The Miami-Dade Safe Routes to School Initiative

Transcription

1 The Miami-Dade Safe Routes to School Initiative Perla Tabares Hantman School Board Chair Miami-Dade County Public Schools & Governing Board Member of the Miami-Dade Metropolitan Planning Organization August 14, 2013

2 Miami-Dade County Public Schools School District encompasses over 2,000 square miles 4 th largest district in the Nation With approximately, 350 schools 345,000 students 45,000 employees

3 Multi-Cultural Student Body Representing 160 Countries & Speaking 56 Languages

4 Miami-Dade County: Great weather Flat terrain Streets and neighborhoods shaped by traditional 20th Century auto-oriented development patterns

5 Student Transportation Modes Large numbers of Miami-Dade County students walk to school, especially in urban areas MDCPS Elementary and K-8 Centers (%) Walk Bike Bus Car/Family Vehicle Public Transportation N= 234

6 Traffic Safety Issues Majority of travel made by personal motor vehicles Since the 1990 s driving culture resulted in an alarming safety situation Averaging in traffic related incidents per year ( ) 380 injured juvenile pedestrians 7 fatally injured juvenile pedestrians These WERE alarming and unacceptable statistics.

7 The Miami-Dade Safe Routes to School Initiative

8 Miami-Dade Safe Routes to School Initiative Mission: Reduce pediatric pedestrian injuries Partners: School District, MPO, local transportation, health agencies, and law enforcement Plan: Multidisciplinary perspective to help provide traffic safety around schools and surrounding neighborhoods that encourage active, healthy lifestyles

9 Innovative Solution One: Public Schools Community Traffic Safety Team (CTST) CTST was created with full School Board endorsement in early 2000, under the auspices of FDOT CTST program supports multi-agency, multi-disciplinary teams that focus on school traffic safety issues CTST serves as the Safe Routes to Schools coordinating agency

10 Innovative Solution Two: Involvement of the Miami-Dade MPO MPO Transportation Planning Perspective: Providing county-wide data Prioritizing schools with the greatest safety needs Facilitating technically proficient and sound Safe Routes to School infrastructure grant applications

11 Innovative Solution Three: Holistic Approach to SRTS Initiatives Non-Infrastructure - WalkSafe and BikeSafe Curriculum Infrastructure SRTS grants and collaboration with local transportation agencies

12 The 5-E s Education University of Miami WalkSafe / BikeSafe Encouragement All Partners Engineering MPO & Public Works Evaluation University of Miami WalkSafe / BikeSafe Enforcement School & Local Police

13 Non-Infrastructure WalkSafe Curriculum - Child Pedestrian Safety Education Created at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to reduce pediatric injury rates Designed for elementary school children (ages 5 to 13) Provides knowledge, skills, and abilities Evidence based curriculum

14 Non-Infrastructure WalkSafe Curriculum - Child Pedestrian Safety Education Three-day course taught in schools before International Walk to School Day Mandated at all Miami-Dade County Public Elementary Schools Reaching over 140,000 students each year

15 Non-Infrastructure WalkSafe Curriculum Special Needs Pedestrian Safety Education All-inclusive Miami-Dade Safe Routes to School Initiative WalkSafe Pedestrian Safety Pilot Curriculum To date, implemented at 69 schools, reaching 3,850 children Day 1 Day 1 Day 1 5 Day Curriculum

16 Non-Infrastructure BikeSafe Curriculum - Child Bicycle Safety Education Created in 2010 by University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to reduce bicycle injury rates (ages 10-14) Content includes essential components of bicycle safety (helmet use, predictability, visibility) To date, more than 5,500 middle school students participated in the curriculum Day 1 Bike Basics Day 2 Preparing to Ride Day 3 Rules of Riding Day 4 Off-Bike Riding

17 Infrastructure Local Transportation Agencies and Governments Collaboration between the School District, local transportation agencies, and governments to identify infrastructure needs and remedy Infrastructural concerns around schools may include: signage, crosswalk markings, and sidewalk repairs

18 Infrastructure SRTS Grant Applications Miami-Dade School Board has: Supported comprehensive infrastructure improvements at schools Endorsed infrastructure improvement applications based on prioritized needs in 91 schools since 2007

19 Infrastructure SRTS Grant Applications To date, 75 schools have been awarded over $10.6 million to fund necessary improvements

20 Sustainability and Reinforcement: Year Round Student Safety Awareness Campaigns School District, in collaboration with its transportation and health partners host: International Walk to School Day in October National Bike to School Day in May Thousands of students participate every year

21 International Walk to School Day Event October 2012

22 International Walk to School Day Event October 2011

23 International Walk to School Day Event October 2010

24 National Bike to School Day Event May 2013

25 National Bike to School Day Event May 2012

26 Number of injuries RESULTS: Pedestrians Hit-by Cars in Miami-Dade County Reduced by 63% years 5-9 years years Total Source: Crash Reports Ages 0-14 (by Age Group)

27 Moving Forward goals: Strengthen existing partnerships Maximize use of available SRTS funding and identify new sources to support student safety Raise awareness of benefits of safe physical activity Launch a Safe Routes to School Clearinghouse Pilot Program (incident reports on obstacles to walking or biking to school)

28 Our diverse and vibrant community will continue to come together under the 5-E model to accomplish the common goal of providing all of our children the opportunity to walk or bicycle to school in a safe environment, and to instill a life-long joy for healthy active lifestyles. The Miami-Dade Safe Routes to School Initiative