Harford County Safe Walking to School Infrastructure Program Jeff Springer, PE, AICP
Goals Improve pedestrian safety for children walking to school in Harford County Implement a County-wide program to comply with Section 7 of the MUTCD. Develop a systematic means to identify and mitigate potential pedestrian safety risks near schools.
Agenda Walking to School: History & Issues FHWA Guidance on Traffic Control Near Schools Guidance on uniformity: pavement markings & signs Guidance on School Route Plans Standards on Signs Standards on Pavement Markings Conditions in Harford County The Way Forward
Walking to school* 1969: 42% of students between ages of 5 and 18 walked or biked to school 2001 16% walked/bike * US. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Kids Walk-to-School : Then and Now Barriers and Solutions. Available: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/then_and_now.htm Accessed Sep 4, 2012. 4
Why not walk?* National Center for Safe Routes to School, 2010. A Look at Baseline Results from Parent Surveys and Student Travel Tallies Table 3, p. 6. http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/program-tools/school-travel-data-reports-safe-routes-school-travel-data-look-baseline-results Accessed Sep 4, 2012 5
Slow Traffic... Vehicle Speed & Pedestrian Survivability. * 100% 85% 75% % die 50% 45% 25% 0% 20 mph 15% 30 mph 40 mph Killing Speed and Saving Lives, United Kingdom Department of Transportation, London, 1987. http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_cmnity/ped_walkguide/residentsguide.pdf Chart on page 31. Accessed Sep 4, 2012. 6
Federal Highway Administration MUTCD, Section 7A, Traffic Control for School Areas Regardless of the school location, the best way to achieve effective traffic control is through the uniform application of realistic policies, practices, and standards developed through engineering judgment and studies. (p. 731) Procedures and devices that are not uniform might cause confusion among pedestrians and other road users, prompt wrong decisions, and contribute to crashes. (p. 731) A uniform approach to school traffic controls assures the use of similar controls for similar situations, which promotes appropriate and uniform behavior on the part of motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists. (p. 731)
School Route Plan This example of a School Route Plan shows the recommended walking route from every residence in the school s catchment area. Planning factors for route planning: 1. Availability of sidewalks 2. Number of students using the crossing, 3. Ages of students using the crossing, and 4. Total extra walking distance. SRTS Webinar on School Route Planning Scheduled for Sep 25, 2012, 1pm EDT. https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/666821241 Contact: Michelle Gulley at: mgulley@americawalks.org Source, MUTCD, Section 7, p. 731, 732.
Example of Student Route Map - Fountain Green ES Key Crosswalk Stop/yield Ped route FGES
School Zone Signage Section 7B.02 Illumination and Reflectorization Standard:* The signs used for school area traffic control shall be retroreflectorized or illuminated. * Standard - a statement of required, mandatory, or specifically prohibitive practice regarding a traffic control device. All Standard statements are labeled, and the text appears in bold type. The verb shall is typically used. The verbs should and may are not used in Standard statements. (MUTCD, Section 1A.13, p. 10)
School Zone Signage Section 7B.07 Sign Color for School Warning Signs Standard: School warning signs, including the SCHOOL portion of the School Speed Limit (S5-1) sign and including any supplemental plaques used in association with these warning signs, shall have a fluorescent yellow-green background with a black legend and border unless otherwise provided in this Manual for a specific sign.
FHWA-approved school zone signs
School Advance Crossing Assembly Section 7B.11 School Advance Crossing Assembly Standard: The School Advance Crossing assembly shall consist of a School (S1-1) sign supplemented with an AHEAD (W16-9P) plaque or an XX FEET (W16-2P or W16-2aP) plaque. Except as provided in Paragraph 3, a School Advance Crossing assembly shall be used in advance of the first School Crossing Assembly that is encountered in each direction as traffic approaches a school crosswalk.
School Crossing Signs Section 7B.12 School Crossing Assembly Standard: If used, the School Crossing assembly shall be installed at the school crossing, or as close to it as possible, and shall consist of a School (S1-1) sign supplemented with a diagonal downward pointing arrow (W16-7P) plaque to show the location of the crossing. The School Crossing assembly shall not be used at crossings other than those adjacent to schools and those on established school pedestrian routes. The School Crossing assembly shall not be installed on approaches controlled by a STOP or YIELD sign.
School Zone Signage This example illustrates the application of signs in a school zone: 1. School Crossing Assembly 2. School Advance Crossing Assembly 3. Higher fines zone signs 4. School zone sign Reference: MUCTD, Section 7, Figure 7B-5. Example of Signing for a School Zone with a School Speed Limit and a School Crossing
School Zone Signage This example illustrates the application of signs outside of a school zone: 1. School Crossing Assembly 2. School Advance Crossing Assembly Reference: MUTCD, Section 7, Figure 7B-4. Example of Signing for a School Crossing Outside of a School Zone,
FHWA-approved crosswalk pavement markings Reference: MUTCD, Section 3, Figure 3B-19, p 383.
Current intersection conditions near some Harford County Public Schools Bel Air Elementary School Good example of consistency of signage and pavement markings at school crossings leading to Bel Air Elementary School. 18
Current intersection conditions near some Harford County Public Schools Church Creek ES, Belcamp Good example of proper placement of Advance Crossing Assembly (left), Crossing Assembly (right) and traffic calming to reduce vehicle speed and reduce student crossing time. Curb extension reduces crossing distance by 10 feet and reduces pedestrian exposure time by 2.6 seconds (10 ft / 3.8 ft/sec). 20 30
Current intersection conditions near some Harford County Public Schools Inconsistent pavement markings 100 yards apart leading to the same school. Crossing (right) is 41 feet. Pavement markings on right not consistent with MUTCD (Section 3). Crossing does not meet ADA standards on opposite curb (right). 20
Current intersection conditions near some Harford County Public Schools Inconsistent pavement markings leading to the same school. Note blind spot on left (top photo). 21
Current intersection conditions near some Harford County Public Schools Crossing wider than street, crossing doesn t match to curb-cut, No Advance Crossing Assembly, Crossing Assembly signs should be fluorescent yellow-green.
Current intersection conditions near some Harford County Public Schools Inconsistent pavement markings at crossings on the same road. 23
Identifying and correcting pedestrian safety problems Traffic calming for school crossing, Church Creek ES reduced crossing distance from 30 ft. to 20 ft. School crossing leading to Fountain Green ES. Street is 36 ft wide; 41 ft from sidewalk to sidewalk. 20 ft 36 ft
The Way Forward: Each jurisdiction establish a School Route Plan Working Group: Department of Transportation Department of Planning Law Enforcement School Officials Use the results from School Route Plans to install signs and pavement markings in accordance with Section 7 of the MUTCD. Each jurisdiction review pedestrian infrastructure leading to their schools. Identify ADA compliance needs. Identify potential infrastructure improvements to improve pedestrian safety. Program and budget 3-4 year implementation plan.
References: Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, Federal Highway Administration, (FHWA), Washington, DC. http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/pdfs/2009/pdf_index.htm Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System: Pedsafe, Federal Highway Administration, Report no. FHWA-SA-04-003, http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_bike_order/ Maryland SHA Pedestrian and Bicycle Design Guidelines, http://www.sha.maryland.gov/index.aspx?pageid=25 Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access, Part II, FHWA 2001. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publication s/sidewalk2/pdf.cfm
This concept would exclude schools not in/near walkable neighborhoods: Churchville Elementary Dublin Elementary Fallston Middle School Fallston High School Forest Hill Elementary Harford Tech High School Hickory Elementary Jarrettsville Elementary John Archer School North Bend Elementary North Harford Elementary, North Harford Middle North Harford High Norrisville Elementary Prospect Mill Elementary Roye-Williams Elementary Wm Pica/Old Post Elementary Youth s Benefit Elementary
Half-mile walking distance to Fountain Green ES