DANIEL WRIGHT ELEMENTARY

Transcription

1 DANIEL WRIGHT ELEMENTARY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN February 2016 OHIO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL SCHOOL TRAVEL PLAN TEMPLATE

2 SECTION 1: OUR SCHOOL(S) 1A. Identify Target Schools School District School Name School Address Dublin City Schools Daniel Wright Elementary 2335 West Case Road Columbus, OH Grades Served K-5 Your School s Students Average Daily Student Enrollment Black, non- Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native Asian or Pacific Islander Hispanic Multi- Racial White, non- Hispanic Economically Disadvantaged Limited English Proficient Students with Disabilities Migrant % N/A 15.3% 13.7% 7.6% 51.0% 47.1% 31.1% 11.1% N/A Data from the Ohio Department of Health s A Report on the Body Mass Index of Ohio s Third Graders for Daniel Wright Elementary is included in Appendix A. 1B. Community Stakeholders and the Safe Routes to School Team School Representatives: Name address 5 E Role: Marisa Saelzler, DWE Media Specialist Scott Peck, DWE Custodian Emily Ziesenheim, DWE Gifted Intervention Specialist Jeremy Hunsicker, DWE Intervention Specialist Laura Beth Shanklin, DWE Intervention Specialist Brooke Morris, DWE Literacy Coach Josie Stewart, DWE Literacy Coach saelzler_marisa@dublinschools.net peck_scott@dublinschools.net ziesenheim_emily@dublinschools.net hunsicker_jeremy@dublinschools.net shanklin_laura@dublinschools.net morris_brooke@dublinschools.net stewart_josie@dublinschools.net 1 Whitney Shelton, DWE School Counselor shelton_whitney@dublinschools.net

3 Community Representatives: Name address 5 E Role: Denise Kline, parent dakline7@gmail.com Education, Encouragement Local Government Representatives: Name address 5 E Role: Alex Smith, Columbus Public Health acsmith@columbus.gov Education, Encouragement Education Representative: Name address 5 E Role: Brian Blum, DWE Principal blum_brian@dublinschools.net Education, Evaluation Lucas Bauer, DWE Assistant Principal Ashley Achauer, DWE Teacher Kathy Dailey, DWE Teacher bauer_lucas@dublinschools.net achauer_ashley@dublinschools.net dailey_kathy@dublinschools.net Alisha Caldwell, DWE Teacher Jaymie Obney, DWE Teacher Jenefer Coombs, DWE Teacher Leslie Hansen, DWE Teacher Kelly McGraw, DWE Teacher Sheryl Hardin, DWE ELI Teacher Maria Soufi, DWE ELL Teacher caldwell_alisha@dublinschools.net obney_jaymie@dublinschools.net coombs_jenefer@dublinschools.net hansen_leslie@dublinschools.net mcgraw_kelly@dublinschools.net hardin_sheryl@dublinschools.net soufi_maria@dublinschools.net Health Representatives: Name address 5 E Role: Dan Ersley, Bike Source dersley@biggear.com Education, Encouragement Public Safety Representatives: Name address 5 E Role: Tami Peters, City of Columbus tlpeters@columbus.gov, Engineering 2

4 1C. The lead contact for our Plan is: Name: Marisa Saelzler Affiliation: Daniel Wright Elementary Media Specialist Phone Number: address: Mailing address: 2335 West Case Road, Columbus, OH

5 SECTION 2: OUR SRTS VISION Our SRTS Vision: Successful SRTS programs benefit from the school and community working together toward a common vision. Vision statements can be a single statement, a list of goals or a short paragraph. There is no correct or incorrect vision statement. In 100 words or less, explain your team s vision for your SRTS program in the space below. The vision for the Daniel Wright Elementary SRTS program is to provide safe routes for kids to walk and bike to school that can also benefit the school community as a whole, as well as the surrounding residential developments. 4

6 SECTION 3: CURRENT STUDENT TRAVEL 3A. How many students live within walking and bicycling distance of school? (Distances are cumulative; meaning that within a ½-mile of school would include students within a ¼-mile as well.) Daniel Wright Elementary School: Distance From School Number of Students % of Student Body Within a ¼-mile of school % Within a ½-mile of school % Within 1 mile of school % Within 2 miles of school % 5 Mapping student addresses. A map showing the school attendance boundary, school site and dots indicating where students live is included is Appendix B. 3B. How many students are currently walking and bicycling to school? What are the primary walking and bicycling routes? Daniel Wright Elementary School: Number of students (morning trips) Number of students (afternoon trips) Primary walking / bicycling routes Walk Bike School Bus Family Vehicle Carpool Public Transit Other 4.0% 0.3% 76.0% 16.0% 0.1% 0.0% 4.0% 4.0% 0.1% 78.0% 14.0% 0.4% 0.0% 4.0% Through the school property and over the hill to the apartment complex directly to the east. 3C. Are there any school or district policies that impact students walking or bicycling to school? District Bus Policies Policy: The Dublin City School District s busing policy states that Elementary students (K-5) living more than a one-half (1/2) mile radius from school shall be entitled to bus transportation. Middle and high school students living more than a one (1) mile radius from school shall be entitled to bus transportation. Morning kindergartners living within one-half (1/2) mile radius shall walk with other elementary students to school but shall be provided bus transportation home at mid-day. Afternoon kindergartners living within

7 the one-half (1/2) mile radius shall be provided transportation to school but shall walk home with elementary students at the end of the school day. How it affects student travel modes (3-5 sentences): As written, the policy encourages students living within a half-mile of their school to walk or bike to/from school. It also encourages younger students to walk in groups with other students. School Travel Policies Policy: Busing is provided to all Daniel Wright Elementary students, except those that live in the Bethel Commons neighborhood directly east of the school site. How it affects student travel modes (3-5 sentences): This policy still encourages some students to walk or bike to/from school, but not as many as the district policy. 3D. School Arrival and Dismissal Process. Using prompt questions provided below, describe key school arrival and dismissal procedures at your school. Do school buses and parent vehicles use the same driveway for arrival and dismissal? Yes, all vehicles use the same driveway. No, there are separate driveways for family vehicles and school buses. Do all students use the same entrance to the school building in the morning? Yes, all students enter the building at the same location. No, students can use different entrances. If no, in three sentences or less, describe how students enter the building: Students who ride the bus use the front doors to enter the building and students who are dropped off by a parent use the doors in the back of the building. Are all students released at the same time during dismissal? Yes, all students are released at the same time. No, we use a staggered release process (walkers are released first, bus riders second, etc.). If no, in two sentences or less, describe how dismissal is staggered at your school: Walkers/bicyclists and students being picked up by a parent are released first, followed by students riding the bus. Is school staff involved in either arrival or dismissal? Yes, we have school staff help students enter and exit the campus safely. No, school staff is not involved in either arrival or dismissal. If yes, in two sentences or less, describe how school staff are involved in school arrival and dismissal: School staff walk students to their buses and monitor bus dismissal; 1-2 staff members also monitor parent pick-up in the back of the school. Are there any adult crossing guards located along student walking routes? Yes, we have at least one adult crossing guard that helps students on their walking routes. No, we do not have any adult crossing guards serving our school. If yes, please list the locations for each adult crossing guard: A crossing guard is stationed at the crosswalk in front of the school in the morning and afternoon. 6

8 Are there police officers that help with arrival or dismissal procedures at this school? Yes, we have at least one police officer helping direct traffic around our school. No we do not have police officers who help direct traffic around the school. If yes, in two sentences or less, explain how many officers help and what role they play in arrival or dismissal: N/A Are students involved in any arrival or dismissal process (i.e. student safety patrol)? Yes, we have a student safety patrol. No, we do not have a student safety patrol. If yes, in two sentences or less, describe the role of the student safety patrol at both arrival and dismissal: Student safety patrollers help the crossing guard at the crosswalk in front of the school in after school. 3E. Parent Attitudes towards walking and biking. Using the Parent Survey Summary Data Report generated by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, indicate the top 5 reasons impacting the decisions of parents who currently DO NOT allow their children to walk or bicycle to school. Reasons for not allowing children to walk or bicycle to school: 7 Safety at intersections and crossings. Speed of traffic along routes. Amount of traffic along routes. Sidewalks or pathways. Distance. 3F. Safety Issues and Concerns. Summarize traffic safety issues and concerns that are gathered anecdotally from the team, parents and the community at large. Record your summary in the space below in 100 words or less. A big concern for parents is the lack of sidewalks and pathways to the school, even from nearby neighborhoods. Many are also concerned with the safety of walking along some of the nearby roads, such as West Case Road and Sawmill Road, as well as the safety of crossing roads like Sawmill Road. A number of parents also expressed concern with letting their children walk or bike alone. Many parents would let their children walk if there were pedestrian facilities (i.e. sidewalks and pathways) and if they were walking with groups of other students. Relevant traffic crashes. There were 27 crashes within 2 miles of the school (from 2011 to 2013). The crashes resulted in 26 injuries and 0 fatalities. The number of crashes that involved bicycles was 13. The number of crashes that involved pedestrians was 14.

9 3G. Walking and bicycling encouragement activities at the school. Identify and describe activities at your school that support or encourage walking and bicycling. Activity Wright Wheels Safety City Walking Club How it encourages walking or bicycling (1-3 sentences) DWE works with BikeSource to teach kids how to work on bikes and do bike safety checks, as well as get bikes to kids who don t have them. Safety City is a week-long program offered to all incoming kindergarten students in the summer. The Dublin Division of Police, Washington Township Fire Department, and other local guest speakers visit throughout the week to discuss safety awareness and preventive procedures. DWE is starting a walking club for students. 8

10 SECTION 4: KEY ISSUES IMPACTING SAFE WALKING AND BICYCLING TO SCHOOL Top 5 Issues impacting student ability to safely walk or bicycle to your school. Daniel Wright Elementary School: Issue/Description 1. Issue: Parents are concerned with the lack of sidewalks/pathways along their child s route to school, especially along West Case Road and Sawmill Road. 2. Issue: Parents do not what their child to walk or bike to school alone. 3. Issue: Many parents are concerned with the safety at intersections and crossing along their child s route to school, especially those along Sawmill Road. 4. Issue: Parents are concerned with the speed and amount of traffic along their child s route to school. 5. Issue: Because many students are provided busing (and don t need to walk or bike to school), they do not know the proper techniques for doing so safely. 9

11 SECTION 5: RECOMMENDED SRTS COUNTERMEASURES 5A. Non-infrastructure Countermeasure Recommendations For each E, list and describe strategies that your team has identified. In 1-2 sentences, explain the need or Issue, then briefly describe the countermeasure EDUCATION COUNTERMEASURES EDUCATION Issue Because many students are provided busing, they do not know the proper techniques for doing so safely. Because many students are provided busing, they do not know the proper techniques for doing so safely. Countermeasure Continue to promote the Safety City program to all incoming kindergarten students. Start a Bike Rodeo program for 3rd graders to teach them proper bicycling techniques. Parents don t want their children walking or biking to school unsupervised. Because many students are provided busing, they do not know the proper techniques for doing so safely. Parents don t want their children walking or biking to school unsupervised. Train parents and educators about starting a Walking School Bus and/or Dot-to-Dot program (through ODOT). Utilize ODOT s Every Move You Make, Make It Safe campaign to educate students (and parents) about the proper ways to walk and bicycle to school, as well as the benefits of doing so. Host a SRTS Meeting to inform parents/ neighbors/etc. about the goals of the Daniel Wright SRTS program. Medium and long term strategies (those that your team will undertake beyond 12 months): 1. Continue to incorporate pedestrian and bicycle education activities into the school curriculum. 2. Continue to offer Safety City and Bike Rodeo programs to students. ENCOURAGEMENT COUNTERMEASURES Issue Because many students are provided busing, they do not know the proper techniques for doing so safely. ENCOURAGEMENT Countermeasure Continue the relationship between DWE and BikeSource to promote biking with students and develop more programs. 10 Parents don t want their children walking or biking to school unsupervised. Start participating in Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day activities.

12 ENCOURAGEMENT Parents don t want their children walking or biking to school unsupervised. Start a Walking School Bus and/or Dot-to-Dot program. Either program will provide adult supervision for children walking to/from school. Children live far from school, so walking or bicycling to school isn t encouraged. Develop mileage clubs which create competition between classes, grade levels, and/or schools based on how far they have walked to and from school. Medium and long term strategies: 1. Continue to participate in Walk and Bike to School Days. 2. Continue to offer walking clubs and mileage club competitions and develop additional contests for students to participate in that offer prizes to students (such as new bike helmets). ENFORCEMENT COUNTERMEASURES ENFORCEMENT Issue Parents are concerned with speeding along the routes to school. Parents are concerned with speeding and safety of crossings along the routes to school. EVALUATION COUNTERMEASURES Issue Follow-up on SRTS program effectiveness. Follow-up on SRTS program effectiveness. EVALUATION Countermeasure Enforce School Zone speed limits along W. Case Road. Send Adult Crossing Guard representative(s) to ODOT s Adult School Crossing Guard Training Program and add an additional crossing guard at the intersection of Sawmill Road and W. Case Road/Abbey Church Road. Countermeasure Conduct Parent Surveys annually to track the program. Conduct Student Travel Tallies seasonally (fall / winter / spring) to see when encouragement techniques should be further employed. Medium and long term strategies: 1. Continue to conduct Parent Surveys and Student Travel Tallies. 11

13 5B. 12-Month SRTS Non-Infrastructure Activity Calendar. Non-Infrastructure Countermeasure Jun 2016 Jul 2016 Aug 2016 Sep 2016 Oct 2016 Nov 2016 Dec 2016 Jan 2017 Feb 2017 Mar 2017 Apr 2017 May 2017 Continue to promote Safety City program. Lead: Lucas Bauer, Education Start a Bike Rodeo program. Lead: Marisa Saelzler and Dan Ersley, Education Attend ODOT s Walking School Bus training. Lead: Denise Kline, Education Utilize ODOT s Every Move You Make, Make It Safe campaign. Lead: Ashley Achauer and Kathy Dailey, Education Host informational SRTS meeting. Lead: Lucas Bauer, Education Build relationship between DWE and BikeSource. Lead: Marisa Saelzler and Dan Ersley, Encouragement Participate in Walk and Bike to School Days. Lead: Alisha Caldwell, Encouragement Start a Dot-to-Dot and/or Walking School Bus program. Lead: Denise Kline, Encouragement Develop mileage clubs. PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN 12 Lead: Jaymie Obney, Encouragement IMPLEMENT

14 Non-Infrastructure Countermeasure Jun 2016 Jul 2016 Aug 2016 Sep 2016 Oct 2016 Nov 2016 Dec 2016 Jan 2017 Feb 2017 Mar 2017 Apr 2017 May 2017 Enforce School Zone speed limits. PLAN Lead: Tami Peters, Send Adult Crossing Guard(s) to ODOT training. Lead: Sheryl Hardin and Emily Ziesenheim, Conduct Parent Surveys annually. Lead: Brian Blum, Evaluation Conduct Student Travel Tallies seasonally. Lead: Brian Blum, Evaluation IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT PLAN IMPLEMENT 13

15 5C. Infrastructure Countermeasure Recommendations Map ID Location Issue Countermeasure Timeframe Priority (% Impacted) Jurisdiction Responsible Estimated Cost* Possible Funding Source Status A School site Lack of bicycle accommodations Add a concrete pad with bicycle racks in front of the school near the main entrance. Short Term High (100%) Dublin City Schools Low ($15,000) SRTS Dublin City Schools 14 B School site Lack of pedestrian accommodations C W. Case Road Lack of pedestrian accommodations Pave the gravel path that runs along the west side of the school drive (approximately 520 feet). Add a ladderstyle crosswalk at the school-end of the pathway, across the driveway leading to the back of the building. Add a sidewalk on the south side of W. Case Road, through the OSU property between Lynnmore Drive and the school drive, for a distance of approximately 1,820 feet. D W. Case Road Unmarked school zone Add flashing school zone beacons along W. Case Road 300 feet in either direction of the school drive. E F G School site & residential development to the south Sawmill Road & W. Case Road / Abbey Church Road Abbey Church Road Lack of pedestrian accommodations Lack of pedestrian accommodations Lack of pedestrian accommodations Work with the residential developments south of the school property to create a north-south connection to the school. The pathway should extend south from the school on the school property with a gate at the school property line and continue south to the Island Club and Sterling Place apartment complexes (approximately 0.2 miles). Improve the crossing at the Sawmill Road and W. Case Road/Abbey Church Road intersection by repainting the crosswalks in the ladder style and adding a crossing guard at this location in the morning and afternoon. Add a sidewalk along the south/west side of Abbey Church Road from Sawmill Road to the existing sidewalks just north of Wildflower Trail (approximately 1,650 feet). Additionally, at the W. Case Road intersection, include a ladder-style crosswalk across W. Case Road and pedestrian crossing signage. Short Term High (88%) Dublin City Schools Medium Term High (86%) City of Columbus OSU Short Term High (100%) City of Columbus Short Term Low (28%) Dublin City Schools Short Term Medium Term Medium (63%) Medium (63%) Island Club Apartments Sterling Place Apartments City of Columbus City of Columbus Medium ($22,000+) High ($73,000+) Medium ($25,000) High ($45,000+) Low ($1,200) High ($67,000+) SRTS Dublin City Schools SRTS City of Columbus SRTS City of Columbus SRTS Dublin City Schools SRTS City of Columbus Dublin City Schools SRTS City of Columbus

16 Map ID Location Issue Countermeasure Timeframe Priority (% Impacted) Jurisdiction Responsible Estimated Cost* Possible Funding Source Status H Ramblewood Avenue & Dierker Road Lack of pedestrian accommodations Add pedestrian activity warning signage along Dierker Road and Ramblewood Avenue to alert drivers that pedestrians may be present in the area. Short Term Low (10%) City of Columbus Low ($900) SRTS City of Columbus Total estimated cost for recommended infrastructure countermeasures: $249,100+ *Estimated Cost includes construction costs only. Engineering design & survey, construction engineering, environmental work, right-of-way acquisition (if necessary), and miscellaneous costs for maintenance of traffic and mobilization for the contractor have not been included. 15

17 5D. Safe Routes for Non-Drivers Map ID Location Issue Countermeasure Timeframe Priority Jurisdiction Responsible Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source Status Total estimated cost for recommended Safe Routes for Non-Drivers countermeasures: N/A 16

18 SECTION 6: PUBLIC INPUT A public meeting to discuss the Daniel Wright Elementary School STP was held on February 17, 2016, at the Daniel Wright Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conference Night. Key feedback from that meeting is outlined below; materials from the meeting are included in Appendix C. Public Input Process: Table set up during Parent-Teacher Conference Night Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Target Audience: Parents and teachers Key Input Received: The draft recommendations for the Daniel Wright Elementary School STP were available for parents and teachers to review at the Daniel Wright Elementary School Parent-Teacher Conference Night. Parents were able to stop in the Media Room during the night to talk with Team Members about the plan and draft recommendations. All feedback received during the evening was positive. 17

19 SECTION 7: FINAL PLAN ENDORSEMENT The endorsement and pledge of support for Daniel Wright Elementary School s Safe Routes to School Travel Plan is included in Appendix D. 18

20 APPENDIX A: OHIO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 3 RD GRADE BMI REPORT Daniel Wright Elementary is located in Franklin County. The prevalence of overweight or obese 3 rd graders in the county is 30-39% (based on the Ohio Department of Health s A Report on the Body Mass Index of Ohio s Third Graders ).

21 APPENDIX B: MAPPING

22 Daniel Wright Elem - Dublin City - Franklin Co REED RD (CR-58) 2335 W Case Rd, Columbus, OH n HIGH ST (CR-10) 161 MERW IN RD IONE CT ESTEL RD MC VEY BLVD MILLBRAE RD LINWORTH RD (CR-63) W DUBLIN-GRANVILLE RD GREENVALE DR SAWMILL RD (CR-70) DUBLIN RD (CR-10) W CASE RD (CR-69) n GODOWN RD (CR-68) LARKSTONE DR HAYDEN RUN RD (CR-32) HAYDEN FALLS DR ANDERSON DR RIVERSIDE DR HENDERSON RD (CR-55) HENDERSON HTS WOODVIEW PL BETHEL RD (CR-67) SHUSTER RD DUBLIN RD (CR-10) DAVIDSON RD (CR-31) 33 W HENDERSON RD (CR-55) BRAIDWOOD DR RIDGEWOOD DR DARBYSHIRE DR SATURN DR n School Students TRANS_ROUT IR US SR RA CAMERON RD SCHIRTZINGER RD County Roads Township Roads Radius (Miles) City Boundary MC COY R D County Boundary State Boundary (CR-543) Date: 3/6/2015 LANE RD (CR-54) Total Enrollment = 626 q KENNY RD (CR-57) Feet ,400 2,800 4, Minutes to Walk

23 Daniel Wright Elementary Legend!( Student Locations Proposed Sidewalk Potential Connection 1/4-mile Buffer 1/2-mile Buffer Daniel Wright Elementary School Proposed Countermeasures O Feet ,000

24 APPENDIX C: PUBLIC MEETING MATERIALS

25 Subject: FW: DWE Safe Routes meeting Forwarded message From: Wright Elementary Date: Mon, Feb 8, 2016 at 11:26 AM Subject: DWE Safe Routes To: DWE, Please Join us... ODOT Safe Routes to School Grant Meeting Wednesday, February 17 (Parent - Teacher Conference Night) 4:00-5:00pm in the DWE Media Center Please stop by if you are interested in learning more about the DWE bike path grant! 1

26 Safe Routes to School Daniel Wright Elementary School What is Safe Routes to School? The Ohio Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is funded by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and administered by the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT). The program supports projects and programs that enable and encourage walking and bicycling to and from school. A School Travel Plan (STP) is the written document that outlines a community s intentions for enabling students to engage in active transportation (i.e. walking or bicycling) as they travel to and from school. It is a requirement for funding requests made through the ODOT SRTS program. The STP identifies barriers to active transportation and recommends solutions to address them using the five Es: Engineering, Education,, Encouragement, and Evaluation. School Travel Plan Development Development of the STP began with the creation of the local SRTS Planning Team. The local team includes representatives from Daniel Wright Elementary School, the City of Columbus, Columbus Public Health, BikeSource, and members of the community. Together, the local SRTS team and the ODOT consultant evaluated the existing walking and bicycling conditions around the school through parent surveys, student travel tallies, walk audits, and meetings with the local SRTS team. All of this information was used to come up with the recommended infrastructure and non-infrastructure countermeasures. Next Steps Public comments will be incorporated into the STP before it is finalized. The final plan will include a list of noninfrastructure countermeasures with a recommended timeline for implementation; it will also include a list of infrastructure countermeasures with recommended prioritizations as to what should be implemented first. The plan will be complete once members of the team endorse it, showing their commitment to Safe Routes and their support of the recommended countermeasures.

27 SRTS Countermeasures Non-Infrastructure Countermeasures Non-infrastructure countermeasures include all of the education, encouragement, and enforcement activities intended to affect student or driver behavior, as well as evaluation activities that monitor the impacts of the SRTS program once implemented. Education programs target children, parents, caregivers, and neighbors, teaching them how to walk and bicycle safely and informing drivers on how to drive more safely around pedestrians and bicyclists. Education programs can also incorporate personal security issues, as well as health and environment messages. Examples of education programs are Safety City programs, bike rodeos, and hosting SRTS meetings. Encouragement activities promote walking and bicycling to school to children, parents, and community members. Events such as Walk to School Day, contests such as a Frequent Walker/ Bicyclist challenge, or on-going programs such as a Walking School Bus or Bicycle Train can promote and encourage walking and bicycling as a popular way to get to school. strategies increase the safety of children bicycling and walking to school by helping to change unsafe behaviors of drivers, as well as pedestrians and bicyclists. A community approach to enforcement involves students, parents or caregivers, school personnel, crossing guards, and law enforcement officers. Examples of enforcement strategies are enforcing school zone speed limits and having an adult school crossing guard program. Evaluation is an important component of SRTS programs that can be incorporated into each of the other Es. Collecting information before and after program activities or projects are implemented allows communities to track progress and outcomes as well as provide information to guide program development. Continuing to conduct the parent surveys and student travel tallies are evaluation techniques. Infrastructure Countermeasures Infrastructure projects, or engineering projects, include operational and physical improvements that establish safer and fully accessible pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure. All infrastructure projects must improve conditions for students walking or bicycling within two miles of the target school. These improvements focus on reducing motor vehicle speeds and conflicts with pedestrians and bicyclists, and establishing safer and fully accessible crossings, walkways, trails, and bikeways. Bicycle racks should be placed in a safe, visible location at schools in order to promote and accommodate children who wish to ride bikes to and from school. Sidewalks are one of the most effective countermeasures that increase safety for pedestrians; however, they can be costly to build. An ideal sidewalk includes a grassy, tree-lined buffer between the sidewalk and the street and a minimum width of 5 feet for optimal pedestrian comfort. Crosswalks with signage should be used to identify all street crossings. Ladder-style crosswalk markings should be used for better visibility and OMUTCD-compliant signage should be installed to identify the crossing location. Pedestrian activity warning signage can be used to identify areas with high pedestrian activity. Installing this signage will let drivers know that there may be pedestrians in the area that they should be aware of.

28