California Walk/Bike Conference 2007 UC Davis-PPT

1. School Safety Improvement
Project - San Francisco
Grassroots Advocacy
Making it Happen!
Roger Bazeley, M.S.T.M., M.S.I.D., C.T.S.M.
DesignStrategy-USA, Transportation Consultants

2. Pedestrians: Have Rights and
Expectations for a Safe Journey

3. Growing Safety Concerns:
Techno-inattention, Panhandling, Jaywalking, Health/Age/Vision

4. Vulnerability to Traffic Accidents
K-12 School Children
Children Ages 5-17
Seniors 55 and up
The Disabled
Our Community
Tourists and Visitors
Note: GPS accident
mapping tool usage
(SFCTA_ K-12 schools)

5. Parents/PTA/Community Ask San Francisco for
Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Improvements

6. Three E’s of Safety: Engineering, Education, Enforcement
Engineering: Design Enhancements

7. School Site Improvements
Bold/Yellow School LADDER crosswalks

8. School Zone/Site: New Technology
FYG Signs, Signals/Traffic Control Devices
School/PED
Zone Driver FYG
LED Speed
Feedback Signs
(3M)
Embedded
Strobe pavement
lights
Crosswalks and
School Zones

9. New Technologies:
Communicate and Educate 24/7
Countdown
OLD PED
Signal

10. :
Educational and Safety PSA Programs

11. Enforcement: Active/Passive
SF School Adult Parking-Traffic SFPD-Traffic Unit
Crossing Guards Control Officers

12. Pedestrian & School Site Audits
Purpose of Pedestrian and
School “Safe Routes” Audits
Generate concern about school and
community pedestrian safety and
walkability issues
Channel concern into commitment
Structure commitment into a
realistic plan action
Recognition that “safety” impacts
our health, our environment, and
local business
To improve “Our Quality of Life”
Help transform problem awareness
into a commitment to solutions…

13. PTA Traffic and Pedestrian Safety
Survey Results – SFUSD K-12 Sites
99% Unsafe school site traffic conditions, double parking or loading zone
92% Cannot pull safely outside of traffic flow to unload/pick-up children.
94% Loading Zones need to be reconfigured for drop-offs and pick-ups
75% No agreement and compliance by parents for safe drop-offs and pick-ups.
75% Crosswalk non-existent or lacking crossing signs or yellow markings
79% Children and adults frequently crossing outside of marked crosswalks
49% Adult crossing guards needed due to traffic volume, speed, or congestion
75% No regular site personnel monitoring parent drop-offs and pick-ups
98% New (FYG) signs for school awareness, speed control, school crossing
92% Signs missing, damaged or requiring repair
98% Bus loading curb paint, bus lane lines, or “SLOW SCHOOL XING” marking
75% Lack of adequate stop signs/signal timing at school intersection crossings
94% Need police or DPT to patrol, monitor and enforce site traffic safety
72% No School Site Traffic Safety Program: School Parents/PTA interest in a
PTA Traffic Safety Workshop, Safe Routes To and From School/Transit Plan

14. “Safe Routes To School” community
Audits/Workshops should include:
Cross section of Community PTA,
School Officials, Government
Agencies, Elected Officials,
Business.
Accessible Community meeting
room
Slide Presentations of examples of
“good and bad” pedestrian design
Discussion of the community’s
vision for reducing “Barriers to
Pedestrian Safety and Walkability”
A 60-90 minute area walking tour
Regroup to discuss & develop
through consensus an Action Plan
Organize Priorities and Funding
PARENTS
Sources for starting community and
local officials implementation
process

15. Form A Safe Routes To School Team
Organizing A School Site Safety Committee:
Team/Committee members:
Principal or Assistant Principal
PTA/PTSA Members: 3-4
(Parents, Teachers, Students)
School Health/Counselor Staff
School Transport Director/Staff
Neighborhood Organization
Local Traffic Engineer/TAC
Police /Traffic Safety
School Crossing Guard ES/MS
Bike/PED CAC member
County/Local Public Transit Staff

16. Mapping and Observing
School Site Safety Committee: Tasks
Prepare The Base Maps
1.) School Neighborhood Map
– School District + School Site Location
– Roads, Paths/Sidewalks, Transit Systems
– “Walk-Zone” & “Transit Stops”
– Residential-After School Sites/Parks
2.) School Site Map
– Loading Zones – Bus/Auto
– Drop-off and Pick-up Areas
– Student Entrance/Exits
– Major Intersections, Road configurations
– Traffic Signs, Signals, Crossings, School
Signs

17. School Site Traffic Pattern:
Analysis Diagram and Parent Drop-off Plan

18. Safe Routes Site Plan
Presidio Middle School SF

19. School Traffic and Pedestrian Safety
Improvement Resolution – CA PTA
Resolved 1: Creation of School Safety Committees
Resolved 2: Work with local agencies and school communities to
increase traffic and pedestrian safety for children, improving safe
routes to and from schools
Resolved 3: Urges state and local policy makers to implement
systematic and uniform improvements in traffic signs, pavement
markings and control devices, with the latest technology – and
educational and enforcement programs
Resolved 4: Policy makers in partnership with schools and
community organizations to create a safer environment for all
Resolved 5: Advocate for increasing traffic fines (Double Fine
Zone) in locally designated problematic school zones

20. Three levels for intervention:
POLICY
Influence policy, PROJECT
legislative law, CONCEPT SITE SPECIFIC
local ordnances, Interject safety Retrofit existing
funding priorities, issues into current problem areas
methodology, project planning, with new design
guidelines pedestrian plan, & technology
(MUTCD) infrastructure
design and TOD’s

21. Vital Impact Areas for Implementing Sustainable Improvement
State, Regional MPO, Citywide, Business and Street/School
Cities, Neighborhoods Transit Corridors Site/Intersection
POLICY PLANNING DESIGN
Influence policies, Interject safety and Eliminate problems
practices, plans, design solutions into with new design
programs and current or future solutions and ITS
funding processes project plans technologies

22. Project Benefits: Safer Communities
Workshops, School/Community Audits, Building Active Partnerships
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23. Be Aware, Be Safe, Be Active, Walk & Bike---or Skate