STAY Walk and Bike Audits Guidebook

SPARE THE AIR YOUTH

WALKING & BICYCLING AUDITS Field observations to identify barriers to students walking and bicycling for the school commute.

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WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

MAY 2015

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INTRODUCTION Spare the Air Youth is a regional program that aims to educate, inspire and empower San Francisco Bay Area youth and their families to walk, bicycle, carpool, and take transit. A partnership between the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, Spare the Air Youth promotes effective ways to reduce transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions by providing a regional resource for students, parents, teachers and program providers.

SPARE THE AIR YOUTH IS PART OF MTC’S CLIMATE INITIATIVES PROGRAM. LEARN MORE AT www.sparetheairyouth.org

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WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

INTRODUCTION

Walking and bicycling audits, also known as travel assessments, identify barriers to students walking or bicycling between home and school. Audits generally include a tour of the “school zone�, which includes the school campus as well as adjacent streets, sidewalks, trails, and crosswalks, within a quarter to half-mile of campus.

An audit that involves the both local community and technical stakeholders creates the opportunity to share different perspectives and exchange information.

During the audit, participants identify

the deficiencies in the transportation

issues related to traffic circulation. This

network, while transportation planners

is often followed by a debriefing and

and engineers learn about facility and

brainstorming session to rank high-priority

operational challenges. Experts can use

concerns and identify potential solutions.

the information collected during the

This process fosters communication between local traffic officials and school stakeholders by bringing them together in the field to gather data and discuss issues. Both groups benefit: community

audit to target areas where changes are needed, identify solutions to improve the walking and bicycling environment, and develop optimal walking and bicycling routes to school.

stakeholders get information to articulate

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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02

PREPARING FOR THE AUDIT

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WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

PREPARING FOR THE AUDIT IDENTIFYING KEY STAKEHOLDERS The most important element of a successful walk and bike audit is strong participation from school stakeholders and from local engineering and enforcement officials.

If a school has a Safe Routes to School or Transportation Coordinator, Task Force or Safety Committee, these individuals are logical participants in the audit, and can recruit additional participants.

The audit leaders should initially invite a targeted list of key stakeholders. If wider participation is desired, the audit leaders may invite the general public via a flier, press release, and/or the school news.

Stakeholders to invite include: • City planners and public works staff School stakeholders include parents, children, school staff, and school district officials, while technical stakeholders include public works or traffic department staff, local engineers or planners, and law enforcement officials.

• School administration and principals • Police officers • Bicycle/pedestrian advocates • Crossing guards and volunteers • Parents • Students, particularly middle and high school students • Neighbors

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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PREPARING FOR THE AUDIT SETTING UP THE AUDIT

BACKGROUND SURVEYS

EXISTING CONDITIONS MAPS

Audits should be scheduled during

Before the audit, background information

Maps enable audit participants to note

the morning arrival and/or afternoon

on student behaviors and parent opinions

specific locations of their comments and to

release periods to evaluate activities and

on the school commute should be

identify problem areas for detailed study

conditions during times of peak school

collected. Parent surveys and student

during the audit.

travel demand.

hand tallies are standard methods for

Generally, transportation engineers and planners with expertise in pedestrian and

collecting such data, which are critical for evaluating program impacts.

The map can be as simple as a printed GoogleMaps or from another Internet map provider. The map should include an aerial

bicycle issues lead the audit. Community

Parent surveys typically focus on school

with labeled streets and the school site

stakeholders help gather information and

commute distance and perceived problem

indicated. The area should show a quarter-

share their experience traveling to the

areas. Student hand tallies can provide

to half-mile radius around the school. One

school each day.

accurate information on student walking

map should be plotted at a large scale.

and bicycling frequency to and from

Smaller individual maps can be given to

Materials to bring to the audit

school. See the Spare the Air Youth

participants to take notes on during the

may include:

Evaluating School Commute Programs

observation.

• Large-scale aerial map of the school area (22” x 34” or larger) • Smaller maps for each audit team member • Sign-in sheet for follow-up • Checklists of information to gather (see next page) • Clipboards and pens • Camera • Water and other refreshments • Reflective vests • Interpreters as needed 6

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

Guidebook for more information.

If available, other information to show on

Interview the school’s Safe Routes to

the map could include rivers or creeks,

School task force and other key personnel

reported crash locations involving bicyclists

about where students live, what key routes

and pedestrians, motor vehicle volumes,

students take, and what policies the school

intersection controls, crosswalks, crossing

has on walking, bicycling, and busing.

guard locations, and school attendance boundaries.

PREPARING FOR THE AUDIT SAMPLE WALK AUDIT GUIDES • A Resident's Guide For Creating Safe and

A typical morning audit schedule

Walkalble Communities by the Federal

might include the following activities:

Highway Administration

• 40 mins before first bell: Gather

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center's Walkability/Bikeability checklists • Circulate San Diego's Walkability Checklist • Federal Highway Administration's Audit Resource Page • Walk Score

stakeholders, introductions and plan for observation • 20 mins before first bell: Observe student drop-off • At first bell: gather in front of the school, walk around campus to look at key issues together

Parents identifying potential issue areas and audit route.

• 30 mins after first bell: reconvene to mark-up maps, discuss potential programmatic activities, etc.

• 60-90 mins after first bell: wrap-up discussion, identify next steps

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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03

CONDUCTING THE AUDIT

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WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

CONDUCTING THE AUDIT PRE-AUDIT BRIEFING

DURING THE OBSERVATION

Participants should gather at about

School stakeholders should highlight

40 minutes prior to first or last bell so

observed behaviors and challenges during

the audit leader can provide materials,

the audit. Technical stakeholders take

discuss the agenda, and review previously

notes, photos, and videos of the issues,

identified issues.

and note potential solutions. Inventorying

Direct participants to focus on existing barriers and challenges to walking and bicycling. Note issues related to driving in the context of how they affect walking School stakeholders should highlight barriers and challenges, while technical stakeholders should note potential solutions.

bicycle and pedestrian facilities, such as curb ramps and crosswalks, is usually better done via aerials or GoogleMaps before or after the audit.

and bicycling, e.g. drivers fail to yield

Participants should consider facilities

to pedestrians, parked cars block the

from a child’s perspective. For example,

crosswalk.

younger children may have difficulty with

If there are multiple locations to cover and/or a high number of participants, divide the group into separate teams for the observation. A bicycling-only audit should be conducted on bicycles, and participants should pause to note conditions and user behaviors.

the following: • Seeing and evaluating traffic conditions, due to their height • Processing information, because of limited peripheral vision and visual acuity • Correctly perceiving the direction and sound of traffic • Understanding the use of traffic control devices and crosswalks

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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CONDUCTING THE AUDIT INFRASTRUCTURE CONDITIONS

STREET CROSSING CONDITIONS

School area observations of general

Street crossings are important focus areas

infrastructure conditions should include:

for audits. Interviews with crossing guards

Observations of student and parent

can identify ongoing or critical issues at

behavior, should include:

• Sidewalks – continuity, width, surface condition, cross-slopes and driveways, separation from the travel lane, and obstacles (utility/light poles, signs, and vegetation) • School area signs and pavement markings – presence, placement, and condition • Paths – formal or informal, surface material • Bike lanes – continuity, width, presence of on-street parking, speed and volume of traffic, pavement condition • Bicycle parking – presence, location, visibility, degree of security, and utilization • Drop-off / pick-up areas – designated areas, curb paint, and signs • Visibility - pedestrian lighting, line of sight obstacles (parked cars, vegetation, signs and poles) • Personal safety – areas with abandoned buildings, unleashed dogs, and known (or suspected) crime or gang activity

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WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

crossing locations. Information to collect at street crossings should include: • Traffic signals – pedestrian signals, pushbutton location and reach distance, signing, countdown feature, accessible pedestrian signal feature, and sufficient crossing time • Marked crosswalks – condition, type, signs, visibility, and whether ramp is contained within crosswalk markings • Curb ramps – presence at corners, ADAcompliant design (tactile domes, ramp and flare slope, level landing area)

TRAFFIC CIRCULATION AND BEHAVIOR

• Walking – crossing locations, jaywalking, sidewalk crowding, and duration of peak activity • Bicycling – on-street and sidewalk riding, wrong-way riding, helmet use • General traffic – speeding, heavy turning movements, yielding to pedestrians and bicyclists, blocking the intersection • Vehicular drop-off / pick-up – vehicular progression, student exiting and entering behavior, illegal and double parking, illegal movements, and duration of peak activity

• Crossing guards – presence, condition of crossing guard equipment, and level of training

SAMPLE WALK FORMS AND STRATEGIES • Tips for Creating Walking and Bicycling Route Maps • Safe Routes to School Online Guide • Engineering Tip Sheets: Assessing Walking and Bicycling Routes

CONDUCTING THE AUDIT POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS After the field audit, technical leaders should work with local authorities to identify potential short-term and longer-term solutions. Solutions should include noninfrastructure (education, encouragement, and enforcement) strategies in addition to engineering projects.

Non-infrastructure examples include the deployment of walking school buses, walking buddies, police or community enforcement, and student education on proper walking and bicycling behavior.

Infrastructure improvements should be clearly noted on a map to indicate their specific location. A “toolbox� of improvements may be included in the audit report to illustrate the improvements.

A list of action items or an Action Plan can be developed with timeframes and task leaders, which should be reported back to audit participants and other stakeholders.

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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04

NEXT STEPS

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WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

NEXT STEPS IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Some low-cost improvements, such as

MARTIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDIT

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Potential Safe Routes to School Improvements

signs, pavement markings, and ADA improvements may be able to be funded

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School Street and Maple Avenue

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10A Use Safety Patrol to encourage pedestrians to cross at Olive Street..

The City can put together a package of

10C Upgrade crosswalk across Maple Avenue to yellow high-visibility type.

School Street near Maple Avenue

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11A Replace the metal vault cover on the sidewalk with non-slip vault cover.

Consider managing drop off by instructing vehicles to pull forward and use Safety Patrol to assist students entering and exiting vehicles.

11B Discourage students from entering through the driveway.

10B Consider conducting a stop warrant.

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and implemented in the short-term. improvements from multiple schools to have sufficient work for a contractor to

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Funding for longer-term infrastructure

14 Consider installing speed-feedback signs on eastbound Spruce Avenue.

15

School Street and Olive Avenue

15A Use an adult crossing guard to meter pedestrian traffic across School Street during peak periods. With the instruction of a crossing guard, Safety Patrol monitors may meter pedestrian traffic.

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enforcement and education programs

15B Upgrade crosswalks to yellow high-visibility type.

Maple Ave

may be available through the California Active Transportation Program (ATP),

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managed by the California Department of

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Transportation (Caltrans).

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projects and encouragement,

School Street from Hillside Boulevard to Olive Avenue Consider reconstructing both sides of the street to provide raised sidewalks, curbs, and gutters. Consider widening the north sidewalk to provide clear passage around the utility poles.

A

15C Consider studying drainage issues.

I

15D Consider constructing a raised intersection.

Spruce Avenue and Hemlock Avenue

16A Remove vegetation in median to create better sight lines.

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16B Replace the obsolete Assembly D signs on Spruce Avenue.

F

16C Consider installing crosswalks and curb ramps at Spruce Avenue and Hemlock Avenue.

A

MARTIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDIT

FOCUS AREA 2

#

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X For samples of specific recommendations, see Toolbox on page 9.

LOCATION

Table 1 – Improvements Summary cont.

RECOMMENDATION

LEAD AGENCY

TIMEFRAME Near

Medium

PRIORITY Long

11A

School Street near Maple Avenue

Replace the metal vault cover on the north sidewalk with a non-slip vault cover.

City

x

High

11B

School Street near Maple Avenue

Discourage students from entering through the driveway.

School

x

High

12

School Street at main entrance

Consider managing drop off by instructing vehicles to pull forward and use Safety Patrol to assist students entering and exiting vehicles.

School

x

High

13

School Street / Hillside Boulevard - Olive Avenue

Consider reconstructing both sides of the street to provide raised sidewalks, curbs, and gutters.

Consider widening the north sidewalk to provide clear passage around the utility poles.

City

14

Spruce Avenue

Consider installing speed feedback signs on eastbound Spruce Avenue.

City

15A

School Street / Olive Avenue

Use an adult crossing guard to meter pedestrian traffic across School Street during peak periods.

With the instruction of a crossing guard, Safety Patrol monitors may meter pedestrian traffic.

City

x

Very High

15B

School Street / Olive Avenue

Upgrade both crosswalks to yellow high-visibility type.

City

x

Medium

x

x

Improvement developed from walk audits help communities prepareCityto apply x 15C Schoolplans Street / Olive Avenue Consider studying drainage issues.

School Street / Olive Avenue Consider constructing a raised intersection.

City for grant15Cfunding and to get projects onto local funding priority lists.

16A

Spruce Avenue / Hemlock Avenue

Remove or trim the vegetation in the median to create better sight lines.

City

x

16B

Spruce Avenue / Hemlock Avenue

Replace the obsolete Assembly D signs on Spruce Avenue

City

x

16C

Spruce Avenue / Hemlock Avenue

Consider striping crosswalks at Spruce Avenue and Hemlock Avenue.

Option 1: Install curb ramps and crosswalk on west leg of Spruce. Install curb extension at northwest corner.

Option 2: Install curb ramps and crosswalk on east leg. Reconstruct median to accommodate pedestrian refuge.

City

Low

Low

Low x

Low High High

x

Medium

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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NEXT STEPS TOOLS FOR WALK AUDIT NEXT STEPS • Institute of Transportation Engineers Brief on School Area Traffic Control • Institute of Transportation Engineers Brief on Traffic Calming near Schools • Institute of Transportation Engineers Brief on Strategies to Improve Traffic Operations and Safety • California Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (CA-MUTCD) Chapter 7. Traffic Control for School Areas.

The audit team should work together after the audit to identify and prioritize potential solutions.

WALKING AND BICYCLING AUDITS

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THIS GUIDEBOOK WAS PRODUCED FOR THE SPARE THE AIR YOUTH PROGRAM, A PARTNERSHIP OF THE BAY AREA AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (BAAQMD) AND THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION (MTC).

LEARN MORE AT WWW.SPARETHEAIRYOUTH.ORG.​

SPARE THE AIR YOUTH PROGRAM TEAM:

PRODUCED BY:

Yvonna Cazares, BAAQMD Kristina Chu, BAAQMD Leslie Lara-Enriquez, MTC Ursula Vogler, MTC

Alta Planning + Design Brett Hondorp Hannah Day-Kapell Cat Cheng Parisi Transportation Consulting David Parisi