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SJCA | City of South Bend | Safe Routes to School | DES 1900447 5 <br />SJCA is providing communities with innovative solutions with pedestrian <br />safety at the forefront of each design. <br />PROJECT APPROACH <br />INFRASTRUCTURE WITHIN THE SCHOOL ZONE AND <br />BEYOND IS A PREREQUISITE FOR WALKING AND <br />BICYCLING. <br />The physical environment often determines whether many children walk or <br />bicycle to school. To safely walk or bicycle to school along a street or separate <br />path, or to cross a street along the way, children need well-designed, well-built, <br />well-maintained, and accessible facilities. <br />SJCA will address infrastructure needs at schools as well as along a child’s <br />route to school. Children walk and bicycle to school from locations outside the <br />immediate school zone and often from beyond the school’s designated walk zone. <br />ACCESSIBILITY REQUIRED <br />Another important aspect is to enable children with disabilities to walk to <br />school. Guidelines for making school sites and routes to school accessible for <br />children with disabilities can be found in the Americans with Disabilities Act <br />Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility <br />Guidelines (PROWAG). The term “pedestrian” should be understood to include <br />students with disabilities. <br />The relationship of school buildings to sidewalks and street crossings can <br />determine the level of comfort and safety a pedestrian or bicyclist experiences. <br />All elements are interconnected: the street is connected to the sidewalk and <br />the sidewalk is connected to the building. Getting this relationship right is <br />critical. One important point is: do not put motor vehicles between sidewalks <br />and schools. Such obstructions add a conflict point to a child’s walking route. <br />Safe Routes to School (SRTS) <br />is an approach that promotes <br />walking and bicycling to school <br />through accessible routes with <br />improvements such as sidewalks <br />and ramp improvements, <br />enforcement, and safety tools <br />including pavement markings and <br />signs., provide incentives, and <br />encourage walking and bicycling <br />to school. SRTS initiatives <br />improve safety and levels of <br />physical activity for students. <br />Barriers to walking to school, <br />include traffic congestion of <br />school buses and parent drop <br />off intermixed with student <br />pedestrian traffic. SRTS should <br />encourage children and their <br />families to shift habits to a less <br />car-focused commute.