Louisiana Safe Routes To School Program
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Transcript of Louisiana Safe Routes To School Program
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Louisiana Safe Routes To
School Program
Infrastructure Projects
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Purpose(Section 1404(b) of the legislation)
• To Enable And Encourage Children, Including Those With Disabilities, To Walk And Bicycle To School.
• To Make Bicycling And Walking To School A Safer And More Appealing Transportation Alternative, Thereby Encouraging A Healthy And Active Lifestyle From An Early Age; And
Continued on next slide
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Purpose (Continued)
• To Facilitate The Planning, Development And Implementation Of Projects And Activities That Will Improve Safety And Reduce Traffic, Fuel Consumption, And Air Pollution In The Vicinity Of Schools.
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Funding Categories• INFRASTRUCTURE – Generally those
activities that involve the planning, design and construction of physical improvements
• NON-INFRASTRUCTURE – Generally those activities related to education and the encouragement of walking and bicycling to school as well as enforcement and evaluation
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Guiding Principles
• Infrastructure is a prerequisite
• Relationships between all components are everything
• Easy to implement, low cost solutions should be implemented first
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Guiding Principles (cont.)
• Improvements requiring substantial time and financial commitment are identified and an implementation plan developed
• Engineering treatments are matched to the type of problem
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
SRTS Summary Goals
• Where it’s safe, get kids bicycling and walking to school.
• Where it’s not safe, make the changes necessary to make it safe.
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Infrastructure Examples
• Sidewalk improvements (new, repairs,etc.)
• Traffic calming/speed reduction improvements
• Pedestrian/bicycle crossing improvements
• On-street bicycle facilities
• Off-street bicycle/pedestrian facilities
• Bicycle parking facilities
• Traffic diversion improvements
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
La Infrastructure Examples
• Sidewalks, Bike/Ped. paths
• Pedestrian bridge renovation
• Flashing school zone lights
• Bike racks
• Crosswalks and signs
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Location
• State highway or local roads
• Must be within 2 miles of a primary or
middle school
• Must be public right of way
• Property acquisition must conform to
Federal requirements
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Engineering
• Creates safer conditions for walking and bicycling
• Can influence the way people behave
West Valley City, UT
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
What’s wrong with this picture?
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Engineering Tools Outline
• Develop a school route map
• The school zone
• Along the school route
• Crossing the street
• Slowing down traffic
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Identify Safe School Routes
• Develop a school route map–Neighborhood Walk-abouts and
Bike-abouts–Walking and Bicycling Audits–Parent and student surveys
• Develop a school traffic control plan
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
School Route Maps
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
School Traffic Control Plan
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
The School Zone
• Signs and Pavement Markings– MUTCD (http://mutcd.fhwa.dot)– Yellow-Green school signs
• School Speed Limits
• In-street signing
• Other
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Along the School Route
• Safe and well designed facilities– ADA requirements
• Sidewalks– Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of
Pedestrian facilities (AASHTO)
– Recommend 5’ width
• Bicycle facilities– Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
(AASHTO)
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Crossing the Street
• Identify good crossing locations
• Reduce crossing distances
• Use appropriate traffic controls
• Are Traffic volumes and/or speed a safety problem
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Slowing Down Traffic
• Traffic calming
– Radar speed displays
– Speed humps
– Other design elements
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Engineering Considerations
• AASHTO Design Guides
• ADA Requirements
• DOTD Requirements
• Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Summary of Solutions
• Sidewalks
• Signs and Markings
• Traffic calming/diversion
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
New Sidewalk Problems
• Drainage– Piping ditches is expensive
• Right-of-Way– Acquisition must conform to FHWA
requirements
• Utilities– Relocation– Adjustments
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Developing
a
Program
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Comprehensive SRTS Program
• The 5 E’s–Engineering
–Education
–Encouragement
–Enforcement
–Evaluation
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Developing An SRTS Program
• Identify The Problem(s)
• Develop Solutions– Infrastructure Improvements– Non-Infrastructure Activities
• Estimate Cost
• Develop An Action Plan
• Develop An Evaluation Plan
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Problem Identification“No spin – just the facts”
• Organize
• Assess Current Environment
• Assess Existing Infrastructure
• Identify Safety Problems
• Collect Data
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Organize(Form A Team)
• SCHOOL (Principal, staff, student)
• LOCAL GOVERNMENT (Enforcement, DPW, School Board, etc.)
• PARENTS (PTO, etc.)
• OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES
• ENGINEER (Traffic or other)
• CHAMPION (Someone who can keep things moving)
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Assess Current Environment
• Identify students who:– Currently walk or bike to school– Take bus or driven to school– Live within one or two miles of school– Could potentially walk or bike
to school
• SRTS student and parent surveys– See SRTS website
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Meadowview Elem.
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Assess Infrastructure
• Sidewalks, Paths, Etc
• Barriers
• Operational
• Other Problems
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Engineering Solutions
• First, consider low cost, easy to implement solutions
• Identify and program longer-term improvement needs
• Match the treatment to the problem
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Engineering Solutions (Cont.)
• Provide Safe Street Crossings
• Keep it simple
• Shorten crossing distances
• Carefully select crossing locations and marked crosswalks
• Control Traffic Speed
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Identify Safety Problems
• Actual Safety Problems
• Perceived Safety Problems
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Actual Safety Problems
• Observations
– Around The School, Along The School Route, Crossing The Street, Traffic Behavior Etc.
• Collect Data
– Crash Data From Local Police
– Crime Data
– Traffic volume and speed data
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Perceived Safety Problems
• Surveys
–Parents
–Children
• Types–Traffic
–Crime
–Other
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Other Problems
• Weather
• Backpacks
• Too Far
• Etc.
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Identify Potential Solutions
• Improve Facilities
– Engineering
• Change Driver Behavior
– Engineering
– Enforcement
• Encourage Students/Parents
• Educate
– Students/Parents/Teachers
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Link The Solution/Problem
• Identify The Impact Of The Proposed Solution In Regards To The Identified Problem– Increased Safety?– More children walking/bicycling to school?– Reduced speeds?– Change in behavior?
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Develop Infrastructure Cost Estimates
• Engineering
– Construction
– Operations
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Develop Non-infrastr. Cost Estimates
• Encouragement
• Education
• Enforcement
• Evaluation
Louisiana Safe Routes to School Program
Department of Transportation and Development
Develop An Action Plan
• List All Identified Problems And Solutions With The Cost Of Each
• Prioritize
• Develop A Time Frame For Accomplishing
• Identify Potential Source Of Funds For Each
• Identify Steps To Put Plan Into Motion