01485108

Component

A major reason for the shift away from walking to school among student-age populations is concern over personal safety. These concerns are both actual and perceptual and go beyond concerns over traffic conflicts. Moreover, pedestrian-related accidents are a major problem throughout the United States and are especially problematic in Florida, which routinely leads the nation in pedestrian fatalities. Given several high-profile student fatalities in the region, the Indian River County (IRC) Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) took an active approach to the pedestrian safety issue and committed to developing a school safety study at a school with high potential to increase its alternative mode access. While the focus of the study was on school access, the MPO addressed a number of related priorities in the project scope, including safety, mobility, and minimizing pupil transportation costs. The MPO began the effort by screening candidate schools for intensive study. Thompson Elementary School was identified for the study because it represents a traditional neighborhood school, but with lower than expected walking and bicycling travel rates than at similar schools. The methodology used for the study was developed by Stanley Consultants to define pedestrian-related deficiencies and to identify potential areas for improvement. The first step in the methodology was to interview students, parents and faculty to identify their concerns. An analysis of the demographics of the neighborhood indicated that the area contained many not-easy-to-reach households, including working families, single-parent families, and low-income households. The MPO and Stanley Consultants made a proactive effort to overcome this challenge and reach these families by sending representatives to PTA meetings, School Advisory Council meetings, and in the field at parent drop-off and pickup times. In addition, Stanley Consultants developed and distributed a survey/map to parents and students, tailored to the school type (elementary). First-hand information on the causes of student travel patterns was collected whereas more conventional methods (such as MPO meetings and public workshops) might have failed. As part of the methodology, a detailed inventory assessment of the roadway and sidewalk characteristics within a 2-mile radius of the school was performed, along with an inventory of planned bicycle and pedestrian networks identified by the county, and a review of various codes and statutes. The methodology also included an assessment of non-transportation factors, such as crime, lighting, and predators. Known safety hazards and obstructions were then located, as well as the identification of links, intersections, and areas that may need improvement. Once improvements were identified, a Zone Methodology was developed and implemented to prioritize the improvements. The improvements were grouped within Zones A, B and C, which represented the distance from the school. The improvements were then prioritized within each zone based on several criteria. Funding sources for applicable infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects such as the FDOT Safe Routes to School program were then identified. General strategies and 28 specific physical improvements were identified to provide continuity of pedestrian and bicycle access to and from Thompson Elementary School.

01483192

English

12p

2010

12th National Conference on Transportation Planning for Small and Medium-Sized Communities

Digital/other

CD-ROM; Maps; Photos; Tables

Demographics; Pedestrian safety; Pedestrian vehicle crashes; School children; Traffic conflicts; Transportation planning

Safe Routes to School (Program)

Highways; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jun 25 2013 1:19PM

• A Literature Review of Current Events and Trends in Ciclovía Programs across America
• A New Traffic Assignment Method for Small and Medium Communities
• A Standardized Tool for Calculating Road User Benefits
• A Transportation Safety Planning Tool for the City of Ames
• An Economical Methodology for Development of Land Use and Socio-economic Forecasts for Long-range Transportation Plans (LRTPS)
• An Investigation of the Transferability of Trip Generation Models
• Application of a Combined Travel Demand and Microsimulation Model for a Small City
• Application of Dynamic Traffic Assignment in a Small-Urban Area
• Applying a Multi-Resolution Modeling Approach for Master Planning of State Route 285 Corridor at Wenatchee Valley, WA
• Applying the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index in Your Metro Area
• Circulator Guidebook: Dupage Local Area Circulator Study
• Comparison of Five Metropolitan Washington Travel Demand Models
• Data Alternatives in Support of Regional Travel Demand Modeling
• Developing Travel Demand Modeling Tools for Medium-Sized Communities in Virginia
• Dynamic Model Visualization and Investigation
• Estimating Arterial Performance in Small and Medium-Sized Communities
• GLOBEWARM – A Tool to Estimate Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Roadway Vehicles
• Integrating Planning and Operations for a Comprehensive Transportation Management System
• Lessons Learned: A Community Driven Approach to Infrastructure Improvement
• Moving the Guests at a 400th Anniversary: Jamestown 2007
• MPO Planning Resources – An Internet-Based Tool
• Northern Minnesota/Northern Wisconsin Freight Plan
• Prioritizing Projects for the Metropolitan Transportation Plan -- The Lexington Experience
• Public Involvement in Bicycle Safety
• Small-Town Transportation Assessments that Work: Combining Community Learning and Research Strategies
• The School Travel Plan as a Community Planning Tool
• Transit Node Analysis: Comparing Street-Level Physical and Socioeconomic Factors Using a Layered GIS Approach
• Transportation of Wind Energy Industry Components: Planning for Growth in the Heartland
• Using a Federal Database and Local Industry Sector Knowledge to Develop Future Freight Forecasts
• Using Decision Trees in Transportation Planning and Analysis
• Vacant Land Inventory and Development Assessment Tool