AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. DISTRICT-WIDE TRAVEL PLAN November 2014 OHIO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL DISTRICT-WIDE TRAVEL PLAN

Transcription

1 AKRON PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT-WIDE TRAVEL PLAN November 2014 OHIO SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL DISTRICT-WIDE TRAVEL PLAN

2 Acknowledgements School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Acknowledgements The district-wide School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools was prepared by TranSystems Corporation with assistance from MurphyEpson in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Transportation, Akron Public Schools, City of Akron, Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS), and staff members from other agencies and organizations that volunteered their time to develop and finalize this district-wide School Travel Plan for a large school district. A special thanks to the leaders and members of the Akron Safe Routes to School. The Akron Safe Routes to School would like to extend a special thanks to the following people for their help and support related to Safe Routes to School and the School Travel Plan for Akron: David W. James, Superintendent of Akron Public Schools Akron Public School Board of Education Lisa Mansfield Board of Education President and Specialty Schools Liaison Bruce Alexander Board of Education Vice President; Legal Contracts and Board Policy Co-Chair; and Buchtel Cluster Liaison Patrick Bravo Board of Education Member; Finance and Capital Management Co-Chair; and East Cluster Liaison David Lombardi Board of Education Member; Legal, Contracts and Board Policy Co- Chair; and North Cluster Liaison Tim Miller Board of Education Member; Finance and Capital Management Co-Chair; and Ellet Cluster Liaison Veronica Sims Board of Education Member; Policy and Student Achievement Co-Chair; and Garfield Cluster Liaison Rev. Dr. Curtis T. Walker, Sr. Board of Education Member; Policy and Student Achievement Co-Chair; and Kenmore Cluster Liaison i

3 Table of Contents School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction...1 Safe Routes to School Program... 1 Akron School Travel Plan... 1 Body Mass Index for Ohio s Third Grade Students : Target Schools and SRTS...2 Akron Public Schools SRTS Coordinator... 2 SRTS Members... 2 Consultant Members... 3 Community Participants and Partners... 3 Target Schools : Public Involvement...4 Public Involvement Process... 4 Vision : Existing Conditions...9 City Context... 9 School District... 9 Body Mass Index for Ohio s Third Grade Students... 9 Schools Included in the APS STP... 9 Crash Statistics School District Policies, Plans, Accomplishments Local Government Policies, Plans, and Programs : Issues and Countermeasures Issues Countermeasures Priority Corridors Support for SRTS Student Safety and Comfort SRTS Program Sustainability : Prioritized Strategies Notes on Prioritization, Timeframes, and Estimated Cost School/City Policies Non- Countermeasures Countermeasures : Endorsements ii

4 Table of Contents School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Attachments: Attachment 1: Attachment 2: Attachment 3: Appendices: Appendix A: Appendix B: Appendix C: Appendix D: Appendix E: Appendix F: Appendix G: Appendix H: Appendix I: Engineering Countermeasure Descriptions Priority Corridors and Engineering Countermeasures by School Planning-Level Cost Estimates School Demographics Kick-off Meeting Materials Principal Surveys Walk Audit Information and Local Walk Audit Notes Crossing Guard Survey Parent Survey Summary Travel Tally Summary ODOT Student Maps Prioritization Matrix iii

5 Introduction School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools INTRODUCTION Safe Routes to School Program 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 safe walking and bicycling to and from school. A School Travel Plan (STP) is a requirement for funding requests through the ODOT SRTS program. An 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. Serving as foundation for an SRTS program, the STP can be updated and modified as needed to comply with community values and goals. The plan is created through a team-based approach that involves key community stakeholders in both identifying barriers to active transportation and, using all Es, a set of solutions to address them. The five Es are Engineering, Enforcement,, and Evaluation. Engineering refers to infrastructure projects that improve the pedestrian and bicycle environment within two miles of a school. The other Es refer to non-infrastructure programs that are intended to affect student or driver behavior to result in more walking and biking to school. Akron School Travel Plan The Akron STP follows ODOT s draft guidelines for large school districts. Large school districts are defined by ODOT as those with more than 15 kindergarten through 8 th grade (K-8) schools. In prior years, ODOT s funding process restricted applications for STP development to four schools at a time. ODOT observed that large school districts did not apply for SRTS grant funding at a rate proportionate to their representation in the state. The Akron STP is the third of a series of three district-wide STPs for large school districts in Ohio and one of the first nationwide. Body Mass Index for Ohio s Third Grade Students A review of the Report on the Body Mass Index of Ohio s Third Graders, conducted by the Ohio Department of Health, found that childhood obesity is one of the most important public health issues in Ohio with more than 30 percent of children and adolescents classified as overweight or obese. In a study, it was reported that 30.9% of third grade students living in Summit County, where Akron Public Schools are located, have a prevalence of being overweight or obese. A map showing the percentage of overweight and obese third graders by county can be found in Appendix A. Through physical activity, such as walking or biking to and from school, or educating youth about the importance of an active lifestyle, ODOT s Safe Routes to School Program hopes to foster awareness and prevention to combat this serious public health issue. 1

6 Target Schools and SRTS School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools 1.0: TARGET SCHOOLS AND SRTS TEAM Akron Public Schools SRTS Coordinator Following the model established with the Cincinnati STP, a full-time SRTS Coordinator is in place to guide the development of the process locally. Andy Davis, a traffic engineer with the City of Akron s Engineering Bureau, and Sam Trecaso, a graduate student at the University of Akron are the SRTS Akron Co-coordinators. ODOT is funding their position for the length of the STP process. SRTS Members Tom Bennett City of Akron David Celik ODOT Laurel Celik, BSN RN NCSN School Health RN Akron Public Schools, Akron Children's Hospital Jerry Egan American Planning Association, Akron Chapter Debra Foulk Akron Public Schools David Gasper City of Akron A. Harris Summit County Public Health Bob Hasenyager Summit County Public Health Courtney Hudson Safe Kids Summit County, Akron Children's Hospital Phyllis Jividen Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation Study (AMATS) Ilene Katz Jewell Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron Marilyn Keith Akron City Council K. Kiehl Akron Public Schools Lisa Mansfield Akron Public Schools T. Miller Ohio Erie Canal Kate Moening Safe Routes to School National Partnership Victor Pinheiro University of Akron Chad Root ODOT Sgt. Jeff Shaffer Akron Police Department Chris Surma ODOT SRTS District Coordinator Rich Swirsky Akron City Council Jennifer Teller Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron Heather Trnka Safe Kids Summit County, Akron Children's Hospital Julie Walcoff ODOT SRTS Program Manager L. Williams Ohio Erie Canal Heather Wuensch Safe Kids Summit County, Akron Children's Hospital 2

7 Target Schools and SRTS School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Consultant Members David F. Shipps, AICP TranSystems Corporation (Project Manager) Stephanie Tresso MurphyEpson (Public Involvement Lead) Community Participants and Partners City of Akron Safe Kids Summit County Safe Routes to School National Partnership AMATS Akron City Council Akron Police Department Akron Public Schools Target Schools University of Akron Akron Children's Hospital Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron American Planning Association, Akron Chapter Akron Community Foundation Akron Area YMCA The APS district includes 41 schools that serve students ranging from kindergarten to 8 th grade. Many of these schools serve grades PK-8. Schools that only serve grades 9-12 are excluded from this STP since they are not the focus of the Federal SRTS program. Specific demographic information from the Ohio Department of Education for each school included in the plan is located in Appendix A. The majority of the schools are neighborhood cluster schools which draw from the area around the school. Five schools are specialty schools which draw students from across the district via a lottery. Figure 1 displays a map of APS s schools. Figure 1: Akron Public Schools 3

8 Public Involvement School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools 2.0: PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Public Involvement Process This section summarizes input received through the public involvement process from steering committee members, school leadership, parents, and APS partners (i.e., organizations that can help with implementation of this travel plan). Steering Committee Input The project team conducted a kick-off meeting with the APS SRTS team on October 18, At the meeting attendees discussed the general planning process, the travel plan methodology for large school districts and next steps. A public kick-off was held on November 8, 2013 at Helen Arnold Community Learning Center. The agenda and meeting minutes from the kick-off meeting are in Appendix B. Vision The Akron SRTS team adopted a vision statement for the School Travel Plan. The Akron Safe Routes to School program, working with Akron Public Schools, strives to establish a world-class, student-focused community-based learning system and to create a community that supports and enhances safe walking and biking to school by focusing on equity through engineering, enforcement, evaluation, education and encouragement. The Akron SRTS program has three goals: School Input Go Safe Here. Go Safe There. Go Safe Everywhere. The Akron SRTS collected input from APS schools through an online school survey and schoolspecific walk audits. Online School Survey Principals An online survey was developed specifically for completion by principals. Distributed in late 2013, the principals survey was completed by 38 out of the 41 schools. Each principal provided a list of barriers to walking and biking, common walking and biking routes, and other information related to encouraging or promoting walking and biking. Some of the highlights from these responses are included in the sections that follow. A table listing each school s responses is provided in Appendix C. 4

9 Public Involvement School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Student Travel The survey asked school leadership to estimate the percentage of students who travel to and from school by walking, bicycling, riding in a car, riding in a school bus, and riding a METRO bus. Figure 2 shows the average percentages reported for each mode, based on estimates from school leaders. Figure 2: Principals Responses: Average Percentage of Students' Mode To/From School 45.0% 40.0% 35.0% 30.0% 25.0% 20.0% 15.0% 10.0% 5.0% 0.0% 38.6% 36.4% 23.6% 0.9% 1.6% Walk Bike Car Bus METRO % Students Barriers to Walking and Bicycling to/from School The survey asked school leadership to rank 11 potential barriers to walking and bicycling to school. The barriers most commonly ranked first were: Concern about violence or crime. Distance. Safety at intersections and crossings. Convenience (i.e. parents find it more convenient to drive their children to and from school). The barriers most commonly ranked second were: Safety at intersections and crossings. Convenience (i.e. parents find it more convenient to drive their children to and from school). Speed of traffic along key student walking and bicycling routes. Volume of traffic along key student walking and bicycling routes. Students lack pedestrian and/or bicycle safety skills. School Policies The survey asked school leadership whether the school had adopted a policy prohibiting walking and bicycling. A biking or walking prohibition may be in place because of concern about safety. Through education and infrastructure improvements, the SRTS team will work with school leadership to encourage students to walk and bike to school safely rather than prohibiting the modes of transportation altogether. 5 One school reported prohibiting walking.

10 Public Involvement School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Five schools reported prohibiting bicycling. SRTS Strategies and SRTS Programs The survey asked school leadership which common SRTS strategies the school had already and which common SRTS strategies the school would be interested in implementing in the future: The most commonly reported SRTS strategies schools have already included: pedestrian safety education (15 schools), observation of school arrival and dismissal (14 schools), personal security education (13 schools), education regarding the health benefits of walking and bicycling to school (10 schools), bicycle safety education (8 schools), and carpools (8 schools). The most commonly reported SRTS strategies schools would like to implement in the future included: personal security education (15 schools), assessment of walkability and bikeability in the area around the school (15 schools), parent surveys through the National Center for Safe Routes to School (14 schools), International Walk to School Day (13 schools), mileage clubs or contests (13 schools), and no phone zone campaigns to discourage cell phone use while driving (13 schools). The survey also asked school leadership whether the school was planning to implement an SRTS program and nine schools indicated that they were. Walk Audits Walk audits were conducted at 38 of the 41 APS schools beginning in November 2013 and continued through the remainder of the school year. Each walk audit included members of the Akron SRTS along with principals and interested parents. The primary goal of the walk audits was to analyze the schools walking and biking environments. The consultant team also taught several individuals how to conduct walk audits. The training will allow the Akron SRTS to conduct future walk audits at additional schools around the district. The following APS schools were included in the initial walk audits in November 2013 with the consultant team: Barber Crouse David Hill Findley Firestone Park Glover Hatton Helen E. Arnold Jennings Kent McEbright Portage Path Schumacher The Akron SRTS conducted additional walk audits in the spring of 2014 at the following schools: Akron Opportunity Center Bettes Betty Jane Case East Forest Hill Henry L. Robinson Hyre Innes John R. Buchtel Judith A. Resnik Lawndale 6

11 Public Involvement School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Leggett Litchfield Mason Miller South NIHF STEM Pfeiffer Rimer Ritzman Sam Salem Seiberling Smith Voris Windemere A meeting was held with the local school principal or other school representative prior to the walk audits. The purpose of the meeting was to: Identify barriers on the planned walk audit route prior to observation in the field. Identify barriers beyond planned walk audit route. Identify non-infrastructure barriers or other concerns of the principal or school representative. Discussion of how walking and biking safety is currently taught to students and communicated to parents. Begin to understand the unique neighborhood community surrounding each school and how this relates to safe walking and biking for students. The walk audits included observing arrival and/or dismissal, conditions along adjacent roadways, and taking notes and photographs of existing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and likely barriers to walking and bicycling to school. The information collected contributed to the countermeasures recommended in 4.0: Issues and Countermeasures. Written notes for the walk audits are included in Appendix D. Crossing Guard Survey The Akron Planning also conducted a crossing guard survey during the school year. Eighty-four crossing guards completed the survey. Their top three concerns are crosswalk lines and the need to repaint them, cars speeding through and near school crosswalks and cars not stopping at crosswalks, traffic signals or stop signs. The survey and a summary of the responses are in Appendix E. Parent Input The National Center for SRTS parent survey was sent out district-wide to approximately 13,000 student households in Fall Nearly 2,400 surveys were returned. The surveys provided a base of information regarding existing conditions and barriers (real and perceived) to walking and biking. The Akron SRTS intends to administer this survey annually to evaluate the effectiveness of their SRTS programs and general walking and biking concerns. The overall Parent Survey Summary is located in Appendix F. The top issues parents identified as affecting their decision to allow their child to walk to or from school were violence/crime (68%), distance (66%), weather/climate (58%), speed of traffic along route (55%) and amount of traffic along route (54%), tied for fifth place was safety of intersections and crossings (54%). In the parent comments, the top issues were crime and safety concerns with registered sex offenders along routes to school mentioned specifically several times; distance from school; age of students; 7

12 Public Involvement School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools bullying; and lack of lighting were other non-infrastructure concerns. Many of these concerns are items that SRTS programs address, even if the issue is a perceived issue. There are some specific locations where parents suggested adding a crossing guard, crosswalk, adding or repairing sidewalks, speed reduction and/or pedestrian signal upgrade. These were shared with the City of Akron and Akron Public Schools, as appropriate. In-class Student Travel Tallies The National Center for SRTS student travel tally was distributed district-wide in the fall of Completed tallies with more than 11,300 responses were returned from 35 of the 41 schools. Table 1 shows a summary of the morning and afternoon travel modes as indicated in the tallies. The Travel Tally Summary is located in Appendix G. Morning trips (16,394 students) Afternoon trips (15,428 students) Table 1: In-class Student Travel Tally Results Walk Bike School Bus Family Vehicle Carpool Public Transit Other 13% 0.2% 23% 55% 7% 0.7% 0.8% 17% 0.2% 24% 51% 7% 0.9% 1% 8

13 Existing Conditions School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools 3.0: EXISTING CONDITIONS City Context The APS district is located in Summit County in northeast Ohio. The district is entirely located within City of Akron, which is predominately an urban area and generally has a well-connected, existing pedestrian infrastructure. Most of the streets within a mile of APS s schools have sidewalks on one or both sides of the street. Additionally, crosswalks and pedestrian signals exist at most of the signalized intersections, although, in some cases these amenities are not across all legs of the intersection. A factor that limits walking and bicycling to and from school in Akron is its climate. The winter of saw school cancelled for several days due to impassable roads and sidewalks. The Akron SRTS team is considering several snow removal educational and encouragement countermeasures to address this issue moving forward. School District As of the fall of 2013, APS has 41 K-8 schools with an enrollment of ~15,000 students. The ethnic distribution is African-American (45.9%) and Caucasian (38.8%) students, followed by Multi-Racial (7.3%), Asian or Pacific Islander (4.7%) and Hispanic (3.2%). It is of note that 5.5% of APS students have limited English proficiency. Eighty-five percent of students are eligible to participate in the federal free/reduced-price lunch program. APS provides transportation to all students in grades K-8 who live more than two miles from school via yellow bus. APS includes neighborhood and district-wide schools called specialty schools. Body Mass Index for Ohio s Third Grade Students A review of the Report on the Body Mass Index of Ohio s Third Graders, conducted by the Ohio Department of Health, found that childhood obesity is one of the most important public health issues in Ohio with more than 30 percent of children and adolescents classified as overweight or obese. In a study, it was reported that 30.9% of third grade students living in Summit County, where Akron Public Schools are located, have a prevalence of being overweight or obese. A map showing the percentage of overweight and obese third graders by county can be found in Appendix A. Through physical activity, such as walking or biking to and from school, or educating youth about the importance of an active lifestyle, ODOT s Safe Routes to School Program hopes to foster awareness and prevention to combat this serious public health issue. Schools Included in the APS STP A list of the 41 schools included in the APS STP is shown in Table 2. Additionally, ODOT s student location maps for each school are included in Appendix H. 9

14 Existing Conditions School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Table 2: Schools Included in the APS STP School Grades Type Address Akron Opportunity Center 6-8 Specialty School 77 W. Thornton Street Total Students # Students in 1 Mile % Students in 1 Mile # Students in 2 Miles % Students in 2 Miles % % Barber CLC K-6 East Cluster 665 Garry Road % % Bettes K-5 North Cluster 1333 Betana Avenue % % Betty Jane CLC K-5 Ellet Cluster 444 Darrow Road % % Bridges Learning Center Case K-5 K-8 Specialty School Firestone Cluster Crouse CLC K-6 Buchtel Cluster David Hill CLC K-5 East Cluster 33 Dorcas Avenue 1393 Westvale Avenue 1000 Diagonal Road 1060 E. Archwood Avenue % % % % % % % % East CLC 7-12 East Cluster 80 Brittain Road % % Findley CLC K-5 North Cluster Firestone Park K-5 Garfield Cluster Forest Hill CLC K-5 North Cluster Glover CLC K-5 Garfield Cluster Harris K-5 North Cluster Hatton CLC K-5 Ellet Cluster Helen E. Arnold CLC K-6 Buchtel Cluster Henry L. Robinson CLC Hyre CLC 6-8 Ellet Cluster Innes CLC W. Tallmadge Avenue 1479 Girard Street 850 Damon Street 935 Hammel Street E. Cuyahoga Falls Avenue 1933 Baker Avenue 450 Vernon Odom Boulevard % % % % % % % % % % % % % % K-6 East Cluster th Avenue % % Kenmore Cluster Jennings CLC 6-8 North Cluster John R. Buchtel CLC 7-12 Buchtel Cluster Judith A. Resnik CLC K-5 Firestone Cluster Kent (Roswell Kent) 6-8 Garfield Cluster King K-5 Lawndale K-5 Firestone Cluster Kenmore Cluster Leggett CLC K-5 North Cluster Litchfield 6-8 Firestone Cluster 2385 Wedgewood Drive 1999 East Avenue 227 E. Tallmadge Avenue 1040 Copley Road 65 N. Meadowcroft Drive 1445 Hammel Street 805 Memorial Parkway th Street SW 333 E. Thornton Street % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % 630 Mull Avenue % % 10

15 Existing Conditions School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools School Grades Type Address Mason CLC K-6 East Cluster 700 E. Exchange Street Total Students # Students in 1 Mile % Students in 1 Mile # Students in 2 Miles % Students in 2 Miles % % McEbright CLC K-5 Garfield Cluster 349 Cole Avenue % % Miller South School for the Visual and Performing Arts 4-8 Specialty School NIHF STEM 5-8 Specialty School Pfeiffer K-5 Portage Path CLC K-5 Rimer CLC K-5 Kenmore Cluster Firestone Cluster Kenmore Cluster 1055 East Avenue 199 S. Broadway Street th Street SW 55 S. Portage Path 2370 Manchester Road % % % % % % % % % % Ritzman CLC K-5 Ellet Cluster 629 Canton Road % % Sam Salem CLC K-5 Kenmore Cluster Schumacher CLC K-6 Buchtel Cluster Seiberling K-6 East Cluster Smith K-5 Kenmore Cluster Voris CLC K-5 Garfield Cluster Windemere CLC K-5 Ellet Cluster Crash Statistics 1222 W. Waterloo Road 1020 Hartford Avenue 49 N. Martha Avenue 941 Chester Avenue 1885 Glenmount Avenue 2283 Windemere Avenue % % % % % % % % % % % % Over a three-year period from 2011 and 2013, there were 560 crashes reported involving all pedestrians or bicyclists within two miles of an APS school serving kindergarten through 8 th grade students. When combined, the two mile areas for all 41 schools in the district includes over 90% of the City of Akron as well as portions of several adjacent cities including Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, and Tallmadge. Overall, 339 crashes involved pedestrians and 223 involved bicyclists resulting in seven deaths. Additionally, 472 of the crashes led to 499 injuries, with some crashes reporting up to three injuries. Five schools had 200 or more crashes within two miles of the school: Akron Alternative Academy and Akron Opportunity Center, Helen E. Arnold CLC, Harris Elementary, King Elementary, Leggett CLC, and NIHF STEM. An additional 17 schools had between 100 and 200 crashes occur within two miles. While 560 pedestrian and bicycle-related crashes may seem like a high number, it is important to remember that this is an urban area where higher populations lead to initially higher numbers of walkers and cyclists. Walking and bicycling are great modes of transportation for children for many reasons, and are safe in most cases. Travelling from one location to another poses some degree of inherent danger regardless of mode, but the crash numbers do show that more work needs to be done as it is essential to make streets safe for children who walk, bike, and also ride in vehicles. 11 Safe Kids Summit County also is conducting a bike helmet usage and crash review study. It will be complete in early 2015.

16 Existing Conditions School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools School District Policies, Plans, Accomplishments This section summarizes school district policies and plans that impact school travel, and outlines the APS SRTS Program s accomplishments to date. School district policies are organized by category. Program accomplishments to date are organized by E (, Enforcement, Evaluation, and Engineering). School District Policies Walking and Bicycling Policies APS does not have a formal policy either encouraging or discouraging walking and bicycling to school. APS has hosted International Walk to School Day events at Helen Arnold on November 13, 2013, as well as Findlay, Helen Arnold, King, Sam Salem, and Sieberling on October 8, Bike to School Day events took place on May 21-22, 2014 with a bike rodeo at Resnik and Buchtel Schools. The Board of Education supports the creation of a district-wide school travel plan by its acceptance of the ODOT grant and funds to create the STP. Wellness Policy APS has a wellness policy that includes daily physical education and activity levels for all students. It is in the process of being updated, and there is an opportunity to add Safe Routes to School language into the policy. Regarding Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodation on School Campuses As APS has renovated its schools, bicycle racks are a part of the standard design of new and renovated school facilities. However, some schools discourage bicycling due to racks location and/or environment and concerns about students bicycling to school safely and bicycles getting stolen. Liability Policies APS does not require waivers for students who regularly walk and bicycle to school. However, students who participate in special walking and bicycling activities, such as Walk to School Day, bicycle rodeos, walking school buses, and bicycle trains, will need parental permission to participate. APS requires background checks for adults who volunteer with their programs when unsupervised by APS staff. Background checks are not required of adult volunteers supervised by APS staff. Personal Security Policies At the policy level, APS addresses the issue of personal security while walking and bicycling to school through its district-wide Code of Student Behavior, which requires students to: obey laws, respect other people and other people s property. These are considered Level 3 behaviors and if violated require a Mandatory Recommendation for Expulsion and the implementation of corrective strategies. The Board-approved Code of Student Behavior also has "zero tolerance" of violent, disruptive or inappropriate behavior by its students. Theft of personal property (including bicycles) is a Level 2 violation of Code 19 in the APS Student Discipline Code. Level 2 violations require a Mandatory Out of School Suspension and the implementation of corrective strategies. 12

17 Existing Conditions School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Busing Policies APS does not routinely provide busing to K-8 students who live within two miles of school. The Ohio Department of Education regulations prohibit school bus drivers from picking up or dropping off students at locations that are not assigned stops. Consequently, school bus drivers cannot drop students off at a remote drop off/park and walk locations as part of a walk or bike to school event. School District Accomplishments The following list is of current list of activities and accomplishments within the district. The schools where they were and corresponding E are noted with each accomplishment. Grants International Walk to School Day Completed at the following schools during the and school years: Findlay, Helen Arnold, King, Sam Salem, and Sieberling.. Father s Day Walk All 32 APS elementary schools participated in the walk that was held on September 18. National Bike to School Day with a Bike Rodeo Completed at the following schools during the school year: Resnik and Buchtel. Piloted Walking School Bus program at Findley Elementary during the school year. Operation Lifesaver Conducted at three schools in the fall of 2014: East CLC and Middle School and Case Elementary. Adult Crossing Guards In the school year there were 127 adult crossing guards located working at 32 schools that are part of this STP. Enforcement Parent surveys Conducted in Fall Evaluation Student travel tallies Conducted in Fall Evaluation Reviewed APS policies related to busing, walking, and bicycling to school Completed during the school year. Evaluation Reviewed City of Akron code and policies related to educating and encouraging students to walk and bicycle to school Completed during the school year. Evaluation ODOT SRTS Coordinator ODOT STP Development Applied to Akron Community Foundation for Millennium Grant for SRTS materials, awaiting notification Applied to Akron Children s Hospital Foundation for safety vests Beginning grant application process with Knight Foundation for SRTS programming The APS SRTS Program s future Es are outlined in the infrastructure and non-infrastructure countermeasures in this plan. Local Government Policies, Plans, and Programs This section summarizes the local government policies, plans, and programs that impact school travel. 13

18 Existing Conditions School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Local Government Policies The City of Akron does not have a formal policy that requires every new roadway project to be evaluated for pedestrian and bicycle improvements; however, informally this is reviewed early in the planning process by city staff. The City of Akron requires the replacement of all storm drain inlets with bicycle-safe inlets during street rehabilitation as dictated in their Standard Construction Drawings. The City of Akron has standards for sidewalk construction in their approved Standard Construction Drawings that address ADA requirements. Local Government Plans Relevant city and regional plans include: AMATS Connecting Communities Initiative A Guide to Integrating Land Use and Transportation (9/2010) AMATS Bike Plan (2/2012) AMATS Crash Analysis for (9/2014) AMATS Transportation Outlook 2035 (5/2013) AMATS Regional Pedestrian Plan (12/2012) City of Akron 2009 Draft Bicycle Plan (not formally adopted) Local Government Programs Relevant local government programs include: City of Akron Sidewalk Program. Under this program, residents are able to petition problem sidewalk locations and get them replaced at standard assessment rates. The City of Akron has an annual resurfacing program, which is part of its capital budget. 14

19 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools 4.0: ISSUES AND COUNTERMEASURES This chapter discusses issues that impact walking and bicycling at APS schools and proposes countermeasures for addressing them. The chapter is divided into three sections: Issues Support for SRTS includes the plans, policies, procedures, and stakeholder involvement. Student Safety and Comfort includes the safety and comfort of students as they walk and bicycle to school. SRTS Program Sustainability discusses sustaining the SRTS Steering Committee and the implementation of the countermeasures. The issues covered in this chapter were identified through discussions with the Akron SRTS, Principal Survey responses, Parent Survey responses, Student Travel Tallies, walk audits, evaluation of online and written documents detailing city and school district plans, policies, procedures, and programs, and evaluation of data provided by the state, AMATS, city, and school district. Countermeasures A table of related countermeasures follows each issue discussion. The table includes both infrastructure and non-infrastructure countermeasures to emphasize the multifaceted approach necessary to address the identified issues. The table includes references, where appropriate, to Attachment 1, which provides additional detail on common SRTS countermeasures. A prioritized action plan which indicates the general schedule and key stakeholders needed for implementing each countermeasure can be found in 5.0: Prioritized Strategies. The column heading Es Addressed in the tables indicates which of the 5 Es ( Enforcement,, Engineering, and Evaluation) are supported by the proposed countermeasure. Priority Corridors Due to the geographic extent and number of schools covered, the plan focuses on location-specific issues and countermeasures along priority corridors. Priority corridors are defined as routes where a significant number of students are currently walking and biking, or could potentially walk and bike. The study team identified priority corridors by analyzing the spatial relationship between school locations, student addresses, sidewalks, and pedestrian crossing locations in GIS. The analysis was limited to a one-mile radius around each school. Decisive factors for this analysis included the presence of sidewalks and signalized locations for crossing higher volume streets. 15

20 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Maps showing the priority corridors identified for the APS schools covered by this plan are included in Attachment 2 alongside countermeasures aimed at improving walking and bicycling conditions on the corridors. The three sections below present issues and countermeasures that do not directly relate to the location specific priority corridors either because they are district-wide in nature or because they relate to policies and programming. Support for SRTS This section covers issues and countermeasures related to the plans, policies, procedures, and involvement of constituencies whose support is needed to build the APS SRTS Program and improve conditions for walking and bicycling for APS students, including the City of Akron, Summit County, AMATS, APS, local schools, and parents. City Support for SRTS Many of the countermeasures recommended in this STP would have to be directly by the city or with the city s support and approval. Consequently, the plan s success depends on backing from the Mayor and City Council, coordination with city agencies, such as the Police and Public Service Departments, and alignment with the plans, regulations and programs that guide the inspection, maintenance, improvement, and regulation of city-owned streets and its neighborhoods. In addition, continued participation from Summit County Public Health and AMATS on the planning team will help with STP implementation. Table 3 provides a list of countermeasures intended to facilitate city support for the APS SRTS Program and implementation of the countermeasures recommended in this STP. Table 3: Countermeasures for City Support Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Develop a Complete Streets Policy that prioritizes pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure improvements near schools, includes education, encouragement and enforcement elements and incorporates the APS STP into the policy by reference or as an appendix. All School/city support Seek formal adoption of the APS STP by the City Council. All School/city support Continue the City s participation on the Akron SRTS. Participation from the Police and Public Service Departments is especially important. Continue participation from Summit County Public Health and AMATS on the Akron SRTS planning team. Invite city leadership, including the Mayor, City Council Members, and department administrators to participate in high-profile SRTS-sponsored activities, such as Walk and Bike to School Days. Look for opportunities to include APS STP infrastructure priorities in planned roadway improvement projects. All All All Engineering School/city support School/city support School/city support School/city support 16

21 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Develop a Transportation Master Plan that includes language to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian improvements near schools, bicycle and pedestrian safety education for children and other SRTS-related bicycle and pedestrian activities. Develop a bicycle master plan that includes language to prioritize bicycle improvements near schools, bicycle safety education for children and other SRTS-related bicycle activities. Develop a pedestrian master plan that prioritizes pedestrian infrastructure improvements near schools and includes education, encouragement and enforcement elements. Develop and implement an adult cross crossing guard training program that incorporates student safety and walking and bicycling education. School District Support for SRTS All All All All School/city support School/city support School/city support School/city support Support from the APS Board and Administration are critical to continuing and expanding the SRTS program. The board sets the vision, mission, goals, and priorities for the district, and establishes policies that directly or indirectly influence the environment for walking and bicycling to APS schools, including policies on: Student transportation. Student conduct. School safety. Wellness. Parent involvement. School siting. School site design and maintenance. The Administration implements the Board s visions, goals, and policies through a variety of procedures and practices. The success of the APS SRTS Program depends on aligning policies, procedures, and practices at the district level to support safe walking and bicycling to and from school. The Board and the district have already taken several steps in this direction, including participation in Walk and Bike to School Days, Operation Life Saver, Adult Crossing Guards, and installing bicycle racks at renovated schools. Table 4 provides a list of countermeasures intended to continue and deepen the district s support for safe walking and bicycling to school. Table 4: Countermeasures for School District Support Countermeasure Es Supported Countermeasure Type Continue providing regular updates to the APS Board of Education regarding the progress of the SRTS initiative(s). All School/city support Obtain APS Administration s approval of STP. All School/city support Obtain APS Board of Education s approval of STP. All School/city support 17

22 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Supported Countermeasure Type Request that members of the school board participate in SRTS activities (e.g. Walk and Bike to School Days). Amend the APS Wellness Policy to encourage walking and bicycling to school as way for students to obtain regular physical activity and reduce motor vehicle traffic and air pollution near schools. Educate administrators, principals, and staff about the policy change and implementation expectations. Provide resources and curriculum goals to help with implementation. Identify and task appropriate APS staff (school nurses, crossing guards and others) and/or SRTS members to distribute school walking and bicycling maps. Establish an SRTS presence on online. AMATS will host the page. This includes: 1) creating a SRTS program webpage and making it easy to find from the homepage; 2) adding the district-wide STP and school-specific SAPS to the website as they are completed; 3) adding SRTS content relevant pages on the website as appropriate. Modify the APS Transportation Director s job description to include responsibility for student pedestrian and bicyclist safety. All All School/city support School/city support School/city support School/city support School/city support Continue employing a full-time SRTS coordinator. All School/city support Review SRTS curriculum guides and determine how to integrate into school day and after-school instruction. Annually review the district s and participating schools policies to ensure they continue to encourage walking and bicycling to school. All School/city support Local School Support for SRTS Local schools influence conditions for walking and bicycling in a variety of ways, including: Policies and procedures related to walking and bicycling. Policies and procedures related to school arrival and dismissal. Communications with students and parents. Classroom instruction. Extracurricular activities. School-sponsored events. School wellness committees. A number of APS schools have already taken action to support safe walking and bicycling to schools through pedestrian and bicycle safety education, support for walking school buses, participation in Walk and Bike to School Days, Operation Life Saver, Adult Crossing Guards, and installing bicycle racks at renovated schools and other activities and programs. The countermeasures included in Table 5 are meant to maintain support for the APS SRTS Program at these schools and to expand support to additional schools. 18

23 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Table 5: Countermeasures for Local School Support Countermeasure Es Supported Countermeasure Type Continue cultivating local school SRTS champions. All Include an SRTS champion on the Akron SRTS. All Establish fund to pay for local school SRTS materials, e.g., flyers, signage, whistles, vests, etc. Work with principals and staff to understand local concerns related to students walking and bicycling to school and determine how they can be addressed. Encourage local schools to adopt policies supporting safe walking and bicycling to/from school and to inform parents of these policies. Provide principals and SRTS champions with guidance regarding how to formulate and communicate these policies. Cultivate formation of local school SRTS committees. Provide principals and SRTS champions with guidance regarding who should be on the committee and how the committee should function. Potentially add SRTS program implementation to the responsibilities of the local school wellness committee. Educate principals regarding the academic benefits of physical activity. Educate principals regarding the APS Wellness Policy and Safe Routes to School implementation expectations. Provide resources and curriculum goals to help with implementation. Encourage school staff members to model active transportation behaviors. All All All Education Education School/city support Administer student travel tallies annually. Evaluation Create and distribute information on Akron Safe Routes to School to school administrators, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders, leaders, Akron Council of PTAs, neighborhood groups, and parent volunteer groups. Parent/Caregiver Support for SRTS Parent or caregiver support is crucial for SRTS program success. Parents and caregivers decide how children get to and from school, model pedestrian and bicycle behaviors, and influence the travel environment near schools by following (or failing to follow) traffic laws and arrival/dismissal procedures. Parents and caregivers typically understand the barriers to walking and bicycling to school better than school or district staff, and are very often the ones who plan and implement SRTS activities. The SRTS coordinator has delivered presentations to parents and caregivers at back to school events and PTO meetings. The program has also encouraged parents and caregivers to participate in Walk and Bike to School Day events and provide feedback regarding barriers to walking and biking through the National Center s Parent Survey. The APS SRTS Program recognizes the importance of enlisting parent and caregiver support and understanding their concerns. As outlined in 2.0: Public Involvement, the top issues parents identified in the Parent Surveys affecting their decision to allow their child to walk to or from school were 19

24 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools violence/crime (68%), distance (66%), weather/climate (58%), speed of traffic along route (55%) and amount of traffic along route (54%), tied for fifth place was safety of intersections and crossings In the parent comments, the top issues were crime and safety concerns with registered sex offenders along routes to school mentioned specifically several times; distance from school; age of students; bullying; and lack of lighting were other non-infrastructure concerns. Table 6 includes countermeasures that continue and build upon these efforts. Table 6: Countermeasures for Building Parent Support Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Provide guidance to local schools on how to involve parents in the SRTS program and communicate with parents regarding pedestrian and bicycle safety issues. Continue making presentations at back to school events, PTA meetings, Akron Council of PTA's meetings, and others. Encourage inclusion of parents and caregivers on local school SRTS committees. Add a PTA and/or parent volunteer representative on the Akron SRTS. Send parents recorded voic s from APS recorded by the Superintendent and/or the Board President. Voic s might address SRTS activities, pedestrian/bicycle safety, pedestrian/bicycle policies, and other SRTS-related issues. Provide parents with an informational flyer or about the Akron SRTS program and what they can do to support it. All Education All, Enforcement Education Conduct parent surveys annually. Evaluation Create and distribute information on Akron Safe Routes to School to school administrators, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders, Akron Council of PTA's, neighborhood groups, and parent volunteer groups. Work with Akron Children s Hospital to implement Respect anti-bullying programs at K-8 schools throughout the district. Documents like the National Center s Personal Security and Safe Routes to School also can help with guidance on this. Student Safety and Comfort This section covers issues and countermeasures related to the safety and comfort of APS students as they walk and bicycle to school. Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Young children may have difficulty judging such things as the speed of cars, when it is safe to cross, where to position themselves on the sidewalk while waiting to cross, and how to walk along the road. Pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure (e.g., crosswalks and bike lanes) is most effective when used properly. When everyone understands the rules of the road and uses facilities as they are intended, it is easier to predict each other s movements and make decisions that keep everyone safe. Parents who are 20

25 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools confident that their children have the skills needed to make smart decisions are more likely to encourage walking and biking to school. Safe walking and biking behavior comes from repeated skills practice rather than intuition. Pedestrian and bicycle safety skills can be introduced as early as kindergarten and developed throughout a child s school career. Middle, high school and college students can serve as role models for younger students and can help communicate pedestrian and bicycle safety messages. The APS SRTS program has initiated several programs that address pedestrian and bicycle safety education as outlined in 2.0: Public Involvement. Thirty-eight percent of Principal Survey respondents said they were currently implementing pedestrian safety education at their school and 20% said they were currently implementing bicycle safety education. Interest in pursuing pedestrian and bicycle education in the future roughly similar, with 28% of survey respondents indicating they would like to implement pedestrian safety education in the future and 26% percent of survey responses saying they would like to implement bicycle safety education in the future. The countermeasures recommended in Table 7 are aimed at continuing and expanding pedestrian and bicycle safety education efforts throughout the district. Table 7: Countermeasures for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Implement 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. Research and implement bike and pedestrian safety education program for students. Consider different programs for different ages: bike rodeos, Safety Town for incoming Ks with Safe Kids and/or Akron Urban Initiative, How We Roll Youth, Bike 'n Roll, mileage clubs with incentives, Girls in Gear, reinstate 3rd grade seat belt safety program with additional walking and bicycling content, etc. Could be at lunch, during advisory class, during Akron Afterschool. Review SRTS curriculum guides and determine how to integrate into school day and after-school instruction. See Appendix C for a list of schools that have indicated an interest in pedestrian and bicycle safety education. Continue to provide Operation Lifesaver railroad safety education in classrooms and to parents. Host fix-it events at schools, where students can bring their bike to school and have it checked for safety and for minor repairs with Summit Cycling Center. Establish a monthly walk and bicycle to school day. Create a new mobile safety town with Safe Kids. 21

26 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Partner with the YMCA to plan and implement an Active Transpo Expo. On-Campus Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodations The school campus is the final destination for all trips to school and the starting point for all trips from school. Consequently, the presence or absence of appropriate on-campus pedestrian and bicycle accommodation can have a significant impact on the safety and comfort of student walkers and bikers, which can also influence the number of students who walk and bicycle. Common issues associated with pedestrian and bicycle accommodations on school campuses include: Campus sidewalk/path system does not provide convenient, comfortable and/or accessible connections to off-campus sidewalks and paths. Marked crosswalks are not provided at locations where the campus sidewalk/path system intersects school driveways and parking lots. No bicycle racks are provided, or existing bicycle racks are difficult to use, in poor repair, not in a secure location and/or not protected from rain and snow. Driveways and curb radii are wider than necessary to accommodate cars and bus, increasing pedestrian crossing distances and exposure. The countermeasures recommended in Table 8 are aimed at ensuring appropriate pedestrian and bicycle accommodation on APS campuses. Table 8: Countermeasures for Pedestrian and Bicycle Accommodation Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Provide bicycle racks at all neighborhood schools that are easy to use, in good repair, in a secure location, and, if possible, protected from rain and snow. Provide pedestrian pathways between school entrances and sidewalks and pathways adjacent school properties. Provide crossing facilities at locations where pedestrian pathways intersect school driveways and parking lots. Engineering Engineering Engineering Driver Awareness of School Zones The school zone is generally referred to as the roadway(s) adjacent to the school within a one to two block radius. Drivers from outside of the local community may be unaware when they are driving through a school zone and may not exercise appropriate caution, including moderating speed and looking out for student pedestrians and bicyclists. School zone signs and markings help increase awareness of the school zone and communicate the need for special care and attention. Seventy-three percent of respondents to the APS Principal Survey reported that school zone signs were used to identify their school s school zone. Additionally, greater than 70% percent reported that flashing beacons were used for this purpose, 7% reported having SCHOOL pavement markings, and another 7% reporting using speed feedback signs to complement their school zone signage. 22

27 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools The Ohio Revised Code establishes a 20-mile per hour speed limit for school zones during school arrival and dismissal. The Ohio Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (OMUTCD) establishes standards and guidelines for school zone signs and markings. The current edition was published on January 13, 2012, and went into effect on April 12, The countermeasures recommended in Table 9 are aimed at increasing awareness of the school zone. Table 9: Countermeasures to Increase School Zone Awareness Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Add school zone signage and markings where appropriate. Engineering Install flashing school zone beacons and speed feedback signs where appropriate. Update existing school zone signage and markings to meet new Ohio MUTCD standard. Provide parents with information regarding driver and pedestrian safety within the school zone. Collaborate with property owners in the school zone or along school routes to install yard signs warning drivers to moderate their speed and look out for student pedestrians and bicyclists. The signs might incorporate an APS SRTS Program logo designed by students. Install community signage promoting SRTS. Distribute school walking and bicycling maps to all students at the beginning of each school year. This will not only allow parents to know the best routes for their children to take, it will also make them aware of where other students may be walking and bicycling. Engineering Engineering Education Education Non- Non- Driver Behaviors Today s drivers are often eating, using phones or other devices and operating various buttons within their vehicles all while traveling at speeds typically much higher than the posted speed limits. They may be distracted, which puts pedestrians, and other motorists, at risk. Without the distractions of cell phones and PDAs, a driver needs nearly 200 feet to stop a vehicle moving at just 30 MPH. 1 Driving distracted significantly reduces the driver s reaction time, which is critical if drivers are traveling at high speeds. Traffic speeds along routes to school are a major concern for APS parents and students. Fifty-five percent of parents who responded to the Parent Survey and whose children currently do not walk or bicycle to school reported that the speed of traffic affected their decision. In addition, 25% of principals ranked speed of traffic along key student walking and bicycling routes as one of the top three barriers at their school to walking and bicycling to/from their school. 1 Dangerous by Design, Transportation for America and Surface Transportation Policy Partnership,

28 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools The odds of a pedestrian dying in a collision with a motor vehicle increase dramatically with vehicular speeds. For example, a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling at 20 MPH has 95% chance of survival while a pedestrian hit by a vehicle traveling 40 MPH has only a 15% chance of survival (see Figure 3). 2 Figure 3 (Source: PBIC Image Library) The countermeasures recommended in Table 10 are aimed at encouraging and enforcing safe driver behaviors near APS schools. Table 10: Countermeasures to Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Implement traffic calming measures (traffic circles, chicanes, speed humps, road diets, etc.) at problem locations, where feasible. Conduct speed studies at locations where speeding is suspected/identified as a concern. Engineering Enforcement Install speed feedback signs at problem locations. Enforcement Encourage APS parents and high school students to sign a pledge that they will avoid distracted driving, drive at a safe speed, and abide by traffic laws, especially during school arrival and dismissal times. Initiate progressive ticketing at problem locations. Also initiate double fines for speeding in school zones. Establish a district-wide speed reduction and/or No Phone Zone campaign. See Appendix C for a list of schools that have indicated an interest in launching a No Phone Zone, Pace Car program and/or speed reduction campaigns. Develop and implement a public awareness campaign with Akron Police Department, City of Akron, Akron Public Schools and AAA. Education Enforcement Enforcement, Enforcement Non- 2 Killing Speed and Saving Lives, UK Department of Transportation, London,

29 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Help schools start a Pace Car program a driver safety and awareness program that improves traffic safety around schools and in neighborhoods by encouraging parents and members of the community to obey the speed limit and drive safely around pedestrians and bicyclists. Parents who sign a pledge receive a car decal (or magnet). Participate in Akron s inaugural Better Blocks program in spring Enforcement, Enforcement Volume of Vehicular Traffic along Student Walking and Biking Routes Non- The volume of traffic along student walking and biking routes is a significant concern for parents of APS students. Fifty-four percent of parents who responded to the Parent Survey and whose children currently do not walk or bicycle to school reported that the amount of traffic affected their decision. Seventeen percent of principals ranked volume of traffic along key student walking and bicycling routes as one of the top three barriers at their school to walking and bicycling to/from their school. Traffic volumes along walking and biking routes present several challenges for student pedestrians and bicyclists. High traffic volumes make it difficult for students to cross the street, even with pedestrian signals and other crossing assistance devices. This can be nerve-wracking for parents of elementaryaged children, knowing that the students are still learning how to judge the speed of cars and how to cross within the gaps of cars. High traffic volumes also contribute to the perception of the street as a place dominated by automobiles where pedestrians and bicyclists are unsafe and unwelcome. With studies suggesting that 10-14% of morning traffic is school-related, 3 one of the best ways to reduce traffic congestion may be to encourage families traveling to and from school to substitute car trips with walking and biking tips. This can initiate a virtuous cycle, whereby more students walking and biking to school results in lower traffic volumes along school walking and biking routes, which further increases the attractiveness of walking and biking. Other strategies for reducing traffic volumes along student walking and biking routes include encouraging carpools and establishing remote drop-off locations or bus hubs where students are dropped off at locations within walking distances of the school that are vetted for safe walking and biking. This has the benefit of dispersing traffic around the school, rather than concentrating it immediately around the campus, and may reduce transportation costs for the districts. The countermeasures recommended in Table 11 are aimed at reducing traffic volumes along student walking and biking routes. Table 11: Countermeasures to Reduce Traffic Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Continue at least one district-wide education/encouragement event every quarter. 3 Safe Routes to School: Helping Communities Save Lives and Dollars, Safe Route to School National Partnership,

30 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Establish a monthly walk and bicycle to school day, such as Walking or Biking Wednesdays. Identify possible remote drop off and pick up locations at pilot schools. Enable school bus drivers to drop-off/pick-up students at remote locations on designated walk/bike to school days. Encourage and facilitate carpooling. See Appendix C for a list of schools that have indicated an interest in carpools. Establish remote drop-off/pick-up locations and/or bus hubs. Establish an APS-Sponsored Mileage Club or Contest. Student Safety and Comfort at Intersections and Crossings Throughout the City of Akron, many of the primary and secondary roadways have been designed with motorists in mind. In fact, the primary consideration is generally the efficient movement of motorists that in most instances warrants wider roadways with multiple lanes and limited pedestrian crossing cycles at signalized intersections. Several of these streets were designed to accommodate higher volumes of traffic than the city currently has. Because of the size of the roadway compared to the volume of traffic, vehicles tend to travel at higher speeds than what are posted, which can impact the safety of the crossing for all pedestrians. Additionally, the wider the streets are, the more difficult it is for children to safely cross; this is especially true for young pedestrians, who cross at a slower pace than adults and who do not have the same awareness of traffic as adults. Vehicular traffic is only part of the issue. Students are generally driven to their destinations (school, errands, entertainment, etc.), and do not take many walking trips with their families. As a result, they have fewer opportunities to practice safe crossing skills at intersections and crossings with adult supervision. Creating a consistent, structured curriculum is a key countermeasure recommended in this plan. Safety at intersections and crossings is a key concern for APS parents. Fifty-four percent of parents who responded to the Parent Survey and whose children currently do not walk or bicycle to school reported that the safety at intersections and crossings affected their decision. In addition, 40% of principals ranked safety at intersections and crossings as one of the top three barriers at their school to walking and bicycling to/from their school. Safety at intersections and crossings was also a primary consideration in the development of priority corridors for APS schools. The design and simplicity of the crossing was considered important for children s safe passage. The development of safe and accessible crossings for children is guided by several key principles including the need to: establish or identify good crossing locations; reduce crossing distances; provide crossings that are direct so that children with visual impairments can easily negotiate them; use appropriate traffic controls, such as marked crosswalks, traffic signals, and warning signs or flashers; and slow motor vehicle speeds. The countermeasures recommended in Table 12 are aimed at creating safer and more accessible crossings based on these principles. 26

31 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Table 12: Countermeasures to Improve Crossings Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Work with APS and the Akron Police Department to analyze locations of crossing guards at key student crossing locations to determine if relocations or additional guards are needed. Implement traffic calming measures at key student crossing locations to reduce motor vehicle speeds and encourage yielding. Enforcement Engineering Install median crossing islands where feasible and appropriate. Engineering Reduce pedestrian crossing distance where feasible and appropriate. Engineering Mark and sign crosswalks at key student crossing locations. Engineering Install pedestrian countdown signals to provide pedestrians with a better understanding of the time remaining for crossing, where feasible. Establish leading pedestrian intervals to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles where appropriate. This traffic signalization strategy assigns the pedestrian(s) an exclusive three- to five-second signal to begin crossing the street before cars are given a green light. Implement no right-turn on red restrictions to reduce conflicts between pedestrians and turning vehicles where appropriate. Mark stand back lines at crossings as a visual queue to students regarding where to stand while waiting to cross. Engineering Engineering Engineering Engineering Student Safety and Comfort along the School Route A common barrier to walking or biking to school is the lack of a safe, convenient, and accessible route to school. Students may live within walking distance of a school (typically one mile or less for elementary school students), but due to traffic conditions and the lack of convenient routes with continuous and accessible sidewalks or paths, parents will drive their children to school rather than allow them to walk and bike. Lacking safe, convenient, and accessible routes is especially an issue for many Akron students as APS does not typically provide busing to those students who live within a two-mile radius of school. If parents cannot identify a safe and convenient route for their child to use, they will choose to drive them instead, which increases traffic congestion around schools and deprives students of the benefits of walking and biking to school. Although there are sidewalks along most streets in Akron, locations where sidewalks are missing, inaccessible, or in poor repair can be a significant barrier for student walkers and bikers. Approximately 22% of parents who responded to the Parent Survey and whose children currently do not walk or bicycle to school reported that sidewalks and pathways affected their decision. In addition, 10% of principals ranked lack of sidewalks or pathways as one of the top three barriers at their school to walking and bicycling to/from their school. The availability of bicycle facilities such as bicycle lanes and shared-use paths on the route to school can be an important consideration for student bikers. 27

32 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools One issue that is often overlooked for student routes to school is lighting. For several months of the year, students are leaving their homes before the sun rises and for some students, they are leaving after school activities after the sun sets. Visibility is a key safety issue and lack of pedestrian scale lighting can be a deterrent for many families to allow their children to walk or bike to school. The absence of lighting can also make a route seem uninviting and insecure. Even when lighting is provided, it is important to teach students how to safely walk and bike during dark hours. This includes wearing bright and reflective clothing, carrying flashlights and being extra cautious when crossing the street. Providing pedestrianscale lighting, and teaching students how to safely travel during dark and dusk hours, will make the routes safer for all users. First Energy owns all of the lights along city streets. There are additional benefits to improving walking and biking routes to school. When schools are located in neighborhoods, often the streets that students take to school are the streets that others take to work, to run errands, or visit friends. All community members will benefit from new or improved sidewalks, trails, bike lanes and street lighting. These facilities create safe places for everyone to walk and bike, and they also remind drivers that pedestrians and bicyclists are likely to be present and deserve a place in the greater transportation network. The countermeasures recommended in Table 13 are aimed at creating safe, convenient, and accessible routes to school. Table 13: Countermeasures to Improve Routes to School Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Develop a Complete Streets Policy that prioritizes pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure improvements near schools, includes education, encouragement and enforcement elements and incorporates the APS STP into the policy by reference or as an appendix. Develop a Transportation Master Plan that includes language to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian improvements near schools, bicycle and pedestrian safety education for children and other SRTS-related bicycle and pedestrian activities. Work with the city to investigate locations along school walking routes where sidewalks are in poor condition. Work with the city and Ohio Edison/ First Energy to identify areas with poor, broken, or missing street lighting. This will not only improve lighting in certain areas, but potentially have a positive effect on higher crime locations. All All Engineering Engineering, Enforcement City, School District Support City, School District Support City, School District Support City, School District Policies Work with ODOT to schedule walking school bus training in Akron. Education Establish walking school bus program. Use Walking School Bus Kit as a training tool. See Appendix C for a list of schools that have indicated an interest in walking school buses. Establish bike train program. Train parents and educators about starting bike trains at their school. Use International Bike to School Day events to develop and implement bike trains at schools. Continue encouraging school SRTS champions to attend ODOTsponsored walking school bus trainings., Education, Education Education 28

33 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Partner with local high schools and/or University of Akron to participate in walking school buses as a community service project. High school students could assist with arrival and UA students could assist with dismissal. Educate administrators and families on how a walking school bus program can alleviate concerns through School Parent Teacher Associations (PTA s), principal meetings, school events, and any other forum that is logical. Teach parents to talk to their children about personal safety using a child abuse prevention program. Research an evidence-based program to use. Develop and implement a snow removal awareness campaign for neighborhoods and businesses. Plan and implement International Walk to School and Bike to School Day events. Arrival and Dismissal Procedures, Education, Education, Education, Education Finding the best process for both morning arrival and afternoon dismissal is a challenge. Ideally, the processes are safe, orderly, efficient, and convenient for everyone. Sometimes, however, these processes result in long lines of family vehicles overflowing onto the street waiting to get into the school driveway while buses load or unload. If the campus and school zone appear crowded and chaotic, parents are less likely to encourage students to walk or bike to school. Conversely, the less crowded and chaotic the campus and school zone appear during arrival and dismissal times, the more likely parents are to encourage walking and bicycling. Most respondents to the APS Principal Survey said their school s arrival and dismissal processes were excellent or good for pedestrians and bicyclists. However, 20% of respondents gave their arrival process a fair or poor rating, and 32% of respondents described their dismissal process as fair or poor for pedestrians and bicyclists. Even though most respondents indicated that their arrival and dismissal processes worked well, over half (58%) said they were interested in receiving expert advice on how to improve their arrival and dismissal processes. Arrival and dismissal procedures need to address how student pedestrians and bicyclists safely maneuver through the mix of school buses and family vehicles on the school campus. The most difficult challenge for establishing safe and effective arrival and dismissal procedures is that every school and campus is different. For some schools the problem might stem from a lack of queuing space on campus. At others, the main issue might be timing how students access and exit the campus by mode. The APS SRTS Program appreciates that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for arrival and dismissal; however, there are issues that schools likely have in common, such as traffic congestion. The countermeasures recommended in Table 14 are aimed at improving arrival and dismissal processes addressing these common issues as well as by addressing specific issues at schools that have requested expert advice. 29

34 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Table 14: Countermeasures to Improving Arrival and Dismissal Processes Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Utilize AAA s Student Safety Patrol program to help facilitate arrival and dismissal processes on school grounds. Develop and distribute an arrival and dismissal best practices document. Among other things, this document should suggest dismissing walkers and bikers earlier than bus and car riders to avoid conflicts between walkers and bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic and to provide added encouragement for walking and bicycling. See Appendix C for a list of schools with an interest in observing arrival and dismissal. Provide direct assistance on arrival and dismissal procedures to schools that request it. See Appendix C for a list of schools that have indicated an interest in direct assistance with arrival and dismissal procedures. Conduct individual arrival and dismissal audits at schools with known issues. This will help identify the issues that need to be addressed at each school and come up with individualized solutions. Adult Supervision Enforcement Education Education Non- Parents generally appreciate the benefits of walking and biking to school. They recognize that walking and biking are healthy activities that children enjoy. While many parents would consider allowing their children to walk or bike to school, a key barrier may be lack of adult supervision. Eighteen percent of parents who responded to the Parent Survey and whose children currently do not walk or bicycle to school reported that adults to walk and bike with affected their decision. In addition, 10% of principals ranked lack of adult supervision as one of the top three barriers at their school to walking and bicycling to/from their school. The APS SRTS Program understands that while many parents cannot commit to walking or biking with their children to and from school every day, they may be able to take a morning or afternoon trip once a week. Therefore, if students could walk or bike in groups with a rotating adult leader more students could have the opportunity to walk or bike to school more often. The countermeasures recommended in Table 15 are aimed at initiating and organizing adult-led walking and biking groups to and from APS schools. Adult leaders can include parents, grandparents or even high school students working on community service projects. Table 15: Countermeasures to Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Work with ODOT to schedule walking school bus training in Akron. Education Create walking school bus program. See Appendix C for a list of schools that have indicated an interest in walking school buses. Encourage school SRTS champions to attend ODOT-sponsored walking school bus trainings. Education 30

35 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Partner with local high schools and/or University of Akron to participate in walking school buses as a community service project. High school students could assist with arrival and UA students could assist with dismissal. Start a Corner Captains program district-wide. Corner Captains are adults who volunteer to provide an extra set of eyes along common school routes, making the environment around schools safer for students. Start an Eyes on the Street program district-wide. Increase the law enforcement presence around all school sites before and after school. Educate parents and/or caregivers about the academic and health benefits and potential for improved safety by having students walk and bike to school (active transportation). Personal Security, Enforcement Personal security concerns can be a critical barrier for students who want to walk or bike to school. Children deserve to feel safe on their routes to and from school. When implementing an SRTS program, it is important to address both actual and perceived safety issues. If parents believe that a school route poses a threat to personal security, it is unlikely that they will allow their child to walk or bike to school. Personal security is the top concern for APS parents who are considering whether to allow their children to walk and bike to school. Sixth-eight percent of parents who responded to the Parent Survey and whose children currently do not walk or bicycle to school reported that the violence affected their decision. In addition, 20% of principals ranked concern about violence or crime as one of the top three barriers at their school to walking and bicycling to/from their school. Issues related to personal security cover a wide range of topics that affect the environment inside the school as well as along the school routes. These can include bullying, violent crime, abduction, human trafficking, and gang activity. At the policy level, APS addresses the issue of personal security while walking and bicycling to school through its district-wide Code of Student Behavior. The Code requires students to: obey laws, respect other people and other people s property. These are considered Level 3 behaviors and if violated require a Mandatory Recommendation for Expulsion and the implementation of corrective strategies. The countermeasures recommended in Table 16 are aimed at alleviating parents concerns and improving personal security for APS students as they walk or bike to school. Table 16: Countermeasures for Improve Personal Security Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Partner with law enforcement on targeted security efforts. Enforcement Teach parents to talk to their children about personal safety using a child abuse prevention program. Research an evidencebased program to use. 31

36 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Educate administrators and families on how a walking school bus program can alleviate this safety concern through School Parent Teacher Associations (PTA s), principal meetings, school events, and any other forum that is logical. Work with local Neighborhood Watch groups. Work with the city and Ohio Edison/ First Energy to identify areas with poor, broken, or missing street lighting. This will not only improve lighting in certain areas, but potentially have a positive effect on higher crime locations. Work with Summit County Prosecutor's office to offer additional self-defense class for middle school girls. SRTS Program Sustainability Engineering, Enforcement City, School District Support This section covers issues and countermeasures associated with sustaining the SRTS Steering Committee and implementing the recommendations in this plan. Sustainable SRTS programs are more likely to attain the desired goals and objectives. The infrastructure and non-infrastructure countermeasures identified in the Action Plan may take several years to implement., Enforcement, and Evaluation strategies must often be continuously in order to be effective, since it may take some time for key messages to resonate within school and community populations that are in a constant state of flux. This is why creating a sustainable structure for an SRTS program is so important. Countermeasures for creating a sustainable SRTS program are included in Table 17. Table 17: Countermeasures for a Sustainable SRTS Program Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Continue employing a full-time SRTS coordinator. All City, School District Support Recruit new Steering Committee members. Include a local school SRTS champions and a parent/pta representative. Establish a calendar. Create an annual calendar of SRTS activities for the district. Determine where and how frequently the Steering Committee will meet. Include a timeline for evaluations, which should occur at least annually. Identify a person or people to coordinate implementation of highpriority countermeasures. Identifying a lead coordinator is important to building and maintaining momentum for implementation. The lead coordinator initiates coordination efforts and maintains momentum through planning and implementation by assembling a coordination team, scheduling meetings, and ensuring that necessary tasks get done. Monitor and Evaluate. Establish measurable goals and conduct regular reviews to determine progress toward meeting them. Secure a graduate assistant from the University of Akron to assist in project design and implementation. All All All Evaluation All 32

37 Issues and Countermeasures School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Es Addressed Countermeasure Type Identify potential funding sources for high-priority projects and programs. Identify stakeholders and keep them informed about APS SRTS Program implementation. Stakeholders are people who should be consulted when planning and implementing a SRTS program but may not necessarily contribute in an active way. Potential stakeholders include residents and business owners with properties adjacent to proposed improvements, as well as elected and appointed officials. Purchase special event materials, such as a tabletop exhibit, popup banner or booth. All All All 33

38 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools 5.0: PRIORITIZED STRATEGIES This chapter includes an Action Plan for implementing the countermeasures recommended in 4.0: Issues and Countermeasures. The recommended countermeasures are for planning purposes only and may require further analysis, design, and public input prior to implementation. The Action Plan brings together key information for the implementation of each countermeasure, including: A brief description of the countermeasure. The priority of the countermeasure. The expected timeframe for implementation of the countermeasure. The estimated cost of the countermeasure and potential sources of funding for implementation (non-infrastructure and infrastructure countermeasures only). The schools affected (non-infrastructure and infrastructure countermeasures only). The steering committee member or committee responsible for overseeing countermeasure implementation. Potential partners (non-infrastructure countermeasures only). The existing status of the countermeasure, i.e. whether or not the countermeasure is pending implementation, currently being, or implementation complete. The Action Plan is divided into three tables: Table 18 includes countermeasures addressing APS and City of Akron policies, procedures, and plans; Table 19 includes non-infrastructure countermeasures; and Table 20 includes infrastructure countermeasures. It should be noted that the APS Steering Committee will update the details of these tables as appropriate to reflect changes in countermeasure status, steering committee priorities, and available human, financial, and material resources. Notes on Prioritization, Timeframes, and Estimated Cost A key purpose of the Action Plan is to communicate information about the priority and timeframe (or sequencing) of each countermeasure. The following sections provide information on how priorities and timeframes were assigned. Notes on Prioritization The Action Plan distinguishes high priority countermeasures from other countermeasures. The APS SRTS Steering Committee prioritized the recommended school/city policy countermeasures and noninfrastructure countermeasures based on the following criteria: Feasibility, including estimated costs. Alignment with the Steering Committee s vision and goals for this STP. The study team prioritized recommended infrastructure countermeasures with a prioritization matrix that included the following factors: 34

39 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools o Pedestrian and bicycle potential, including proximity to a priority corridor and proximity to K-8 schools. o Pedestrian and bicycle deficiency, including sidewalk gaps, high-speed/high-volume roads, and crashes involving pedestrians or bicyclists. o Support, including local school participation in SRTS-related activities such as International Walk to School Day and bicycle and pedestrian safety education, and priorities identified by the SRTS Steering Committee, study team, and Principal Survey respondents. o Feasibility, including estimated project cost and whether right-of-way (ROW) would be required. o School demographics, including percent of students classified as economically disadvantaged or as having disabilities. The matrix used to calculate priorities is included as Appendix I. The matrix shows the definition, scoring, and weight assigned to each criterion used in the prioritization. Notes on Timeframe The APS SRTS Steering Committee assigned timeframes to school/city policy and non-infrastructure countermeasures based on the committee s judgment regarding the best way to sequence the countermeasures. The study team assigned estimated timeframes to each infrastructure countermeasure. The estimated timeframe represents an estimate of the amount of time that would likely be required to implement the recommended countermeasure once the project is approved and funding is programmed. Actual timeframes may vary depending on a variety of factors, including site characteristics, right-of-way acquisition, environmental regulations, lead agency, and the design and construction process. Notes on Estimated Cost The following estimated costs were assigned to each recommended countermeasure: Low cost = $20,000 or lower Medium cost = between $20,000 and $150,000 High cost = $150,000 or higher These ranges are based on those in ODOT s existing STP guidelines. The estimated cost represents an estimate of the design and implementation cost for each recommended countermeasure. The actual cost may vary depending on a variety of factors, including site characteristics, right-of-way acquisition, and the design and construction process. 35

40 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools School/City Policies Table 18: Countermeasures Addressing School and City Policies Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Responsible Party City Support Develop a Complete Streets Policy that prioritizes pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure improvements near schools, includes education, encouragement and enforcement elements and incorporates the APS STP into the policy by reference or as an appendix. City Support, Improve Routes to School Steering Committee Lead All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis Seek formal adoption of the APS STP by the City Council. City Support All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis Continue the City s participation on the Akron SRTS. Participation from the Police Department and Traffic Engineering Services Department is especially important. Continue participation from Summit County Public Health and AMATS on the Akron SRTS planning team. Invite city leadership, including the Mayor, City Council Members, and department administrators to participate in high-profile SRTS-sponsored activities, such as Walk and Bike to School Days. Look for opportunities to include APS STP infrastructure priorities in planned roadway improvement projects. Develop a Transportation Master Plan that includes language to prioritize bicycle and pedestrian improvements near schools, bicycle and pedestrian safety education for children and other SRTS-related bicycle and pedestrian activities. Develop a bicycle master plan that includes language to prioritize bicycle improvements near schools, bicycle safety education for children and other SRTSrelated bicycle activities. Develop a pedestrian master plan that prioritizes pedestrian infrastructure improvements near schools and includes education, encouragement and enforcement elements. Work with the city to investigate locations along school walking routes where sidewalks are in poor condition. Work with the city and Ohio Edison/First Energy to identify areas with poor, broken or missing street lighting. This will not only improve lighting in certain areas, but potentially have a positive effect on higher crime locations. School District Support Continue providing regular updates to the APS Board of Education regarding the progress of the SRTS initiative(s). City Support All High 1 year Planning City Support All High 1-5 years Planning Andy Davis, Sgt. Shaffer Andy Davis, Phyllis Jividen City Support All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis City Support Engineering High 1-5 years City Support, Improve Routes to School Planning, City of Akron Andy Davis All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis City Support All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis City Support All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis Improve Routes to School Engineering High 1-3 years Improve Routes to School Enforcement, Engineering Planning, City of Akron Andy Davis High 1 year Planning Andy Davis School District Support All High 1 year Planning Obtain APS Administration s approval of STP. School District Support All High 1 year Planning Obtain APS Board of Education s approval of STP. School District Support All High 1 year Planning Request that members of the school board participate in SRTS activities (e.g. Walk and Bike to School Days). School District Support All High 1 year Planning Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Status Ongoing Ongoing Planned Planned 36

41 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Responsible Party Amend the APS Wellness Policy to encourage walking and bicycling to school as way for students to obtain regular physical activity and reduce motor vehicle traffic and air pollution near schools. Educate administrators, principals and staff about the policy change and implementation expectations. Provide resources and curriculum goals to help with implementation. Identify and task appropriate APS staff or SRTS members to distribute school walking and bicycling maps. Establish an SRTS presence online. AMATS will host the page. This includes: 1) creating a SRTS program webpage and making it easy to find from the homepage; 2) adding the district-wide STP and school-specific SAPS to the website as they are completed; 3) adding SRTS content relevant pages on the website as appropriate. Modify the APS Transportation Director s job description to include responsibility for student pedestrian and bicyclist safety. Continue to employ a full-time SRTS coordinator Annually review the district s and participating schools policies to ensure they continue to encourage walking and bicycling to school. Encourage local schools to adopt policies supporting safe walking and bicycling to/from school and to inform parents of these policies. Provide principals and SRTS champions with guidance regarding how to formulate and communicate these policies. School District Support High 1 year Planning School District Support High 1 year Planning School District Support School District Support School District Support, Sustainable SRTS Program High 1 year Planning High 1 year Planning Steering Committee Lead Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Phyllis Jividen Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Status Planned All High 1-5 years Planning Andy Davis Planned School District Support All High 1 year Planning Local School Support All High 1-5 years Planning Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Debra Foulk 37

42 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Non- Countermeasures Table 19: Non- Countermeasures Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source Responsible Party Steering Committee Lead Local School Support Continue cultivating local school SRTS champions. Local School Support All High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Include an SRTS champion on the Akron SRTS. Local School Support All High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Encourage local schools to adopt policies supporting safe walking and bicycling to/from school and to inform parents of these policies. Provide principals and SRTS champions with guidance regarding how to formulate and communicate these policies. Cultivate formation of local school SRTS committees. Provide principals and SRTS champions with guidance regarding who should be on the committee and how the committee should function. Potentially add SRTS program implementation to the responsibilities of the local school wellness committee. Educate principals regarding the academic benefits of physical activity. Educate principals regarding the APS Wellness Policy and Safe Routes to School implementation expectations. Provide resources and curriculum goals to help with implementation. Encourage school staff members to model active transportation behaviors. Local School Support High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Local School Support All High 1-3 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Local School Support Education High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Local School Support Education High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Status Local School Support High 1-5 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Administer student travel tallies annually. Local School Support Evaluation High 1-5 years $300 for copies SRTS Planning Andy Davis Planned Create and distribute information on Akron Safe Routes to School to school administrators, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders, leaders, Akron Council of PTAs, neighborhood groups, and parent volunteer groups. Review SRTS curriculum guides and determine how to integrate into school day and after-school instruction. Establish fund to pay for local school SRTS materials, e.g., flyers, signage, whistles, vests, etc. Work with principals and staff to understand local concerns related to students walking and bicycling to school and determine how they can be addressed. Parent/Caregiver Support for SRTS Provide guidance to local schools on how to involve parents in the SRTS program and communicate with parents regarding pedestrian and bicycle safety issues. Continue making presentations at back to school events, PTA meetings, Akron Council of PTAs meetings, and others. Encourage inclusion of parents and caregivers on local school SRTS committees. Add a PTA and/or parent volunteer representative to the Akron SRTS. Local School Support, Building Parent Support School District Support High 1-5 years Up to $1,000, depending on what is created SRTS Planning Andy Davis Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Laurel Celik Planned Local School Support All Medium 3-5 years $2,000 SRTS Planning Andy Davis Planned Local School Support All Medium 2-3 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Building Parent Support All High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Building Parent Support Education High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Building Parent Support All High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Conduct parent surveys annually. Building Parent Support Evaluation High 1-5 years $300, copies SRTS, APS Planning Andy Davis Planned 38

43 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Create and distribute information on Akron Safe Routes to School to school administrators, Parent Teacher Association (PTA) leaders, Akron Council of PTA's, neighborhood groups, and parent volunteer groups. Send parents recorded voic s from APS recorded by the Superintendent and/or the Board President. Voic s might address SRTS activities, pedestrian/bicycle safety, pedestrian/bicycle policies, and other SRTS-related issues. Provide parents with an informational flyer or about the Akron SRTS program and what they can do to support it. Work with Akron Children s Hospital to implement Respect antibullying programs at K-8 schools throughout the district. Documents like the National Center s Personal Security and Safe Routes to School also can help with guidance on this. Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Education Implement 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. Research and implement bike and pedestrian safety education program for students. Consider different programs for different ages: bike rodeos, Safety Town for incoming Ks with Safe Kids and/or Akron Urban Initiative, How We Roll Youth, Bike 'n Roll, mileage clubs with incentives, Girls in Gear, reinstate 3rd grade seat belt safety program with additional walking and bicycling content, etc. Could be at lunch, during advisory class, during Akron Afterschool. Provide Operation Lifesaver railroad safety education in classrooms and to parents. Host fix-it events at schools, where students can bring their bike to school and have it checked for safety and for minor repairs with Summit Cycling Center. Establish a monthly walk and bicycle to school day, such as Walking or Biking Wednesdays. Review SRTS curriculum guides and determine how to integrate into school day and after-school instruction. Create a new mobile safety town with Safe Kids. Partner with the YMCA to plan and implement an Active Transpo Expo. Increase School Zone Awareness Distribute school walking and bicycling maps to all students at the beginning of each school year. This will not only allow parents to know the best routes for their children to take, it will also make them aware of where other students may be walking and bicycling. Provide parents with information regarding driver and pedestrian safety within the school zone. Building Parent Support Building Parent Support, Enforcement High 1-2 years Building Parent Support Education Medium 2-3 years Building Parent Support Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Reduce Traffic Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Increase School Zone Awareness N/A if , $300 if copies Possible Funding Source Responsible Party Steering Committee Lead SRTS, APS Planning Andy Davis Medium 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Medium High High 2-3 years 1-3 years 1-5 years N/A if , $300 if copies TBD based on number of schools, etc. $10,000 materials, $50,000 staff $10,000 programming, $10,000 helmets Andy Davis, Debra Foulk SRTS Planning Andy Davis SRTS Planning, National Center for SRTS Andy Davis Status SRTS, AMATS Planning Andy Davis Planned SRTS, Safe Kids, United Way, AMATS Planning Andy Davis Planned High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Sgt. Shaffer Ongoing High 1 year $2,000 program, $2,000 helmets SRTS, Safe Kids Planning Andy Davis Medium 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Medium 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Low 3-5 years $100,000 SRTS, Safe Kids Planning Andy Davis Low 3-5 years $5,000 staff time, materials SRTS, Safe Kids Planning Andy Davis High 1 year $300 SRTS, APS Planning Andy Davis Increase School Zone Awareness Education Medium 1-2 years $300 SRTS, APS Planning Andy Davis 39

44 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Collaborate with property owners in the school zone or along school routes to install yard signs warning drivers to moderate their speed and look out for student pedestrians and bicyclists. The signs might incorporate an APS SRTS Program logo designed by students. Install community signage promoting SRTS. Encourage & Enforce Safe Driver Behaviors Initiate progressive ticketing at problem locations. Also initiate double fines for speeding in school zones. Develop and implement a public awareness campaign with Akron Police Department, City of Akron, Akron Public Schools and AAA. Help schools start a Pace Car program a driver safety and awareness program that improves traffic safety around schools and in neighborhoods by encouraging parents and members of the community to obey the speed limit and drive safely around pedestrians and bicyclists. Parents who sign a pledge receive a car decal (or magnet). Conduct speed studies at locations where speeding is suspected/identified as a concern. Encourage APS parents and high school students to sign a pledge that they will avoid distracted driving, drive at a safe speed, and abide by traffic laws, especially during school arrival and dismissal times. Establish a district-wide speed reduction and/or No Phone Zone campaign. Install speed feedback signs at problem locations. Participate in Akron s inaugural Better Blocks program in spring 2015 Reduce Traffic Continue at least one district-wide education/encouragement event every quarter. Enable school bus drivers to drop-off/pick-up students at remote locations on designated walk/bike to school days. Increase School Zone Awareness Education Medium 2-3 years Increase School Zone Awareness Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Encourage and Enforcing Safe Driver Behaviors Reduce Traffic Medium 2-3 years Varies by location Varies by location Enforcement High 1 year Free, Enforcement Enforcement High 1-2 years Enforcement Medium 1-2 years $10,000 - $50,000 (varies depending on partner support and scope) Possible Funding Source Responsible Party Steering Committee Lead SRTS, AMATS Planning Andy Davis SRTS, AMATS Planning Andy Davis N/A program can pay for itself by designating fines to pay for officers SRTS, United Way, ODOT, City, School District Planning, City of Akron Planning Andy Davis, Sgt. Shaffer Andy Davis High 1 year $200 SRTS Planning Andy Davis Varies per location City of Akron, AMATS, ODOT Planning, City of Akron Education Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Enforcement Enforcement, Enforcement Medium 1-2 years $1,000 Medium- Low Medium- Low 2-5 years $5,000 - $25,000 Health care system or its foundation grant, Akron Community Foundation City of Akron, AMATS, ODOT Planning Planning, City of Akron Andy Davis, Phyllis Jividen Andy Davis, Phyllis Jividen Andy Davis, Sgt. Shaffer Andy Davis, Phyllis Jividen 1-2 years Free NA Planning Andy Davis Status Medium 2-3 years Varies SRTS Planning Andy Davis Planned Reduce Traffic Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Encourage and facilitate carpooling. Reduce Traffic Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis, Debra Foulk 40

45 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source Responsible Party Establish remote drop-off/pick-up locations and/or bus hubs. Reduce Traffic Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Steering Committee Lead Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Establish an APS-Sponsored Mileage Club or Contest. Reduce Traffic Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Improve Crossings Work with APS and Akron PD to analyze locations of crossing guards at key student crossing locations to determine if relocations or additional guards are needed. Improve Routes to School Establish walking school bus program. Use Walking School Bus Kit as a training tool. Educate administrators and families on how a walking school bus program can alleviate concerns through Parent Teacher Associations (PTA s), principal meetings, school events, and any other forum that is logical. Teach parents to talk to their children about personal safety using a child abuse prevention program. Research an evidence-based program to use. Develop and implement a snow removal awareness campaign for neighborhoods and businesses. Plan and implement International Walk to School and Bike to School Day events. Establish bike train program. Train parents and educators about starting bike trains at their school. Use International Bike to School Day events to develop and implement bike trains at schools. Continue encouraging school SRTS champions to attend ODOTsponsored walking school bus trainings. Partner with local high schools and/or University of Akron to participate in walking school buses as a community service project. High school students could assist with arrival and UA students could assist with dismissal. Work with ODOT to schedule walking school bus training in Akron. Improve Arrival & Dismissal Processes Provide direct assistance on arrival and dismissal procedures to schools that request it. Conduct individual arrival and dismissal audits at schools with known issues. This will help identify the issues that need to be addressed at each school and come up with individualized solutions. Utilize AAA s Student Safety Patrol program to help facilitate arrival and dismissal processes on school grounds. Improve Crossings Enforcement High 1 year Free N/A Planning Improve Routes to School, Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improve Routes to School, Improve Personal Security Improve Routes to School, Improve Personal Security Improve Routes to School Improve Routes to School Improve Routes to School Improve Routes to School, Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improve Routes to School, Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improve Routes to School, Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improving Arrival and Dismissal Processes Improving Arrival and Dismissal Processes Improving Arrival and Dismissal Processes, Enforcement Andy Davis, Debra Foulk, Sgt. Shaffer Status Ongoing High 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis High High 1 year 1 year TBD once program is identified $2,000 - $15,000 SRTS, Police Union grant, SRTS, United Way United Way, Akron Community Foundation, Akron Chamber of Commerce, ODOT Safety Program, SRTS High 1-5 years Free N/A Medium 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planning Andy Davis Ongoing Planning, National Center for SRTS Planning, Summit Cycle Center Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Andy Davis Education Medium 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Medium 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Education Medium 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Education High 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Enforcement High 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Medium 1-2 years Free N/A AAA Andy Davis 41

46 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Develop and distribute an arrival and dismissal best practices document. Among other things, this document should suggest make district-wide policies, such as dismissing walkers and bikers earlier than bus and car riders to avoid conflicts between walkers and bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic and to provide added encouragement for walking and bicycling. Improve Adult-Led Walking & Biking Create walking school bus program. Encourage school SRTS champions to attend ODOT-sponsored walking school bus trainings. Increase the law enforcement presence around all school sites before and after school. Educate parents and/or caregivers about the academic and health benefits and potential for improved safety by having students walk and bike to school (active transportation). Start a Corner Captains program at schools that express an interest. Corner Captains are adults who volunteer to provide an extra set of eyes along common school routes, making the environment around schools safer for students. Start an Eyes on the Street program district-wide. Improve Personal Security Improving Arrival and Dismissal Processes Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Possible Funding Source Responsible Party Steering Committee Lead Education Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis High 1-2 years Up to $5,000 for incentives and stipends Status SRTS, APS Planning Andy Davis In process Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Education High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking Improve Adult-Led Walking and Biking, Enforcement High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis, Sgt. Shaffer High 1-2 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis, Debra Foulk Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Partner with law enforcement on targeted security efforts. Improve Personal Security Enforcement High 1 year Free N/A Planning Work with Summit County Prosecutor s office to offer additional self-defense class for middle school girls. Improve Personal Security High 1-3 years Free N/A Prosecutor s Office, Planning Work with local Neighborhood Watch groups. Improve Personal Security Medium 2-3 years Free N/A Planning Sustain SRTS Program Recruit new Steering Committee members. Include a local school SRTS champions and a parent/pta representative. Establish a calendar. Create an annual calendar of SRTS activities for the district. Determine where and how frequently the Steering Committee will meet. Include a timeline for evaluations, which should occur at least annually. Identify a person or people to coordinate implementation of highpriority countermeasures. Identifying a lead coordinator is important to building and maintaining momentum for implementation. The lead coordinator initiates coordination efforts and maintains momentum through planning and implementation by assembling a coordination team, scheduling meetings, and ensuring that necessary tasks get done. Monitor and Evaluate. Establish measurable goals and conduct regular reviews to determine progress toward meeting them. Identify potential funding sources for high-priority projects and programs. Andy Davis, Sgt. Shaffer Andy Davis Andy Davis, Sgt. Shaffer, Debra Foulk Sustainable SRTS Program All High 1 year Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Planned Sustainable SRTS Program All High 1 year Free N/A Sustainable SRTS Program All High 1 year Free N/A Planning, Consultant Planning, Consultant Andy Davis Andy Davis, Consultant Sustainable SRTS Program Evaluation High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Sustainable SRTS Program All High 1 year Free N/A Planning, Consultant Andy Davis, Consultant 42

47 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasure Issues Addressed Es Supported Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Identify stakeholders and keep them informed about APS SRTS Program implementation. Stakeholders are people who should be consulted when planning and implementing a SRTS program but may not necessarily contribute in an active way. Potential stakeholders include residents and business owners with properties adjacent to proposed improvements, as well as elected and appointed officials. Purchase special event materials, such as a tabletop exhibit, popup banner or booth. Secure a graduate assistant to assist in project design and implementation. Possible Funding Source Responsible Party Steering Committee Lead Sustainable SRTS Program All High 1-5 years Free N/A Planning Andy Davis Sustainable SRTS Program All High 1 year Costs varies depending on items selected $1,000 - $15,000 Sustainable SRTS Program All Medium 1-5 years $20,000 United Way, Akron Community Foundation, SRTS, health care system foundation University of Akron Planning, Consultant Planning Andy Davis, Consultant Andy Davis Status Planned 43

48 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Countermeasures Table 20: Countermeasures Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P34 Improve crosswalks and signage Tallmadge/Main Findley 780 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P53 Perform Pedestrian Saftey Study Tallmadge & 8/59 ramps Forest Hill 780 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P104 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Thornton/Wolf Ledges Leggett 756 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P105 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Thornton/ramps Leggett 756 High 1-3 years Low SRTS L12 4-lane to 3-lane conversion with crosswalks and Must YIELD peds signs at intersections Tallmadge - from Carpenter to Columbia miles Findley 710 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P70 Add crosswalks 261/Vernon Odom / Moon Helen Arnold 708 High 1-3 years Low SRTS L33 L14 Perform traffic study Road diet Canton - from Shelburn to Triplett miles Tallmadge - from Columbia to 8/ miles Ritzman 688 High 1-3 years Low SRTS Forest Hill 686 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P71 Add crosswalks and curb ramps; perform signal timing analysis 261/Vernon Odom / East Helen Arnold 680 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P138 Add crosswalks Market/Emmons/Schrop Windemere 680 High 1-3 years Low SRTS L17 L23 Road diet Road diet Vernon Odon - from Ruth to Rhodes miles 764/Wilbeth - from I-77 to Arlington miles Helen Arnold 678 High 1-3 years Low SRTS Kent 678 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P40 Improve crosswalks & signage Cuyahoga Falls/Howard Findley 676 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P5 Crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Eastland/Hallie Barber 660 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P45 Crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Girard/Archwood Firestone Park 648 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P72 Add crosswalks & signage Raymond/Berry Helen Arnold 648 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P136 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Catawba/Glenmount Voris 648 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P77 Countdown displays Arlington/5th Henry Robinson 646 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P78 North leg refuge island; perform signal timing analysis 91/Wedgewood Hyre 638 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P39 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Cuyahoga Falls/Wall Findley 636 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P13 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Winton/Stoner Buchtel 620 High 1-3 years Low SRTS Responsible Party Status Planned (partially) 44

49 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P73 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Thornton/Raymond Helen Arnold 620 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P15 Add crosswalk east leg; Must YIELD peds signs Harcourt/Garman Case 618 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P32 L15 Repaint crosswalks and add pedestrian signage; shorten crossing distance on south leg Road diet Market/Martha East 618 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS Cuyahoga Falls - from Main to Clifton miles Harris 618 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P106 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Thornton/Broadway Leggett 618 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P108 Must YIELD peds signs Thornton/Coburn Leggett 618 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P35 Improve crosswalks & signage; put school zone beacons on mast arm over road Tallmadge/Howard Findley 614 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P74 West leg refuge island; repaint crosswalks all legs Thornton/Rhodes Helen Arnold 606 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P75 SE corner bumpout, tighten radius; repaint crosswalks all legs Thornton/Dart Helen Arnold 606 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P84 Repaint crosswalks; perform signal timing analysis Tallmadge/Dayton Jennings 598 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P92 Add crosswalks all legs; countdown displays 764/Hammel Kent 598 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P93 Add crosswalks all legs; countdown displays 764/Allendale Kent 598 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P94 Add crosswalks all legs; countdown displays 764/Coventry Kent 598 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P123 North leg refuge island and crosswalk 91/Leland Ritzman 598 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P124 East leg remove slip lane and square up intersection 91/Albrecht Ritzman 596 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P11 Repaint crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs 91/Newton Betty Jane 590 High 1-3 years Low SRTS L18 Road diet Thornton - from Manchester to Dart miles P76 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Chittenden/5th Helen Arnold 590 High 1-3 years Low SRTS Henry Robinson 590 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P87 Must YIELD peds signs Sand Run/Wiltshire Judith Resnik 590 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P88 Add crosswalks Market/Sand Run Judith Resnik 590 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P99 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Marriman/Edgerton King 580 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P3 Crosswalks all legs; countdown displays Eastwood/Eastland/Brittain Barber 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P14 Add crosswalks all legs Harcourt/Westvale Case 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS Responsible Party Status 45

50 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P20 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Diagonal/Noble Crouse 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P22 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Diagonal/Euclid Crouse 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P27 Countdown displays Archwood/Arlington David Hill 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P68 Add No Turn on Red signs Vernon Odom/Rhodes Helen Arnold 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P100 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs 26th/Wilbeth Lawndale 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P116 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Cole/Grant McEbright 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P127 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Waterloo/27th Sam Salem 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P133 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Newton/Goodyear Seiberling 578 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P91 Add crosswalks all legs; countdown displays 764/Virginia Kent 570 High 1-3 years Low SRTS P95 Close SE corner road to square intersection up; countdown displays 764/Brown Kent 570 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P109 Add mid-block crossing Thornton/school site L38 L10 Add bike lanes and improve sidewalks Road diet (include bike lanes and sidewalk improvements) Market - SR8 to Martha (within enrollment area) miles Market - from Martha to Brittain miles Leggett/AOC/ AAA 570 High 1-3 years Low SRTS East 564 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS East 560 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P90 West leg refuge island Market/Westgate Judith Resnik 556 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P36 Place beacon on mast arm over eastbound lanes Tallmadge/Carpenter Findley 408 High 1-3 years Medium SRTS P4 Crosswalks all legs; Must YIELD peds signs Eastland/Frase Barber 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P21 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Diagonal/Grace Crouse 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P23 Add crosswalks and pedestrian countdown timers Diagonal/Mercer/Bisson Crouse 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P24 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Archwood/Ardella David Hill 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P25 Move 20 MPH flashing school zone beacon east of Clement Archwood east of Clement David Hill 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P26 Improve crosswalks Archwood/Bulger David Hill 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P86 Add crosswalks Wiltshire/Goodhue Judith Resnik 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P102 Improve crosswalks Thornton/Allyn Leggett 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS Responsible Party Status 46

51 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P131 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Newton/Litchfield Seiberling 550 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS L26 Road diet - narrow lanes and add bike lanes East - from Carey to Kenmore/I miles Lawndale 548 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P16 Improve RR crossing for peds Castle RR crossing Case 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P19 Add crosswalks Stoner/Noble Crouse 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P46 NE corner tighten curb radius Archwood/Grant Firestone Park 538 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P55 Add crosswalks Cole/Inman Glover 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P57 Must YIELD peds signs Lovers/Coventry Glover 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P66 Add stop signs all legs; clear vegetation NW corner Fulmer/Quayle Hatton 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P81 West leg refuge island 18th/Battles Innes 538 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P82 North leg refuge island, crosswalk, Must YIELD peds signs East/Kellogg Innes 538 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P85 Repaint crosswalks Cuyahoga Falls/Dayton Jennings 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P120 Repaint crosswalks Exchange/Portage Path/Work Portage Path 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P132 Countdown displays Brittain/Ottawa Seiberling 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P135 Repaint crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Brown/Woodsdale Voris 538 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P47 Add crosswalks; countdown displays Firestone/Wilbeth Firestone Park 530 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P80 Put school zone beacons on mast arms over road (NB and SB) East/school site Innes 530 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P38 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Cuyahoga Falls/Shelby Findley 526 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS L9 L34 Road diet/complete streets Road diet Archwood - Arlington to Kelly miles Albrecht - from Canton to Stull miles David Hill 520 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS Ritzman 520 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P125 North leg remove turn lane, add refuge island 91/Triplett Ritzman 516 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P33 Paint standback lines and add warning signage Kelly/RR crossing East 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P44 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Archwood/Brown Firestone Park 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P54 Move bike racks to front of building school site Glover 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS Responsible Party Status 47

52 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P56 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Lovers/Inman Glover 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P58 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Cole/Brown Glover 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P62 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Daniels/Fulmer Hatton 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P63 Add signage prohibiting turns during arrival/dismissal Hillman/Baker Hatton 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P67 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Euclid/Edgewood Helen Arnold 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P103 Beautify entrances on each side, perhaps with murals Pedestrian overpass Leggett 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P110 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Kildare/Mull Litchfield 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P111 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Hawkins/Delia Litchfield 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P117 Must YIELD peds signs 9th/Montana Pfeiffer 510 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS L2 P107 P121 Road diet Add refuge island west leg; repaint all crosswalks; add countdown displays Move northbound school zone beacons south 300ft and extend over road Eastwood - from Danmead to Brittain miles Barber 508 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS Thornton/Main Leggett 508 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS Manchester between Rexford/Eckard Rimer 508 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P12 Add Must YIELD peds language to existing signs; add RRFB Boyd/Newton Betty Jane 500 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS L11 L24 L28 Road diet Roadway improvements Road diet: 4-lane to 3-lane conversion with crosswalks and Must YIELD peds signs at intersections Brittain - from Eastwood to Market ramp miles Hammel - from Cole to Barbara miles Hawkins - from Market to Stadelman miles East/Seiberling 500 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS Kent 500 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS Litchfield 500 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P37 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Cuyahoga Falls/Aberdeen Findley 498 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P41 Improve crosswalks & signage; pedestrian refuge on north leg Cuyahoga Falls/Main Findley 498 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P43 Countdown displays Firestone/Brown Firestone Park 498 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P48 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Fouse/Damon (north) Forest Hill 498 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P49 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Fouse/Damon (south) Forest Hill 498 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P50 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Fouse/Ranney Forest Hill 498 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS L27 Narrow lanes and add bike lanes Thornton - pathway east of Dart to Wolf Ledges miles Leggett (AOC/AAA) 490 Medium 4-7 years High SRTS Responsible Party Status ; RRFB test location 48

53 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P28 Add pedestrian refuge on north leg Arlington/Wilbeth David Hill 488 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P96 Improve crossing, possibly with RRFB Archwood/Hammel Kent 488 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P118 West leg refuge island Market/Highland Portage Path 488 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P122 Refuge island south leg 93/764 Rimer 488 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS L1 L8 P31 L16 Convert to one-way westbound Add bike lanes Repaint crosswalks and add countdown displays; shorten crossing distance on north leg Make one-way southbound all the time Onondago - from Garry to Frase miles Diagonal - from south of Maple to Superior miles Barber 480 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS Crouse 480 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS Market/ramp to Market East 480 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS Hillman - from Daniels to Baker miles Hatton 480 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS P69 Add RRFB in front of school Vernon Odom/Edgewood Helen Arnold 480 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P137 Add RRFB or overhead pedestrian beacons 91/Eastgate Windemere 480 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P113 Countdown displays Exchange/School drive Mason 478 Medium 4-7 years Low SRTS L32 Road diet Manchester - from 764/Wilbeth to Carnegie miles Rimer 478 Medium 4-7 years Medium SRTS P7 Add crosswalk Betana/school drive Bettes 470 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P51 Repaint crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Glenwood/Ranney Forest Hill 470 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P97 Repaint crosswalk and add crosswalk on south leg; add signage on Royal Royal/Palisades King 470 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P98 Repaint crosswalks; add countdown displays Memorial/Merriman King 470 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P129 Add crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs Lawton/Dover Schumacher 470 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P130 Add crosswalk; Must YIELD peds signs Stoner/Greenwood Schumacher 470 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P10 Refuge island south leg 91/Income Betty Jane 468 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P101 Remove SB right turn lane and bump out north leg East/Swinehart Lawndale 468 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P114 Refuge island; Must YIELD peds signs Johnston/Windsor Mason 468 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P115 Refuge island west leg; countdown displays Johnston/Inman Mason 468 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P9 HAWK signal; refuge island north leg 91/Tyro Betty Jane 460 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS Responsible Party Status 49

54 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID P30 L13 L7 Countermeasure Repaint crosswalks and add countdown displays; shorten crossing distances across Seiberling Add bike lanes Extend road diet: 4-lane to 3-lane conversion; crosswalks & Must YIELD peds intersections Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source Market/Seiberling East 460 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS 764/Wilbeth - from Main to I miles 162/Copley - from Storer to Portage Path/Diagonal miles Firestone Park 460 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS Buchtel 458 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P126 Repaint crosswalks; RRFB and curb bump-outs (with Road Diet) Albrecht/Stetler Ritzman 458 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L19 L40 Reduce road width, make 1 lane each way, add sidewalk buffer Add bike lanes and improve sidewalks Wedgewood - from Abington to Canton miles Market - I-76 to Canton (within enrollment area) miles Hyre 450 Low 8+ years High SRTS Hyre 450 Low 8+ years High SRTS L21 Widen sidewalks in front of school school site feet Judith Resnik 450 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L31 P59 L29 Add sidewalk north side Repaint crosswalks and add countdown displays; shorten crossing distance on north leg Road diet Wilbeth - from 9th St to 12th St feet Cuyahoga Falls / Murray/Patterson Exchange - from Spicer to Market miles Rimer 450 Low 8+ years High SRTS Harris 448 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS Mason 448 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P89 East leg refuge island Market/Bryden Judith Resnik 446 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P17 Repaint crosswalks Hawkins/Fairfax Case 440 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P79 South leg refuge island; crosswalk; Must YIELD peds signs Hilbish/Wedgewood Hyre 440 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L39 L20 L6 Add bike lanes and improve sidewalks Road diet - narrow lanes and add bike lanes Road diet Market - Brittain to I-76 (within enrollment area) miles East - from Morse to Carey miles Darrow/Canton - north of Eastwood to Gilchrist miles East 438 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS Innes 438 Low 8+ years High SRTS Betty Jane 430 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P1 Must YIELD peds signs; bumpouts Eastwood/Kennebec Barber 428 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P2 Refuge island east leg; add RRFB Eastwood/Chinook Barber 428 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P60 Repaint crosswalks and add signage Dayton/Mildred Harris 428 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P65 North leg refuge island; crosswalk; Must YIELD peds signs Harding/Hilbish Hatton 428 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P83 South leg refuge island, crosswalk, Must YIELD peds signs East/Florida Innes 428 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L30 Road diet Exchange - from Rose to Work miles Portage Path 420 Low 8+ years Low SRTS P6 Add bike rack school site Bettes 410 Low 8+ years Low SRTS Responsible Party Status 50

55 Prioritized Strategies School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools Map ID Countermeasure Location Schools Affected Weighted Score from Matrix Priority Timeframe Estimated Cost Possible Funding Source P29 Pedestrian refuge on east leg; Crosswalk; Must YIELD peds signs Rosemary/Dahlgren David Hill 400 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P64 North leg pedestrian refuge; crosswalk; Must YIELD peds signs Baker/Hilbish Hatton 400 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P119 West leg refuge island; add RRFB Exchange/Delia Portage Path 400 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P134 Refuge islands, north and south legs Brittain/Goodyear Seiberling 400 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L3 L36 L4 Road diet Add bike lanes and improve sidewalks Pave pathway south of school Independence - Home to Brittain miles Market - Wolcott to Main (within enrollment area) miles south of school to Darow Rd - <0.1 miles Bettes 390 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS Litchfield 390 Low 8+ years High SRTS Betty Jane 388 Low 8+ years High SRTS P52 West leg refuge island; crosswalks; Must YIELD peds signs; RRFB Glenwood/Oxford Forest Hill 388 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P112 Put school zone beacons on mast arms over road (EB and WB) Exchange/school site Mason 388 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L22 Add sidewalks (south side) Braewick - from Winston to Goodhue feet Judith Resnik 380 Low 8+ years High SRTS P42 On north leg remove turn lane to add bumpout Lindenwood/Astor Firestone Park 378 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS L35 4-lane to 3-lane conversion with crosswalks and Must YIELD peds signs at intersections Hawkins - from Stadelman to Courtland miles Schumacher 378 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P8 Refuge island east leg 261/Breiding Bettes 360 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS P18 P61 L37 P128 L25 L5 Add at-grade pedestrian crossing across railroad tracks Repaint crosswalks and add countdown displays; add bump-outs on Main in parking lanes Add bike lanes and improve sidewalks Build new pedestrian/bicycle overpass OR add at-grade railroad crossing Add sidewalks (east side) Pave pathway south of school; keep trees along path trimmed RR crossing / Rampart / Garman / Idlewild Case 338 Low 8+ years High SRTS Main/Mildred Harris 318 Low 8+ years Medium SRTS Market - Main to SR8 (within enrollment area) miles Jennings 280 Low 8+ years High SRTS RR between school and park Sam Salem 270 Low 8+ years High SRTS Royal - from Ecton to Ardleigh feet south of school to Newton St miles King 260 Low 8+ years High SRTS Betty Jane 240 Low 8+ years High SRTS Responsible Party Status ; RRFB test location 51

56 Endorsements School Travel Plan for Akron Public Schools 6.0: ENDORSEMENTS The goals of this STP and of the Akron SRTS Program are: The Akron Safe Routes to School program, working with Akron Public Schools, strives to establish a world-class, student-focused community-based learning system and to create a community that supports and enhances safe walking and biking to school by focusing on equity through engineering, enforcement, evaluation, education and encouragement. The Akron SRTS program has three goals: Go Safe Here. Go Safe There. Go Safe Everywhere. The undersigned endorse these goals and pledge support for this STP and the Akron SRTS Program. Name Organization Signature David W. James Lisa Mansfield Don Plusquellic Superintendent, Akron Public Schools President, Akron Public Schools Board of Education Mayor, City of Akron Garry Moneypenny Mayor David Kline Jason Segedy President, Akron City Council Ward 10 Chair, AMATS Policy Committee Director, AMATS Andrew Davis Coordinator, Akron SRTS 52

57