Sardis Elementary Road Safety Plan Produced by: Sardis Elementary - Safer Travel Team in cooperation with Safer City Plan completed in January 2016 1
Acknowledgements It takes commitment and community to make this plan a reality. Without the participation of following people, the Safer Travel Plan for Sardis Elementary would not be possible. Many thanks to Chuck Bloch, Principal, Sardis Elementary Sardis Elementary SST team leaders and members of the Sardis Elementary PAC Shane Merriman, Manager of Transportation District #33 Mike Weightman, ICBC Road Safety Coordinator Cpl. Lee Dyson, former NCO i/c of Municipal Traffic for Chilliwack RCMP Samantha Piper, Safer City Coordinator, City of Chilliwack January 2016 2
Table of Contents Acknowledgements...2 Executive Summary...4 Data Collection...5 Data Analysis...6 Table 1 Modes of Student Travel to...6 Final list of Issues...7 Identified Measures...8 Summary 12 Appendix 1 Home Survey.. 13 Appendix 2 - Best Walking Routes Map.16 3
Executive Summary The parents and staff at Sardis Elementary have participated in the Safer Travel program developed by Safer City to identify school road safety related issues. The program strives to define priorities and create realistic solutions for addressing these issues. Sardis Elementary worked together with key community partners to achieve this goal. Sardis Elementary contacted the Chilliwack Safer City Coordinator, Samantha Piper, to participate in the Safer Travel (SST) Program in November 2014. The solutions generated identify strategies from three key perspectives: Education, Enforcement and Engineering. The final plan identifies both short and long term goals within each focus. As part of their education strategy, Sardis Elementary strongly advocates healthy lifestyles and fitness, encouraging students to walk and/or bike to school. Sardis Elementary is located at 45775 Manuel Road. In 2016 the student population consisted of 500 students in kindergarten to grade six. The family survey results indicated that the majority of students are driven or walk to and from school. Purpose of the Road Safety Plan Identify safety concerns for the student population, parents and school staff traveling to and from the school. Collaborate with the municipality, school community, school district, police, ICBC, and other stakeholders to identify and implement changes to enhance safety of student travel. Develop and include strategies for all modes of transportation from the three key disciplines of Education, Enforcement and Engineering. Increase support for safe pedestrian and bicycle travel and/or other vehicle reduction initiatives. Consultation and Research Identifying the top road safety issues involves research and investigation. Key steps in the process include: A survey distributed to all families to determine modes of travel, routes to school and road safety issues; Traffic counts and behaviour patterns at key access points to the school; Mapping existing car and green modes (pedestrian, bike, bus) infrastructure and student travel routes. 4
Data Collection Travel Surveys Surveys developed by Safer City were distributed to all school families (Appendix 1). The survey was designed to gather the following information: How students travel to school during good and poor weather conditions. Safety and travel issues identified by students and parents in the project area. The routes used to drive, walk and bicycle to school. Mapping The Safer Travel Team walked and collected observational data on safety issues within the project area. The information collected was from two perspectives. These were a green mode of travel (walk, bicycle or bus) and a car mode of travel. 5
Data Analysis Student Distribution and Existing Travel Mode Used to get to 300 home surveys were distributed by Sardis Elementary. 153 students returned surveys (51% return rate). Please note that the table totals exceed the number of students replying because some students use multiple modes to travel to and from school. Modes % Good Weather Adverse Weather A.M P.M A.M. P.M. Car 83 63 94 74 Walk 54 66 43 54 Cycle 13 9 4 3 Bus 19 25 19 25 Transit 1 0 1 0 Car Pool 3 2 4 3 TOTAL 173 165 165 159 Table 1 Student Mode of Travel Routes to and Infrastructure Mapping Mapping of the existing infrastructure in the community involves becoming more intimate with the neighbourhood surrounding the school. The mapping process highlights key areas of concern by including the routes being taken to school and the extent of the existing infrastructure. The information gathered in this phase of the SST process was incorporated into the final list of issues. Safer Travel Issues A wide variety of safety concerns were identified on the survey forms. Often people will use the SST process to express concern about issues that may not relate to safe school travel for students. Within the SST process, there is a consolidating and summarizing phase where issues are reviewed and assessed for relevancy. 6
The core SST team reviews the overall list of issues and determines which issues will be presented to the stakeholder committee. The stakeholder committee has representation from Municipal Engineering, the RCMP, Principal, PAC, District #33 and the SST team leaders. Final List of Issues These issues reflect the key concerns of the school community. Issue #A: Speeding: Drivers are ignoring the speed limit in the school zone and in the playground zone More enforcement and education required Issue #B: Parking Lot: Too much traffic More parking required Improved drop-off points Vehicles enter the parking lot in the wrong direction More no-idling signs Covered bike racks Vehicles park in designated school bus lanes Issue #C: Street Safety: Illegal parking Consider for crossing guards Crossing Vedder Road concerns Request crosswalk in front of school and paint a crosswalk at Sheffield and Manuel intersection Consider school zone on Sheffield Road Request for a NPAT zone on Sheffield near pathway to back of school SCHOOL road paint faded on Manuel 7
Identified Measures Issue #A SPEEDING: Concern: Drivers are ignoring the speed limit in the school zone and playground zone; more enforcement is required. Passenger vehicles as well as commercial vehicles were noted as vehicles ignoring the speed limits. Data Results: Speed Data was collected in both zones from June 10 16, 2015. The average for speed northbound on Lane (Playground Zone) was 35 km/h; southbound it was 33 km/h. The average speed eastbound on Manuel Road ( Zone) was 36 km/h; and westbound it was 38 km/h. Strategy Details Priority Action By Funding Source Projected Timing Progress EDUCATION Driver education through school newsletters participation activities focused on park and walk a block and walk/cycle to school initiatives throughout the school year with a rewards system High SST Team Immediate High Speed Watch High Speed Watch n/a Driver awareness of the 30 km/h zones = reflective panels installed for the school and playground zones ENGINEERING High Engineering City/ICBC Immediate ENFORCEMENT Completed December 2015 Strategic Enforcement High RCMP n/a 8
Issue #B SCHOOL PARKING LOT: Concern: Too much traffic; more parking required; improved drop-off points; vehicles enter the parking lot in the wrong direction; more no-idling signs; covered bike racks; and vehicles park in designated school bus lanes. Strategy Details Priority Action By Use pylons to mark off No Parking and No Stopping areas Parking lot education through school newsletters Parking Lot Valets (senior students or volunteers) assisting students from vehicles in the drop off zone to get safely from vehicle to the school Consideration for a review or reconfiguration of parking lot layout including changes for driveway accesses High High Low Medium Funding Source EDUCATION Board/ PAC Board/ PAC Board ENGINEERING with assistance from the City Engineering Dept. when requested Covered bike racks Medium Idling Signs Medium volunteers to consider policing parking lot to ensure parking restrictions are adhered to High Board Board Board ENFORCEMENT Board Projected Timing To Be Considered Progress 9
Issue #C STREET SAFETY: Concern: Vehicles park illegally on Manuel and Sheffield primarily; need crossing guards; crossing Vedder Road concerns; add crosswalk in front of school and mid-block on Sheffield; Paint a crosswalk at Sheffield and Manuel intersection; implement a 30 km/h school zone on Sheffield Road; implement no parking zones on Sheffield near the pathway to the back of the school; the SCHOOL road paint is faded on Manuel Road. Strategy Details Priority Action By Funding Source Projected Timing Progress EDUCATION Crossing Guards Medium District consideration Crossing Vedder Rd concerns due to volumes and speed (driver education deployment) Consider a crosswalk on Manuel Rd in front of school and midblock on Sheffield Rd. Request new crosswalks at intersection of Sheffield at Manuel Consider a 30 km/h school zone on Sheffield Road High Speed Watch n/a ENGINEERING n/a Engineering n/a DECLINED High Engineering City Immediate Mid-block crosswalks are inherently dangerous for pedestrians due to poor driver compliance. It is recommended to have pedestrians cross at marked crosswalks only. Complete. One additional crosswalk was painted on the Sheffield leg of the intersection for east/west pedestrians. Medium Engineering City Spring 2016 Under Review 10
Request a No Parking or No Stopping zone on Sheffield near the pathway to the back of the school SCHOOL road paint is faded on Manuel Rd. Vehicles parking illegally on Manuel Rd and Sheffield Rd Crossing Vedder Rd concerns due to volumes and speed (strategic enforcement deployments) Medium Engineering City Spring 2016 Under Review Medium Engineering City Yearly ENFORCEMENT High City Bylaw City patrols The condition of the paint will be evaluated each year to determine if new paint is required; locations will be determined on a priority basis High RCMP n/a 11
Summary Significant effort has been made by Sardis Elementary to identify key concerns that affect the safety of children traveling to school. It is the role of the SST Team and the relevant stakeholders to review the issues and information brought forward and to seek realistic strategies to mitigate these concerns. By incorporating education, enforcement and engineering strategies together, the Road Safety Plan strives to achieve participation by parents, stakeholders and the neighbourhood community to make positive change. Behaviour concerns are the most difficult to affect as it takes a conscious shift by the school community and the general public to be a part of the solution. At the same time behaviour changes cost very little and can have an immediate and long lasting impact. This report details Engineering, Enforcement and Education solutions with some of those solutions having funding requirements attached. Like many municipalities and school districts, the City of Chilliwack and District #33 have restricted budgets. The Road Safety Plan for Sardis Elementary seeks to prioritize and identify the strategies that will have the greatest impact on road safety concerns in this community. By working together we can make road safety a priority 12
Appendix 1 Safer Travel Survey 13
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Appendix 2 Best Walking Routes Map 16
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