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6 SJCA | City of South Bend | Safe Routes to School | DES 1900447 <br />Another relationship to consider is the school’s location <br />relative to its students’ homes. A child’s route to school <br />should have a minimal number of busy street crossings. <br />Existing sidewalks and ramps will be evaluated for <br />ADA compliance. Location of new sidewalks or the <br />reconstruction of street crossings shall be identified early <br />and advanced through the various stages required to <br />complete them. <br />ENGINEERING TREATMENTS ARE <br />MATCHED TO THE TYPE OF PROBLEM. <br />• Identify and regulate the school zone. <br />• Provide and maintain bicycle and pedestrian facilities <br />along the school route including sidewalks, on-street <br />bicycle facilities, paths, curb ramps, and accessible <br />pedestrian signals. <br />• Provide safe street crossings for bicyclists and <br />pedestrians. <br />• Slow down traffic with signs, pavement markings, and <br />calming methods in specific areas. <br />UNDERSTANDING THE SCHOOL <br />ENVIRONMENT <br />There are generally three zones around the school that <br />you need to think about when doing a Safe Routes to <br />School project: the school zone, the school walk zone, and <br />the school enrollment boundary. The school zone starts <br />at the front door and encompasses the school campus. <br />The school walk zone includes as many blocks as possible <br />that surround the school and have a high concentration of <br />school-generated traffic. The school boundary includes <br />all other students that will arrive by bus or parent drop off. <br />SCHOOL ENROLLMENT BOUNDARY <br />The school enrollment boundary is the entire zone around <br />the school from which students are drawn. <br />The school walk zone is typically a subset of the <br />enrollment zone. School walk zones as a rule of thumb <br />are that the walking boundary is 1/2 mile or 1-mile out <br />from an elementary school. Rarely is the walk zone an <br />exact circle. Some students will live too far away from the <br />school to reasonably be expected to walk, and they are <br />typically provided with bus service. Walk zones defined by <br />policy typically indicate the area within which students are <br />NOT provided with bus service. Determining walk zones, <br />whether policy-based or through the general rule-of- <br />thumb, can help focus the efforts in identifying problems <br />and solutions. <br />The school zone is the roadway (or roadways) immediately <br />adjacent to the school usually extending one to two blocks <br />in each direction. Speed limits are often reduced in the <br />school zone during morning and afternoon hours. Special <br />signing is used - crossing signs, speed signs, school zone <br />pavement markings so that motorists know to treat the <br />area with special care and attention. <br />EXISTING CONDITIONS MAP <br />Before identifying engineering problems and solutions, <br />SJCA will develop an “existing conditions map” that <br />identifies where existing sidewalks and pathways are <br />located, where crossing guards are located, and where <br />crosswalks and traffic signals are located. A simple walk <br />audit of areas in the walk zone to begin to document <br />existing conditions and identify major concerns. <br />SCHOOL TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN <br />If the schools have an existing comprehensive traffic <br />control plan it will benefit the Safe Routes to School <br />program. Comprehensive traffic control plans lay out <br />proposed signing and pavement marking measures and <br />will consider key streets surrounding the school. These <br />school traffic control plans can also be used during annual <br />school checks of signs and markings. <br />PROJECT APPROACH