Prescott Elementary School by East Central Intergovernmental Association (ECIA)

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Prescott Elementary School Dubuque, Iowa u te s to S S afe

Prescott Elementary School

School Location: 1151 White Street Dubuque, Iowa 52001-5070

Present Conditions Number of students: 265 Bus Service: • Public Transit – Keyline Transit Gray, Green, Red, and Orange Lines • School District Bus Service

Parent Surveys

Student surveys were administered to parents of children attending grades K-5 at Prescott Elementary School, during the month of November in 2008. Parents were asked to fill out the survey form about their child’s transportation to school. The survey asked parents about the safety of their child’s route to school and what they viewed as impediments to walking or biking to school. Additionally, parents of 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 54 parents of students at Prescott Elementary School responded to the survey, and this constitutes 20.38% of the student body. Parents responding to the survey stated that their child travels to school most often by family vehicle (50%), followed by walking (40.74%.)

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Travel Time to School 77.77% of parents responding to the survey stated that their child spends less than 10 minutes traveling to school.

Travel Distance to School 38.89% of parents responding to the survey stated that their child travels less than 1/2 mile to school.

Grade Level Allowed to Walk/Bike to School Parents responding to the survey viewed 4th grade as an appropriate, allowable age for a child to walk or bike to school. 6%, stated that they would never allow their child to walk or bike to school.

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Environmental Factors Impacting Walking/Biking The most common changes that would encourage more students to walk or bike to school included availability of crossing guards, additional sidewalks, and safety. The major issues brought up by parents were unsafe street intersections and traffic.

Incentives/Programs The top parent suggestions for increasing their childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s/childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s walking and biking were: 1. Safety education 2. After School Programs The streets cited most often by parents as being unsafe included: 1. Intersection at Bluff St and 12th St 2. 17th St 3. Central Ave 4. Intersection at White St and 11th St 5. Iowa St

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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. !

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

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School Administrator Input Staff met with Prescott 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 Prescott administrators.

Problem Lack of bike racks

Solution • Add bike racks near bus stops

Prescott security – there is AM PM youth violence • Increase foot and bike patrols and have guards at outside of school arrival and dismissal

Staff parking process

• Provide numbered parking for staff

Education and Incentives

• Emphasize the importance of bike helmets and crosswalks • Provide bike education and incentives • Give points to walkers or bikers as incentives • Create special projects • Organize a “bike rodeo”

School entrance - families jaywalking

• Provide education for parents and families

Unsafe Intersection: 14th St and White

• Add countdown stoplight and painted crosswalk

Unsafe Intersection: 13th St and White

• Add a stop light

Unsafe Intersection: 13th St and Jackson

• Add a painted crosswalk

Unsafe Intersection: Central and 13th

• Add stop light

10 Multicultural Center entrance – crossing to get • Add a paintedcrosswalk to the Multicultural Center becomes problem for • Direct students toward a crosswalk pedestrians • Educate students on how to cross the street • Multi Cultural Family Center crossing guards

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Neighborhood Association Input Staff met with the Downtown and Washington 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 Downtown and Washington Neighborhood Association members. Problem 1 Unsafe Locust and W 13th intersection 2 Visibility of pedestrian traffic in alleys 3 W Locust • Very narrow • Uneven sidewalks 4 Sidewalk obstruction on Bluff between 9th and 11th 5 12th and Main snow and ice buildup at curb areas 6 Jackson Park (16th and Iowa St and 16th and Main) 7 17th and Locust lacks visibility 8 11th and Bluff intersection 9 11th and Locust intersection 10 13th and Iowa intersection 11 13th and Central 12 17th, Madison and Main St intersection

Solution • Create awareness for pedestrians and cars • Limit parking on both sides • Improve sidewalk conditions • Grant park extension to 16th St • Clear out obstruction • Enforcement of snow clearing policies • Addition of children playing sign • Add street lighting • Add painted crosswalks • Add painted crosswalks • Add painted crosswalks • Add painted crosswalks • Add a 4 way stop

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

Washington Neighborhood Association Problem Solution 13 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 to/from school Bicyclists and Pedestrian - lack of awareness and knowledge of how to navigate traffic 14 Safety •Neighborhood safety team to monitor and reinforce • No cell phones around schools while driving 15 White St, Jackson St. and 12th St - no space for bikers • Add painted bike lanes on sidewalks

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Prescott 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 Prescott Elementary School.

Prescott Infrastructure Reference Number PR1 PR2 PR3 PR4 PR5 PR6 PR7 PR8* PR9 PR10 PR11 PR12 PR13 PR14 PR15 PR16 PR17 PR18 PR19

Intersection/Roadway Prescott Campus 14th/White 14th/White 13th/White 13th/Jackson 13th/Central 13th/Locust W Locust W Locust 16th/Iowa 16th/Main 17th/Locust 11th/Bluff 11th/Locust 13th/Iowa 13th/Central White Jackson 12th

Policy No Reference Number Intersection (if applicable)

Safety/Enforcement No Reference Number Intersection (if applicable) W Locust 12th/Main

Projects Bike racks High visibility painted crosswalks Fully signalized intersection Fully signalized intersection High visibility painted crosswalks Fully signalized intersection Flashing school crossing lights at arrival and dismissal Limit parking Extend Grant Park to 16th St. Children playing sign Children playing sign Additional street lighting High visibility painted crosswalks High visibility painted crosswalks High visibility painted crosswalks High visibility painted crosswalks Bike lane or sharrows Bike lane or sharrows Bike lane or sharrows Projects Inform/educate students (bicycling and walking) and parents (driving motor vehicles) of safe routes and appropriate safe behaviors traveling to/from school Reconfigure staff parking area (numbered parking) Inform/educate students (bicycling and walking) and parents (driving motor vehicles) of safe routes and Implement a frequent biker/walker or mileage club to provide incentives for walking and biking to school Organize a bike rodeo Projects Increase foot and bike patrols at arrival and dismissal Limit parking Enforcement of existing snow removal regulations

* Listed in multiple categories

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Mapping Prescott 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.

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