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#2 Accept Safe Routes to School Plan (File Res. #2010-705) CDDM OMMUNITY EVELOPMENT EPARTMENT EMORANDUM May 3, 2010 TO: Eric Levitt, City Manager FROM: Terry Nolan, Associate Planner RE: Action on a Proposed Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of a Safe Routes to School Plan for Janesville (File Resolution No. 2010-705). Request The Community Development Department requests City Council approve File Resolution 2010-705 which accepts the Safe Routes to School Plan, recently completed using a grant through the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), in the amount of $20,000. Recommendation The Community Development Department recommends the City Council adopt File Resolution No. 2010-705, accepting the 2010 Safe Routes to School Plan. City Manager Recommendation The City Manager concurs with the recommendation. Background Information In October of 2007, the City received a Safe Routes to School Planning Grant in the amount of $20,000. No local match was required to receive these funds. The Janesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization coordinated the planning effort with the assistance of a task force consisting of city staff, the Janesville School District, parents, and community members. To fulfill the requirements of the WisDOT grant, baseline data was collected in three ways: an opinion survey was sent to all parents of elementary and middle school age children, teachers conducted a survey to determine the travel mode of students, and parent volunteers examined the environment around schools for deficiencies and dangers. Three public meetings were held during the process to develop recommendations to improve conditions in the areas of education, encouragement, enforcement, and engineering. The Safe Routes to School Task Force met multiple times to analyze results and feedback from the public and to develop broad recommendations that are consistent with existing plans and policies. The completed Plan was presented to the public on April 28, 2010. Discussion The intent of the Safe Routes to School Program is to promote healthy habits in children, increase pedestrian activity, and ensure safety for children walking and biking to and from school. These goals are accomplished through modifications to the physical environment (infrastructure improvements), educational activities, encouragement activities, enforcement, and evaluation of the current environment and situation. The recommendations contained in the Safe Routes to School Plan are eligible to be funded through future WisDOT Safe Routes to School grants, as well as other bicycle and pedestrian funding sources. More information regarding the Safe Routes to School Plan is provided in the attached executive summary. Terry Nolan, associate planner, and Mat Haeger, Janesville School District Manager of Health Services and Safety, will be providing an informational presentation on the Safe Routes to School Program and study. Following the presentation, it would be appropriate for the City Council to accept the Plan as proposed by resolution No. 2010- 705. It is important to note that Council acceptance of the Safe Routes to School Plan does not commit the City of Janesville to fund or accomplish those projects identified in the Plan. However, acceptance of the Plan does allow the City to become eligible for future Safe Routes to School grants. All infrastructure improvement projects must be individually reviewed and approved by the City Administration and City Council as to funding and priority. RESOLUTION NO. 2010-705 Resolution accepting the 2010 Safe Routes to School Plan for Elementary and Middle Schools in Janesville WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Janesville recognize the benefits of creating safe routes for children to walk and/or bike to and from school; and WHEREAS, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation provided the City a $20,000 grant to create a Safe Routes to School Plan; and WHEREAS , the Janesville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization developed a Plan entitled “Safe Kids, Fit Kids: A Safe Routes to School Plan for elementary and Middle Schools in Janesville, Wisconsin” , which was developed with the assistance of a Task Force consisting of officials from the City of Janesville, Janesville School District staff, parents, and community members; and WHEREAS , development of the Plan involved opportunities for public input and participation throughout the plan preparation process; and WHEREAS, the Plan identifies barriers for children walking and biking to and from school, and other destinations; and WHEREAS, the Plan recommends improvements in the areas of encouragement, education, enforcement, and engineering to address identified issues and barriers to walking and biking to and from school, and other destinations; and WHEREAS , the recommendations contained in the Plan are consistent with existing City plans and policies, including the City of Janesville Comprehensive Plan and Janesville Area Long Range Transportation Plan; and WHEREAS ; completion of the Plan makes such recommendations eligible for future Wisconsin Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School funding, as well as other bicycle and pedestrian grant programs; and WHEREAS, the Common Council find that acceptance of the Safe Routes to School Plan is in the best interest of the city and of benefit to the community. NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF JANESVILLE, WISCONSIN, that said Common Council hereby accept the 2010 Safe Routes to School Plan for Elementary and Middle Schools in Janesville. RESOLUTION NO. 2010-705 Page 2 ADOPTED: Motion by: Second by: APPROVED: Councilmember Aye Nay Pass Absent Brunner McDonald Eric J. Levitt, City Manager Perrotto Rashkin ATTEST: Steeber Truman Voskuil Jean Ann Wulf, City Clerk-Treasurer APPROVED AS TO FORM: Wald Klimczyk, City Attorney Proposed by: Community Development Department Prepared by: Community Development Department City Of Janesville Safe Kids, Fit Kids: A Safe Routes to School Plan for Elementary and Middle Schools in Janesville, Wisconsin Executive Summary Prepared By: Terry Nolan, Associate Planner/MPO Coordinator (present) Alexis Kuklenski, Associate Planner/MPO Coordinator (past) Introduction The Safe Routes to School Program in Janesville aims to safeguard children while encouraging them to walk and bicycle to school. Like other communities, Janesville struggles with motor vehicles clogging roads, motor vehicle emissions polluting the environment, fewer children walking to school, and more children engaging in less physical activity overall and growing overweight. The SRTS Plan encourages physical activity as an integral part of a child’s daily routine. Safe Routes to School initiatives assume that teaching children the importance and pleasure of walking and bicycling to and from school may help to increase the likelihood that they will engage in other forms of physical activity. Safe Routes to School accomplishes goals through policy development, improvements to streets and sidewalks, education and encouragement of children and parents, and increased enforcement of traffic laws. Programs can include: ? Walking and biking audits to determine the safety of streets around schools ? Programs to improve sidewalk conditions near schools ? Use of traffic calming devices to slow traffic and give pedestrians priority ? Programs that educate children on walking and biking safely, and challenge them to walk or bike often ? "Walking school buses" in which one or two parents or volunteers escort a group of children on the walk to school ? Increased traffic enforcement around schools ? School construction that includes renovation and improvement of existing schools, and locating new schools to reduce walking hazards and avoid major traffic threats ? Cooperation among school officials, law enforcement officials, and transportation planners. Existing Conditions Janesville is a typical American city in terms of low rates of walking and biking and a high rate of personal vehicle use. In a 2001 national survey, 16% of children walked to and from school. Data collected during the spring of 2009 revealed 18% of Janesville elementary and middle school children walked to and from school. Janesville has a relatively good network of sidewalks, on and off-road bicycle facilities, and transit. Many plans exist to improve the travel environment. Identifying Safety Issues A survey of all parents conducted in the spring of 2009 identified barriers to allowing children to walk or bike to school. Respondents most often chose distance (54%). Other popular choices were speed of traffic (49%), volume of traffic (48%), crossings and intersections (51%) and weather (49%). Not surprisingly, Janesville residents are more concerned with harsh weather i conditions. Average temperatures are below 30F degrees for three months each school year. Janesville parents are much more concerned with crime (43%) than the rest of the nation (12%). This fear was often communicated in the comments section of the parent survey and crime was also a topic during public meetings. Parents are worried about “stranger danger” as well as bullying from older kids. Blog comments on a news article and informal poll by the Janesville Gazette reflected a fear of crime. Recommendations Education Education is one of the complementary strategies in a Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program. Education activities include teaching pedestrian, bicyclist and traffic safety and creating awareness of the benefits and goals of SRTS. In Janesville, there are many existing policies and programs to educate children about safety. After review, the SRTS Task Force recommends the expansion of several successful programs and the revival of a program that had been unfunded in the past. Due to the heightened sense of fear in Janesville, education will focus on personal safety and protection from “stranger danger”. Recommendation 1: Launch public education campaign to promote safety and health Education will focus on community wide issues like stranger danger and traffic safety around schools. The campaign will also use health statistics to promote walking and bicycling as a healthy alternative to driving. Recommendation 2: Expand bike rodeo program The Janesville Police Department currently holds an annual bike rodeo at Wilson Elementary School. The event is open to all students; however most participants come from the neighborhood. Funding for the program comes from donations. As funding becomes available through fundraising and grants, the Janesville Police Department will hold additional events at schools around the city. Recommendation 3: Integrate bicycling safety into physical education curriculum using school owned bicycle fleets Marshall Middle School is the only school in the district to own a fleet of bicycles used during physical education classes. The School District will expand this program to include elementary schools. Bicycle fleets may be shared between schools and maintained by a private contractor. Recommendation 4: Revive Safe House Program The Safe House Program was once an active program in Janesville. The Janesville Police Department has recently regained the capacity to run the program. The Janesville Police Department will coordinate with other city staff, School District, and PTA to identify safe houses and educate the public about the program. Chaperones participating in the Walking School Bus Program will be asked if they would like to have their house identified as a “safe house”. Encouragement While encouragement dovetails with engineering and enforcement, it is most closely linked to education strategies. Janesville strategies may not be easily characterized as strictly encouragement or education. Encouragement comes during and after education. The SRTS Task Force will coordinate and support individual schools as they implement its recommendations. Recommendation 5: Participate in International Walk to School Day Promotion and organization of Walk to School Day will begin in the spring and will continue through summer in order to raise the awareness of the event. The event will be advertised on websites, radio, newspaper, in newsletters, at community events, and at other school events. Parents will receive a permission slip that encourages participation by both students and parents. Walk to School Day advertising will include information about the Safe Routes to School movement as well as Janesville specific plan elements, such as the Walking School Bus Program. Recommendation 6: Implement Walking School Bus Program The first step to developing a Walking School Bus Program will be to update individual school safe walking route plans. Task Force members will work with principals and others, as applicable, at each school to update plans. One of the key objectives will be to use the planning process as a way to find parents and volunteers interested and available to be chaperones of the Walking School Bus. Plans will be developed using results from school audits, travel data, parent surveys, and other observations. The Walking School Bus Program will be piloted at one or more elementary schools. Once the program has been established, it will be used as the model to expand the Walking School Bus to other schools. Adding a Bicycle Train into the program is a long term future goal. Recommendation 7: Encourage children to safely walk/bike through rewards and promotion An important aspect of getting children to walk/bike is restoring the “cool” factor. Strategies may include poster contests, class competitions, and highlighting teachers who walk/bike to school. Small rewards such as stickers or gift cards are inexpensive but effective motivators that can be used at the discretion of schools and teachers. Education will be an important component of the encouragement program. The focus will be on pedestrian and bicycling safety. Children will be rewarded when they follow proper precautions around the schools. Enforcement The Janesville Police Department enforces traffic laws around schools in response to requests or complaints. Due to limited police department resources, an increase in enforcement is a challenge. Currently, coordinated efforts focus on targeting key areas and times with consistency of enforcement dependent on individual principals. Turnover in personnel at the school level often means change in policy and level of enforcement for that school. Students and parents must then accommodate any changes. Recommendation 8: Consistently enforce traffic circulation and no parking rules around schools The City Engineering Department will continue to work with individual schools to update and refine traffic circulation and parking policies that safeguard pedestrians. The Janesville Police Department will work with schools to perform targeted patrol of problem areas and ticket offenders. Recommendation 9: Purchase pole mounted speed indicators The City of Janesville will place speed indicators along roads susceptible to speeding. Placement should be determined through coordination by the City Engineering Department, Transportation Committee, Janesville Police Department, and School District. Engineering Engineering solutions can be the most costly “E” but can have dramatic lasting effects in terms of safety. Engineering requires a long time horizon to plan and execute. Area- specific engineering devices which modify existing infrastructure require careful study before implementation. Engineering changes to the physical environment may require policy changes, such as, revision of a city ordinance. Recommendation 10: Upgrade signage in school zones School audits showed that signage was lacking, obstructed, or faded. The City of Janesville will install highly visible signs, paying particular attention to areas identified during audits. Recommendation 11: Support Pedestrian Transportation Corridor Plan Within the context of the existing Pedestrian Transportation Corridor Plan, the City of Janesville should prioritize sidewalk maintenance and construction in areas near schools. Recommendation 12: Evaluate the use of traffic calming devices along roads susceptible to speeding Traffic calming devices such as bump-outs, lane narrowing or lane reduction may be considered in school zone areas where traffic is moving at an unsafe speed. Recommendation 13: Promote bicycle facilities near schools Within the framework of the existing Janesville Area Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan, which identifies future bicycle facilities, the city should prioritize bicycle/pedestrian off-road trails and on-road bicycle lanes along school routes. Planning should emphasize connecting schools to trails and bicycle lanes. Recommendation 14: Design streets for the pedestrian/bicyclist The City of Janesville will follow Wisconsin Complete Streets Law SECTION 1918gr. 84.01 (35) when constructing or reconstructing roads using state or federal funding. Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street. Recommendation 15: Support recommendations of the School District’s Traffic Safety Committee (2006) The Traffic Safety Committee, which had many of the same participants as Safe Routes to School planning, made sound recommendations based on careful observation and deliberation. Any recommendations that have yet to be instituted by the School District, City, or Police Department should be considered in the future. Recommendations may be found in Appendix D. Evaluation Recommendation: Survey parents Using the parent survey developed by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, parents should be surveyed once or twice per year in order to evaluate how perceptions of walking and biking have changed over time. The Janesville Area MPO will coordinate the distribution and collection of surveys to schools; although, individual schools will choose the method of distribution to parents. Schools may consider sending a paper survey home in backpacks, or use the newly developed online version. Recommendation: Survey students Using the student tally developed by the National Center for Safe Routes to School, teachers at each school should record their students’ methods of travel to and from school for one week in the fall and one week in the spring each year. The Janesville Area MPO will coordinate the distribution and collection of surveys to schools, and all data will be reported to the National Center for Safe Routes to School. The survey will help measure the success of SRTS initiatives. Recommendation: Audit schools An audit of the environment around every elementary and middle school should be completed once each year to evaluate the effectiveness of safety initiatives. The audit will focus on a ¼ mile radius around each school, and will review facilities on and near school grounds from sidewalks, to bicycle racks and entrances. Auditors will also evaluate car, bus, and bicycle/pedestrian traffic circulation around the schools during drop off and pick up times. City staff will provide materials and training to parents for auditing schools. Action Plan The City and School District will work in partnership with the PTA, school principals, business community, trail user groups, and at large community to execute the recommendations of the plan. i Weatherbase. Accessed 1/14/2010 at www.weatherbase.com.