Hidden Oaks Elementary School

Hidden Oaks Elementary School

SCHOOL ROUTE PLAN For HIDDEN OAKS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LOCATION 13 ORANGE COUNTY Prepared for: ORANGE COUNTY SCHOOL ASSESSMENT PROGRAM ORANGE COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS Traffic Engineering Division 4200 South John Young Parkway Orlando, Florida 32839 Contract No.: Y4-903B HNTB No. 42268 Prepared by: Lake Mary, Florida August 14, 2006 Professional Engineer: Luis E. Diaz P.E. No. 43263

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 1 1. INTRODUCTION... 2 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS... 4 3. QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT... 7 4. RECOMMENDATIONS... 20 APPENDIX FIGURES, EXHIBITS, and TABLES FIGURES Figure 1 - Project Location Map... 3 Figure 2 School Boundary Map... 8 Figure 3 School Route Plan Map... 9 Figure 4 Condition Diagram: Hidden Oaks Elementary School Entrances... 12 Figure 5 Condition Diagram: Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive... 13 Figure 6 - Conceptual Improvement Diagram... 21 EXHIBITS Exhibit 1-Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive North Approach Photographs... 14 Exhibit 2- Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive South Approach Photographs... 15 Exhibit 3- Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive West Approach Photographs... 16 Exhibit 4- Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive East Approach Photographs... 17 Exhibit 5-Sidewalk at Suburban Drive West Approach Photographs... 18 Exhibit 6- Sidewalk at Suburban Drive East Approach Photographs... 19 TABLES Table 1-Field Inventory... 4 Table 2-Summaries of Vehicular Volumes... 5 Table 3-Summaries of Pedestrian & Bicycle Volumes... 6

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HNTB Corporation was retained by Orange County Public Works to conduct a School Route Plan Study for Hidden Oaks Elementary School located at 9051 Suburban Drive, Orange County, Florida. This study is being performed as a part of the County s School Assessment Program to identify safe routes for children to walk and bicycle to school. Based on the results of the analysis, field observations, and engineering judgment, the following recommendations and conclusions were developed: 1. Pedestrian and bicycle access to the school is safe and efficient. 2. Pedestrian ramps should be installed at the intersections of Hopespring Drive with Suburban Drive and Lumberton Drive with Suburban Drive. 3. A crosswalk and accompanying advance warning and crossing signs should be installed on the east approach to the intersection of Hopespring Drive and Suburban Drive. 4. The school crossing signs on the corners of the Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive intersection do not meet current MUTCD standards. Consideration should be given to upgrading to S1-1 signs and adding down arrow placards (W16-7).

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 2 1. INTRODUCTION HNTB Corporation was retained by Orange County Public Works to conduct a School Route Plan Study for Hidden Oaks Elementary School located at 9501 Suburban Drive, Orange County, Florida. The purpose of this study is to identify safe routes for children to walk and bicycle to school. The analysis methods used in conducting this study are consistent with those set forth in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD 2003), the Manual on Uniform Traffic Studies (MUTS), and Orange County guidelines and procedures.

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 3 Figure 1 - Project Location Map

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 4 2. EXISTING CONDITIONS Hidden Oaks Elementary School is located in southeast Orange County on Suburban Drive approximately 0.25 miles east of South Chickasaw Trail and 1.75 miles south of Curry Ford Road. Significant features for the study location are summarized below: Feature Table 1-Field Inventory Description School Name Hidden Oaks Elementary School Address 9051 Suburban Drive Orlando, FL 32829 407-249-6350 School Hours 8:45 AM to 3:00 PM (2:00 PM Wednesday) Student Enrollment 927 Primary Roadway Access South Chickasaw Trail Two lane undivided arterial Posted speed limit: 40 mph Sidewalks: on east side of the roadway Conventional lighting on east side of the roadway Suburban Drive Two lane undivided collector roadway Posted speed limit: 25 mph Sidewalks: both sides of roadway; however, the sidewalk on south side ends at Hopespring Drive Conventional lighting on north side of roadway Pedestrian and Bicycle Access to School Sidewalk on the north side of Suburban Drive and via a pathway from Brackenwood Drive. Carpool Access to School Provided through main entrance to the school Bus Access Provided through main entrance to the school to a separate bus loop Guarded School Crossings South Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive Controlled by stop signs on Suburban Drive Pedestrian crosswalks across north and east approaches School crossing warning signs on north and south approaches Crossing guard provided during school times Other Facilities Sidewalks are provided along most roadways in adjacent neighborhoods within the walk zone. Reduced Speed School Zones Provided on Chickasaw Trail at the intersection with Suburban Drive (20 mph). Pole mounted reduced speed school zone signs with flashing beacons north and south of Suburban Drive are provided.

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 5 Vehicular, Pedestrian, and Bicycle Volumes Two-hour turning movement counts were conducted at the intersection of Chickasaw Trail with Suburban Drive and at the pedestrian sidewalk entrance to the school at Suburban Drive. The counts were conducted from 8:15 to 9:15 AM and 2:30 to 3:30 PM to coincide with the morning arrival time and afternoon departure time of students at the school. Pedestrian, bicycle, automobile, and bus traffic were recorded separately for this count. The following tables summarize the results of these counts: Table 2-Summary of Vehicular Volumes Approaches Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive Chickasaw Trail Suburban Drive Direction Northbound Southbound Eastbound Westbound Movement L T R TOT L T R TOT L T R TOT L T R TOT Morning Arrival: 815 to 915 Vehicles 0 232 221 453 141 246 2 389 1 2 7 10 97 2 126 225 Busses 0 0 7 7 7 3 0 10 0 0 0 0 3 0 8 11 Total 0 232 228 460 148 249 2 399 1 2 7 10 100 2 134 236 Afternoon Departure: 1430 to 1530 Vehicles 5 197 111 313 114 199 8 321 1 0 2 3 96 7 129 232 Busses 0 1 2 3 4 12 0 16 0 1 0 1 3 0 9 12 Total 5 198 113 316 118 211 8 337 1 1 2 4 99 7 138 244 Approaches Sidewalk at Suburban Drive Sidewalk Suburban Drive Direction Northbound Southbound Eastbound Westbound Movement L T R TOT L T R TOT L T R TOT L T R TOT Morning Arrival: 815 to 915 Vehicles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 383 0 383 0 260 0 260 Busses 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 0 13 0 13 0 13 Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 396 0 396 0 273 0 273 Afternoon Departure: 1430 to 1530 Vehicles 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 194 0 194 0 287 0 287 Busses 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 6 0 10 0 10 Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 200 0 200 0 297 0 297

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 6 Table 3-Summary of Pedestrian & Bicycle Volumes Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive Time AM Time PM Time AM Time PM 8:15 0 2:30 0 8:15 0 2:30 0 8:30 0 2:45 1 8:30 3 2:45 0 8:45 0 3:00 0 8:45 1 3:00 3 9:00 0 3:15 0 Total 8:15 8:30 8:45 9:00 Total 2:30 2:45 3:00 3:15 9:00 0 3:15 0 AM 9 0 0 0 9 PM 9 2 7 0 0 AM 9 Chickasaw Trail AM Total 0 0 0 8 1 Total 0 3 0 0 PM 3 Total 8:15 0 0 8:15 0 3 8:30 0 0 8:30 1 1 8:45 0 0 8:45 0 1 9:00 0 0 9:00 0 0 AM PM Total 0 0 Total AM PM 1 0 Suburban Drive 2:30 0 0 2:30 0 0 2:45 0 0 2:45 0 0 3:00 0 0 3:00 3 0 3:15 0 0 3:15 0 0 PM PM Total 0 Total 3 Chickasaw Trail Total 8:15 8:30 8:45 9:00 Total 2:30 2:45 3:00 3:15 Time AM Time PM AM 1 0 0 1 0 PM 0 0 0 0 0 Total Time AM Time PM 8:15 0 2:30 0 0 0 0 0 AM 0 0 0 0 0 PM 0 8:15 0 2:30 0 8:30 0 2:45 0 8:30 0 2:45 0 8:45 0 3:00 0 8:45 0 3:00 0 Suburban Drive AM 5 9:00 0 3:15 0 9:00 0 3:15 0 Pedestrian Sidewalk (School Entrance) at Suburban Drive Time AM Time PM Time AM Time PM 8:15 10 2:30 0 8:15 0 2:30 0 8:30 6 2:45 0 8:30 0 2:45 0 8:45 4 3:00 22 8:45 0 3:00 0 9:00 0 3:15 0 Total 8:15 8:30 8:45 9:00 Total 2:30 2:45 3:00 3:15 9:00 0 3:15 0 AM 1 0 0 0 1 PM 0 0 0 0 0 Total 0 0 1 0 AM 1 0 0 0 0 PM 0 Sidewalk Total AM 0 Total AM 0 8:15 0 0 8:15 0 0 8:30 0 0 8:30 0 0 8:45 0 0 8:45 0 0 9:00 0 0 9:00 0 0 AM PM Total 0 0 Total AM PM 0 0 Suburban Drive 2:30 0 0 2:30 0 0 2:45 0 0 2:45 0 0 3:00 0 0 3:00 0 0 3:15 0 0 3:15 0 0 PM PM Total 0 Total 0 N/A Total 8:15 8:30 8:45 9:00 Total 2:30 2:45 3:00 3:15 Time AM Time PM AM 0 0 0 0 0 PM 0 0 0 0 0 Total Time AM Time PM 8:15 0 2:30 0 0 0 0 0 AM 0 0 0 0 0 PM 0 8:15 0 2:30 0 8:30 0 2:45 0 8:30 0 2:45 0 8:45 0 3:00 0 8:45 0 3:00 0 Suburban Drive 9:00 0 3:15 0 9:00 0 3:15 0

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 7 3. QUALITATIVE ASSESSMENT Hidden Oaks Elementary School is located on Suburban Drive, just east of Chickasaw Trail and south of SR 551 (Curry Ford Road). The school serves children who live in adjacent neighborhoods to the east of Chickasaw Trail and north of Lee Vista Boulevard, as well as children who live in neighborhoods adjacent to Econlockhatchee Trail on the east side of the school. The majority of the school zone falls within the two mile walk zone of the school. Orange County currently provides bus service for children that live in neighborhoods along Econlockhatchee Trail, just north of Lee Vista Boulevard, or just south of Curry Ford Road. Figure 2 illustrates the school zone boundaries, two-mile walk radius, and existing bus stops for Hidden Oaks Elementary School. Figure 3 is a School Route Plan map of the area within the two-mile walk limit where school bus service is currently not being provided. This area is the focus of the qualitative assessment. The school route plan area was reviewed by a registered professional engineer to evaluate vehicle, pedestrian, and bicycle flow patterns to determine what improvements are necessary, if any, to improve the safety and efficiency of the children traveling to and from school. Suburban Drive/School Circulation Overall, the pedestrian and bicycle access to Hidden Oaks Elementary is safe for the school children. Sidewalks are provided throughout the different neighborhoods that are served by Hidden Oaks Elementary. The majority of the children that walk or bicycle to the school live in the Chickasaw Oaks Subdivision located to the west of Hidden Oaks Elementary. Sidewalks are provided throughout this neighborhood. There are two pedestrian access points into the school from this subdivision, one located on Suburban Drive and the other via a pathway from Brackenwood Drive. Hidden Oaks Elementary School was observed during the morning and afternoon hours to assess the operations of vehicles and children entering and leaving the school. The driveway into the school is well-designed for the volume of vehicular traffic it serves. The following observations were made regarding school operations: Pedestrians and bicyclists utilize the sidewalk on the north side of Suburban Drive and access the school via an opening located west of the main entrance. Several of the pedestrians and bicyclists were observed to be accompanied by parents. Pedestrian and bicycle access to the school is safe and efficient. Carpool vehicles enter the school parking lot via the main driveway on the east side of the school then circulate through the parking rows to the front of the school (east side) where the children are dropped off and picked up. There is adequate storage for the drop off/pick up queue on the school property and there are minimal opportunities for vehicle/pedestrian conflicts. A passing lane is provided for motorists to maneuver around parked vehicles waiting for drop off and pick up. Carpool drivers then complete the circle and exit through the main driveway.

9 N Hidden Oaks Elementary School 2 Mile Walk Zone Legend School Zone Boundary School School Bus Stop Traffic Signal Figure 2 School Boundary Map

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 10 Busses enter the school via the main driveway and turn left into a bus only loop and drop the children off on the south side of the school. This operation was observed to be safe and efficient and with no observed conflicts between busses, vehicles, or pedestrians. Some parents were observed parking their vehicles on Suburban Drive in front of the school then walking their children through the walk entrance. Since Suburban Drive terminates at the main driveway to the school, the only traffic on this roadway is related to the school. Along Suburban Drive at the intersections with Hopespring Drive and with Lumberton Drive, pedestrian ramps are not provided and the sidewalk continues around the corner as shown below. School children were observed cutting across grassed areas to cross the street. Curb ramps should be installed at the intersections of Hopespring Drive with Suburban Drive and Lumberton Drive with Suburban Drive. Note lack of curb ramps at intersection of Suburban Drive with Hopespring Drive. Note lack of curb ramps at intersection of Suburban Drive with Lumberton Drive. A continuous sidewalk is provided on the north side of Suburban Drive from the intersection with Chickasaw Trail to Hidden Oaks Elementary. However, on the south side of Suburban Drive the sidewalk extends from Chickasaw Trail to the intersection with Hopespring Drive and does not extend all the way to the school. Curb ramps, a crosswalk, and accompanying signs should be installed on the east approach to the intersection of Suburban Drive with Hopespring Drive to allow pedestrians utilizing the sidewalks on the south side of the road to access the school via the sidewalk on the north side of the road. See Figure 6 for further illustration. Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive The intersection of Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive was observed during the morning and afternoon school hours. One crossing guard is stationed at the intersection of Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive to accommodate the moderate flow of pedestrians and bicycles across the north approach of Chickasaw Trail and the east approach of Suburban Drive. Approximately 14 students in the morning and 12 students in the afternoon cross at the

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 11 intersection of Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive. Figure 5 shows the existing conditions at this intersection. The following observations were made: Traffic on Chickasaw Trail is traveling at or above the posted 40 mph speed limit. Traffic volumes are moderate. There were no negative effects observed due to the posted speed limit. The school crossing signs on the southeast, northeast, and northwest corners of the intersection do not meet current MUTCD standards. Consideration should be given to upgrading the existing signs to S1-1 signs with down arrow placards (W16-7). Although sidewalk is provided on the east side of the roadway, Chickasaw Trail is a high speed arterial roadway and few children were observed walking along Chickasaw Trail to reach the school. School children cross the north and east approaches to the intersection and are protected by a crossing guard. Based on input from the crossing guard, there are conflicts between motorists making a westbound left turn movement and children crossing the north approach of the intersection when motorists disregard the actions of the crossing guard. The markings are in good condition at the intersection. Figures 4 and 5 illustrate the existing conditions of the intersections of Suburban Drive with the school entrance and with Chickasaw Trail. In addition, photographs of the intersection of Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive as well as of Suburban Drive near the pedestrian sidewalk entrance to the school are included in Exhibits 1 to 6.

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 14 Exhibit 1-Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive North Approach Photographs Looking south into the intersection along Chickasaw Trail Looking north from the intersection along Chickasaw Trail

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 15 Exhibit 2- Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive South Approach Photographs Looking north into the intersection along Chickasaw Trail Looking south from the intersection along Chickasaw Trail

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 16 Exhibit 3- Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive West Approach Photographs Looking east into the intersection along Suburban Drive Looking west from the intersection along Suburban Drive

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 17 Exhibit 4- Chickasaw Trail at Suburban Drive East Approach Photographs Looking west into the intersection along Suburban Drive Looking east from the intersection along Suburban Drive

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 18 Exhibit 5-Sidewalk at Suburban Drive West Approach Photographs Looking east along Suburban Drive Looking west along Suburban Drive

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 19 Exhibit 6- Sidewalk at Suburban Drive East Approach Photographs Looking west along Suburban Drive Looking east along Suburban Drive

School Route Plan-Hidden Oaks Elementary School 20 4. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the results of the results of the analysis, the field observations and engineering judgment, the following improvements are proposed: 1. Pedestrian and bicycle access to the school is safe and efficient. 2. Pedestrian ramps should be installed at the intersections of Hopespring Drive with Suburban Drive and Lumberton Drive with Suburban Drive. 3. A crosswalk and accompanying advance warning and crossing signs should be installed on the east approach to the intersection of Hopespring Drive and Suburban Drive. 4. The school crossing signs on the corners of the Chickasaw Trail and Suburban Drive intersection do not meet current MUTCD standards. Consideration should be given to upgrading to S1-1 signs and adding down arrow placards (W16-7). Figure 6 has been included on the following page to illustrate these recommendations.

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