Jefferson Elementary School by East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA)

ool

Jefferson Middle School Dubuque, Iowa u te s to S S afe

Jefferson Middle School

School Location: 1105 Althauser Ave Dubuque, IA 52001

Present Conditions Number of students: 616 Bus Service: • Public Transit – No route near school • School District Bus Service

Student Surveys

Student surveys were administered to 6-8 graders, at Jefferson Middle School, during the month of November in 2008. During class, students were asked to fill out the survey form about their transportation to school. The survey asked students about the safety of their route to school and what they viewed as impediments to walking or biking to school. Additionally, students who walk or bike to school were asked to draw their route to school on school area maps (see page 4).

Travel Mode to School 419 students responded to the survey, and this constitutes 68.01% of the student body. Students responding to the survey travel to school by school bus (37.71%) or by walking (29.83%).

[1]

Travel Time to School 40.81% of students responding to the survey stated that they spend less than 10 minutes traveling to school.

Travel Distance to School Only 19.10% of students responding to the survey travel less than 1/2 mile to school, while 31.50% travel 2 miles or more to attend school.

Incentives/Programs The top parent suggestions for increasing walking and biking were: 1. iPod 2. Money 3. Reward or gift The streets cited most often by parents as being unsafe included: 1. Merz St 2. Thomas Place 3. Althauser St 4. Stafford St

[2]

Environmental Factors Impacting Walking/Biking The most common changes that would encourage more students to walk or bike to school included available adults, a decrease in violence, and the convenience of driving. The major issues brought up by students were crime and violence, icy or snowcovered sidewalks, lack of sidewalks and unsafe intersections near the school.

[3]

Mapping Student Routes and Crash Data Those students who walked or biked to school were asked to draw their routes on a provided map. These routes were compiled into Geographical Information Systems (GIS) format. The more heavily used routes began to overlap and become thicker displaying the primary routes used to access schools. This map also contains 2006 crash data from the Iowa Department of Transportation. TE

EDITH ST

1,000

2,000 Feet EUCLID ST

GROVELAND PL

PAUL ST

ROSALI NE ST

FOYE ST

SCHROEDER ST

NA VE

AV E RG

! DA VE

IEL

! RD ST

CO L LIN

! P ER KER

GA RF

IEL

DA VE

T 2N DS

GA RF

W ST RIVERVIE

STAFFORD ST

MA S

TH O ST HIG H

RO LL CA R

PSTE AD S T

HIL LE

FE ! N !GLER

ST TH

! ! !

RS T

A CED

PLE

E 16

AN N

E 18

NS GTO

IS ELL

! ! !

FA RL EY

K PAC

S TH

!! ! !

ER S

DO CK

UE UQ

E 19

RS T

DUB

HE M

ELM

HODGDON ST

FE N

E PL MA

SHIN WA

TH E 20

ON S

LBY S HE

M AD

D ST GOL

Data Source: Dubuque SRTS Student Surveys, November 2008, Crash Data ON from Iowa DOT, 2006 ALMOND ST ST Map prepared by East Central Intergovernmental Association

TS T

IES

ELM

A IN

CLARK E

Heavily Traveled BS HEE

Crash Location (2006)

B ERG T E R R

!T ST

DE CA TU

JO HN S

LOWELL ST

S LE

2ND!!

â â â â â â Student Bike Route to School !

School Location

L CT

HU MB

! WI ND !! SO ! R ! AVE

IS S NC

S RIA

KLIN GE N

FOYE ST

! !

HAROLD ST

( 9

CHA PPE

ST AF FO

CE IN N TO I NG

E L AV

W VAL E

FRA

S ITE WH

A NTR

RIA S

23R

T DS

ST NT GE RE

SH WA

! !

ANN Student Walking Route to School ! AVE !

Lightly Traveled

H 24 T

NAPIER ST NAPIER ST

[4]

4TH

RR CA

!! KAU FM

ST ER US HA T AL

ST 4TH E2

ST ST

YS WA AD

!W 2

VAL E

EDIS

! !!

KS JAC

R ER

ST MERZ

O BR

T DS

5TH

S ARD EDW

T UT

! REEN

L FIE

D AR PIN

ST G KIN

T NS TO

Y HENR

PLEASANT ST

G EA

ON LT FU

RINGREEN CT

E TT UE

A TR

E NRO

ELM

G HIN

S WA

VENTU R A

GAY

Q MA R

UTNAM ST

RS O TZE

( 9

VIOLA ST

AN N

OM BE

Jefferson School

LN CHT

T HS

EN QUE

T 27

BL U

TON CLIN

SI O

MA RS HA LL

BRE

CE N

AV E

PR ES CO T AS

LINK ST

HA MIL TO N

OM BE

PEO STA

HEDLEY ST

WINDSOR AVE

STRAUSS ST

LAWTHER ST

E RD BU

A PIN

E AV

T T ING SH NS WA SO CK ST JA ITE

ST TH

H WT LA

M EL

9 E2

S CK

R NT

L BA

H 0T

E GO

L GY AR

U BR

T 30

HARLAN ST SHERIDAN RD T

DAVIS

O'NEILL ST

500

LIE

HOGREFE ST

Student Routes to School DAVIS

W ST

BRUNSW I C

ND 32

CE RRA

ELBO

Jefferson Middle School LLA UE

NDSOR AVE

N DA

IS E

U LO

E 16

School Administrator Input Staff met with Jefferson School administrators to discuss problems impacting children who walk or bike to school. During these meetings, both structural and educational solutions were discussed. The following table contains the problems and solutions that were listed by Jefferson administrators.

Problem Lack of visibility on Merz due to parked vehicles

Solution • Limit parking on Merz • Add painted crosswalks

Unsafe intersection: Merz and Windsor

• Relocate Keyline bus stop • Relocate flashing light at intersection • Move mail box on Windsor and Merz • Add painted crosswalks

Unsafe intersection: Merz and Althauser Students cross in front of parked buses

• Add sidewalks on both sides of Merz and Althauser • Add painted crosswalks

Unsafe intersection: Viola and Merz

• Add a stop sign

Motor vehicles - lack of awareness and knowledge of • Continue to inform/educate students and parents of how to deal with bicycles and pedestrians safe routes and appropriate safe behaviors traveling Bicyclists and Pedestrian - lack of awareness and to/from school knowledge of how to navigate traffic

School entrance and Althauser - parents block traffic • Do not allow parents to pick up at this location during arrival and dismissal times •Prohibit parking on Windsor and Merz in front of the school

Unsafe intersection: 22nd St, Thomas Pl and Stafford

• Add painted crosswalks

Unsafe intersection: Viola and Pleasant

• Post school crossing sign

Bus schedule

• Adjust bus schedule to fit school arrival and dismissal times

10 Eagle St icy sidewalks

• Ask homeowners to direct roof drains and storm water into storm sewer (not over sidewalks) • Enforcement of snow removal regulations

[5]

Neighborhood Association Input Staff met with the Point and North End Neighborhood Association members discuss problems impacting children who walk or bike to school. During these meetings, both structural and educational solutions were discussed. The following table contains the problems and solutions that were listed by the Point and Norht End Neighborhood Association members.

Point Neighborhood Association 1

Problem Unsafe intersection: Eagle and Thomas St Traffic congestion and bullying

Solution • Neighborhood crossing guard volunteers (parents, grandparents)

North End Neighborhood Association 2

3 4

5 6

Problem Solution Pedestrians - lack of awareness and knowledge of how • Safe walking education (all ages) to navigate traffic • Safe cycling education (all ages) Bicyclists - lack of awareness and knowledge of how to navigate traffic Dark alleyways and streets • Additional street lighting Motor vehicles - lack of awareness and knowledge of • Driver awareness training how to deal with bicycles and pedestrians • Public awareness campaign for all modes to watch out for the mode that is smaller than they are (ex. trucks watch out for cars and smaller, cars watch out for bikes and smaller, bikes watch out for pedestrians) Unsafe intersection: Merz and Windsor Unsafe intersection: Merz and Althauser

[6]

Jefferson Project List Project lists were developed for each school after holding public meetings and input sessions with school administrators, city planning and engineering staff, and the local police department. The following list outlines projects for Jefferson Middle School.

Jefferson Infrastructure Reference Number JE1 JE2 JE3 JE4 JE5 JE6 JE7 JE8 JE9* JE10*

Intersection Merz/Windsor Merz/Windsor Merz/Althauser Merz/Windsor Merz/Viola 22nd/Stafford Viola/Pleasant Merz/Viola/Althauser/Pl easant Merz Althauser

Projects High visibility painted crosswalk Fully signalized intersection High visibility painted crosswalk Flashing school crossing lights at arrival and dismissal Stop sign High visibility painted crosswalk School crossing sign Additional street lighting Limit parking (hourly, alternate day, etc) Prohibit parking

Policy No Reference Number Intersection (if applicable) Merz Merz/Windsor Merz/Windsor

Merz Althauser Althauser Eagle

Projects Limit parking (hourly, alternate day, etc) Move Keyline bus stop Move USPS mailbox Inform/educate students (bicycling and walking) and parents (driving motor vehicles) of safe routes and appropriate safe behaviors traveling to/from school Prohibit parking Prohibit parking Prohibit student pickup Adjust public bus schedule to accommodate arrival and dismissal times Improve drainage to prevent icy walkways

Safety/Enforcement No Reference Number Intersection (if applicable) Projects Eagle Enforcement of existing snow removal regulations * Listed in multiple categories

[7]

Mapping Jefferson Project List Based on the input received during public meetings and input sessions with school administrators, city planning and engineering staff, and the local police department, the following map was created to provide a visual representation of the projects. Each marker on the map corresponds to an issue in the table on page 7.

BUE

Jefferson Middle School

N A VISTA ST

Student Routes to School 0

400 Feet

Student Walking Route to School

100 200

ST Lightly Traveled

Heavily Traveled

WI N D

(

SO R

9 School Location â â â â â â Student Bike Route to School AVE

Data Source: Dubuque SRTS Student Surveys, November 2008 Map prepared by East Central Intergovernmental Association

WI ND R SO

E AV

PR S CE

ELM

OL NA VE LIN C

L MA SP TH O

! ! HU ! ! MB OL DT ! ST! ! ! " " ! STA ! FFO RD & ST &

L ER

ST Street Lighting

Painted Crosswalks Limit Parking AV E

EEN

E2 2N PR DS OV T IDE NC ES T

[8]

SC SRTS Projects HI L

Flashing Crossing Lights FIE LD

AR ELM

! S ! TA F FO

S NT GE

School Crossing Sign GA R

HIG HB

PI N

4T E2

JE6

T HS

LEY

RG AV E

ON E DIS

S ST

LU FF ST

JE4

HS 24T

FAR

E R ST

!! !

ARD EDW

! !

ST JE1JE2 ! ! !

& &

Y HENR

! !

LER

TTE P

JE3

FEN G

JE10

JE9

JE5 ST MERZ

! 9 !

(

! "JE8 ! !

W ST

PLEASANT ST

ZER PFOT

! !

Jefferson JE8 JE8 JE7 School ! ! ! "

ES GL EA

S RIES

STAFFORD ST

R ST

E SUTT

JE8

RIVERVIE

COLUMBIA ST

AN N

LINDBERG TERRACE

IN ST HENNEP

AL T

BRE CH

Signalized Intersection Stop Sign