Opening of Proposal - INDOT School Zone Flashing Beacon Assemblies - VS Engineering

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..... CiTY OF SOUTH BEND School Zone Flashing Beacons at 39 Schools S Improvements (Des. 180 Safety Impro 1240) Mark's experience on pedestrian safety projects allows him to be proactive in addressing key design features and coordination requirements to avoid conflicts in the field during construction. This was evident on the two Safe Routes to Schools projects he completed for the City of South Bend (Perley Fine Arts Academy and Lincoln Elementary School). In addition to following the INDOT project development process, key areas of consideration for school zone speed limit flashers is design and specification of critical system components, coordination with school officials to determine the placement of the signs as well as programming of the flasher schedule. The lights are generally activated for two hours around the opening and closing of school, which will allow motorist to drive through school zones at normal speeds for most of the day. They will be tailored to individual schools to account for different starting and ending times. They will also be programmed for holidays, spring and fall breaks and summer vacation. Education and training of personnel in each school for remote programming of the modems will be required during the construction phase to minimize calls to the City for errant flasher schedules. The flashers may be established on the roadway that intersects with the school's main entrances/exits, or on intersecting roadways in the immediate vicinity of the school, if it is determined that a "special warning to motorists" is necessary because of the presence of children traveling to or from school on that intersecting road. Per The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), placement of school zone flasher assemblies must be at least 200 feet in advance of the school grounds, a school crossing, or other school - related activities. In addition, the location of the beginning and end of a school speed limit should be based on engineering judgement rather than the exact location of the school property line. Our extensive experience with school zone flashers will guarantee that placement of the flashers will take into consideration individual property characteristics, sight lines and visibility and solar panel effectiveness to maximize the benefit of each installation. Locations of the school zone flasher assemblies may be adjusted from these guidelines where necessary for line of sight issues and to ensure minimal impact to adjacent property owners (placement of flashers near property lines versus directly in front of residences or immediately adjacent to driveways). As such, we are already well aware of some of the challenges faced during flasher installations and will "hit the ground running" immediately upon NTR Our knowledge of these items will ensure that this project is completed as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. PROJECT UNDERSTANDING & APPROACH • 3