slow or stop traffic. When space is available, a median refuge island can improve user safety by providing pedestrians and bicyclists space to perform the safe crossing of one half of the street at a time. Median refuge islands are protected spaces placed in the center of the street to facilitate bicycle and pedestrian crossings. Crossings of two-way streets are simplified by allowing bicyclists and pedestrians to navigate only one direction of traffic at a time. This may also functions as a traffic calming technique when configured to manage access to streets. Pedestrian hybrid beacon are traffic control signals commonly used to stop traffic along a major street to permit safe crossing by pedestrians or bicyclists. The signals provide very high levels of compliance by using a red signal indication, while offering lower delay to motorized traffic than a conventional signal. The Minnesota Manual on Traffic Control Devices permits Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon installation at both mid-block and intersection locations. (Section 4F.2) The Minnesota MUTCD says: “If installed at an intersection, appropriate side street traffic control should be considered.” This may include STOP or YIELD signs as determined by a traffic engineer. Raised crosswalks are crossings elevated to the same grade as the multi-use trail. Raised crosswalks may be designed as speed tables, and have a slowing effect on crossing traffic. A raised crossing profile design known as a sinusoidal profile may be selected for compatibility with snow removal equipment. Curb ramps allow all users to make the transition from the street to the sidewalk. A sidewalk without a curb ramp can be useless to someone in a wheelchair, forcing them back to a driveway and out into the street for access. Although diagonal curb ramps might save money, they create potential safety and mobility problems for pedestrians, including reduced maneuverability and increased interaction with turning vehicles, particularly in areas with high traffic volumes. Advance stop bars increase pedestrian comfort and safety by stopping motor vehicles well in advance of marked crosswalks, allowing vehicle operators a better line of sight of pedestrians and giving inner lane motor vehicle traffic time to stop for pedestrians. Bicycle lanes designate an exclusive space for bicyclists with pavement markings and signage. The bicycle lane is located adjacent to motor vehicle travel lanes and bicyclists ride in the same direction as motor vehicle traffic. Bicycle lanes are typically on the right side of the street (on a two-way street), between the adjacent travel lane and curb, road edge or parking lane. Buffered bicycle lanes are conventional bicycle lanes paired with a designated buffer space, separating the bicycle lane from the adjacent motor vehicle travel lane and/or parking lane. Curb extensions are areas of the sidewalk extended into the roadway, most commonly where a parking lane is located. Curb bulbs help position pedestrians closer to the street centerline to reduce crossing distances and improve visibility and encourage motorists to yield at crossings. The size of a curb’s radius can have a significant impact on pedestrian comfort and safety. A smaller curb radius provides more pedestrian area at the corner, allows more flexibility in the placement of curb ramps, results in a shorter crossing distance and requires vehicles to slow more on the intersection approach. During the design phase, the chosen radius should be the smallest possible for the circumstances. Warning signs call attention to unexpected conditions on or adjacent to a street or bicycle facility. Around schools, the School Crossing Assembly is the most common type of warning sign, used to warn drivers to expect and anticipate bicycle crossing activity. Shared Use paths may be used by pedestrians, skaters, wheelchair users, joggers and other non-motorized users. These facilities are frequently found in parks, or as neighborhood cut-throughs to shorten connections and offer an alternative to busy streets. Reducing speeds or volumes along streets improves the pedestrian environment by limiting exposure, enhancing drivers’ ability to see and react, and diminishing the severity of crashes if they occur. Common traffic calming techniques include speed humps, neighborhood traffic circles, chicanes, and pinch points. . 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 biking to school as fun and normal, enforcement against unsafe and illegal motorist behavior, and evaluation of the impact of investments and non-infrastructure efforts. The following six programs have been identified as priority programs for Sunnyside Elementary School. 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. Additional program recommendations not identified as priority are listed in a subsequent section. One obstacle currently keeping kids from walking or biking is the perceived notion by parents that it takes too much time or is too dangerous. In truth, a high percentage of students live within two miles of their school (or shuttle school), and most streets and sidewalks near schools are safe for walking and biking. The “Open Your Front Door” maps will start to break down those perceptions by showing preferred routes through neighborhoods; distance and average travel time by foot and by bike; difficulty level based on the topography; locations of crosswalks, stop signs, and bike racks; and high-traffic areas where extra caution is needed. The Walk and Bike to School Maps may also show park and walk locations, traffic signals, bikeways, paths/trails, school entrances, and crossing guard locations to encourage walking and biking to school. Parent education and encouragement tips will be included on the maps, along with contact information for coordinating a walking school bus. Maps will complement the look of the community-wide "Open Your Front Door" campaign that Live Healthy Red Wing is leading in 2013, which includes a visual marketing campaign and maps of walking routes through neighborhoods, downtown, and business districts. Based on the resources available, the lead agency will determine whether the maps will be distributed el ectronically or in paper form, as well as how the maps will be produced (e.g., using mapping or drawing technologies, such as GIS or Adobe Illustrator). The lead agency will also address any liability concerns and get approval from the district and administration. Based on any liability constraints, the lead will also determine whether the map will show suggested routes or just factual information that allows families to choose their own routes. This program is designed to encourage families to park several blocks from school and walk the rest of the way to school. Not all students are able to walk or bike the whole distance to school; they may live too far away or their route may include hazardous traffic situations. This program allows students who are unable to walk or bike to school a chance to participate in Safe Routes to School programs. It also helps reduce traffic congestion at the school. The team leading the effort will identify appropriate park-and-walk locations within a quarter mile of the school, typically parking lots that are vacant or underutilized during school drop-off and pick-up times. Once identified, the team will work with property owners to receive permission to use the parking lots for the park-and-walk activities. On Wednesdays, Sunnyside Elementary School will encourage parents to drop their children at a spot at least a quarter mile from school. To expand the reach, school buses would also drop students off at a park -and-walk location on Wednesdays so those students can walk a quarter mile before school. Parent park-and-walk locations will be recommended on the Out Your Front Door maps, and school bus park-and-walk locations will be designated for the school. Extra crossing guards will be in place to assist with crossing streets within a quarter mile of the school. Enforcement tools are aimed at ensuring compliance with traffic and parking laws in school zones. Enforcement activities help to reduce common poor driving behavior, such as speeding, failing to yield to pedestrians, turning illegally, parking illegally, and other violations. Law enforcement actions include school zone speeding enforcement, crosswalk stings, and other enforcement activities. Higher than safe speeds are a constant problem at Sunnyside, and administration lists traffic congestion and traffic that’s too fast as top safety issues. This enforcement “wake-up call” will act as a reminder to drivers about safe school-zone driving expectations. It will also be a positive media event in an effort to start changing driving behaviors. It’s planned that by fall of 2013, lower school speed zones will be implemented, and the City of Red Wing will provide the electronic monitors to ensure drivers are obeying the law. Red Wing’s law enforcement bike patrol officer will engage in speed zone “stings” on high priority streets at the beginning of September and various days throughout the year. The “Kids on the Move!” media campaign described below will begin the first day of the sting. 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 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. Staff at Sunnyside Elementary School are already enthusiastic about participating actively and may walk or bike to school on International Walk and Bike to School Day. They plan to have students make posters to promote the event. This fun event will help demonstrate to kids and parents that walking and biking are encouraged and that students and their families can feel proud to participate. Walk and Bike to School Day will also be a kick-off to the Walking Wednesdays expansion, noted above. Bicycle safety training is generally most appropriate beginning in or after the third grade and helps children understand that they have the same responsibility as motorists to obey traffic laws. In-school curriculum often includes three parts: in-class lessons, mock street scenarios or skills practice, and on-street riding. Various existing curricula are available online from a number of sources at no cost, or schools may choose to develop one on their own. Currently, Sunnyside Elementary School does not provide bike safety training to students. Red Wing does, however, have a bike patrol officer who can provide bike safety training during physical education classes, and Sunnyside is ready to open time for that training. Students participating in the training will receive “door prizes” and reflective stickers for jackets, backpacks, or bikes. Some Red Wing residents still view kids on our streets as irregular. The strongest Safe Routes to School efforts are those that, over time, begin to make change to the community culture by normalizing walking and bicycling. One of the ways to help promote walking and bicycling as normal, everyday activities is to disseminate consistent, ongoing communications to the school and surrounding community. Live Healthy Red Wing has created publicity around walking and biking to school in the last 18 months with success, but more is needed. Live Healthy Red Wing will spearhead a campaign in April 2014 that includes newspaper articles, radio spots, Facebook posts, and videos on YouTube and local access Channel 6. The campaign will give information about the benefits of walking and biking to school and how residents can work as a community to help students feel safe on our streets and sidewalks. Three new newspaper segments will be fun and eye-catching, while educating residents about benefits, providing quotes from kids about why they love walking and biking to school, and showing ways residents can help students feel safe on our roads. The following additional program is recommended as a lower-priority option for Sunnyside Elementary School. Increased walking and bicycling; youth empowerment Red Wing’s bus system involves frequent bus stops (sometimes every block or two), which means students spend long periods sitting on their rides and less time moving before and after school. This initiative’s goals are to shorten bus rides and create an environment that’s convenient, fun, and safe for more walking. We hope to capitalize on our many safe and pleasant neighborhood parks and make them “bus hubs.” All students living within a half mile of a park would be required to walk there to be picked up. Consequently, with less stops, rides would be shorter and students would get more activity (walking and playing at the park while waiting). At least on e bike rack will be available at each park. Volunteers may need to supervise if a bus hub is particularly busy. This system will start as a pilot to measure successes and challenges and make recommendations before expanding across the city. 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 biking 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. 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/or 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/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 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 s 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. Sunnyside has been tracking participation in ongoing programs and this existing data can serve as a partial baseline for programs such as Walking Wednesdays. 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. The Action Plan is based on a one year forecast of reasonably attai nable goals as determined by the SRTS Team. The Action Plan is meant to complement the recommendations. The table should be updated periodically with new goals as the previous goals are met or new opportunities arise. It is important to note that while the overall Safe Routes to School Plan has a will support action for five years, the Action Plan provides specific recommendations for the first year of the plan. Annual evaluation should be part of the Safe Routes Programs. Each year the Action Plan should be updated with recommendations that have been accomplished removed and new annual projects and programs added. Some education, encouragement and enforcement programs will be ongoing and the action plan should represent those programs that need increased resources or attention.