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Study Session.�pW X OF !ps GAZpS DATE: TO: FROM: COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT FEBRUARY 19, 2015 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL GREG LARSON, TOWN MANAGER MEETING DATE: 03/03/15 STUDY SESSION SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM ON LOS GATOS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS EFFORTS INFORMATION: The Town has an active SR2S team formed and acting as an ad -hoc committee. The group has been led by Thomas Cook, who has been an active proponent of SR2S for a number of years as his daughters have attended local schools. Through efforts of Thomas and others working with him, the local SR2S continues to make an impression in the local schools. In addition to the dedicated parents, the Los Gatos Unified School District has been active, with representatives from most of the schools attending meetings and participating in SR2S activities. On the private school side, Hillbrook has also been actively participating. The Santa Clara County Public Health Department provides training and other resources, including regular attendance at the monthly meeting. The Town of Los Gatos has provided support in several areas. The dedicated School Resource Officers (SRO) through the Police Department spends many hours coaching and educating students. Staff from the Parks and Public Works Department actively engages for operational and engineering solutions and improvements. And most recently, a member of the Transportation and Parking Commission has begun attending the monthly SR2S meeting to ensure a synergy between that Commission's efforts and the needs expressed through SR2S. The Palo Alto Model Efforts to improve safety around schools remain a continuous endeavor. A model for success has emerged in Palo Alto, where significant improvements have been made in changing the culture of transportation to schools. The City of Palo Alto has and continues to dedicate significant resources to ensuring the percentage of students using alternative means of transportation increases. The City has undertaken an approach using "Five E's: Education, Engineering, Enforcement, Encouragement, and Evaluation." The Town's efforts in similar categories are outlined below. PREPARED BY: MATT MORLEY Director of Parks and Public Works Reviewed by: X Assistant Town Manager Town Attorney nance PAGE 2 MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM ON LOS GATOS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS EFFORTS FEBRUARY 19, 2015 INFORMATION (cont'd): The Palo Alto Unified School District has taken several meaningful steps as an involved partner in their SR2S efforts. Attachment 1 highlights Traffic Safety Guidelines implemented by the School District and the City in designing schools. This demonstrates the commitment to the partnership on both parts. Attachment 2 further highlights the partnership through a resolution adopted by the School District in support of the SR2S partnership with the City. Palo Alto currently provides two School Resource Officers (SRO) in a joint funding agreement with the School District. Additionally, the City of Palo Alto funds 1.5 full time equivalent (FTE) employees to support the SR2S efforts within the City. Town staff was recently able to review some of the Palo Alto activities on a recent visit and discussion with the Palo Alto Traffic Engineer and have used this information to structure the presentation of information in this report. The Los Gatos Model Through the efforts of the Los Gatos SR2S Committee, there have been similar strides made locally. The Police Department's SRO is a full time liaison to the Schools and a major source of education. Recently the School District and the SRO have partnered to create several educational videos that are played routinely for the Fisher Middle Schools students. Additional efforts include Bike Rodeos, where students are taught safety and the rules of the road (the next Bike Rodeo is scheduled for May 5). The Los Gatos Police Department recently sent five personnel to specialized training to ensure that Bicycle Rodeos continue to have the knowledgebase to continue in Los Gatos. The Town works closely with the School Districts and SR2S on engineering solutions. The biggest success was improvements to Blossom Hill Road near Blossom Hill School and Blossom Hill Park. These improvements made over several years include a state funded SR2S Grant of $450,000 and contributions from the Town's Traffic Mitigation fund of nearly $1.5M. Operationally, Town engineering and the Police Department work closely to ensure the traffic signals in the area work efficiently to provide the greatest safety for walkers and bicyclists. Prospectively, the Town has developed and will be considering later in the evening of March 3Ta a pilot project to install green bike lanes, which will provide further enhancements near schools to increase bicycle safety. Town staff has incorporated input from the SR2S team into this project. An additional $100,000 has been set aside by the Town Council this fiscal year for safety near schools, with the stipulation that the funds be met with a contribution from the schools on a joint project. To date, these funds are un- programed. PAGE MAYOR AND TOWN COUNCIL SUBJECT: MEMORANDUM ON LOS GATOS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS EFFORTS FEBRUARY 19, 2015 INFORMATION (cont'd): The Los Gatos Police Department regularly supports safety efforts around schools through enforcement efforts. This includes enforcement of traffic laws for vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The simple presence of an officer is often enough to change habits and to educate where necessary. The partnership between the Town and the School District is especially important in the area of encouraging safe multi -modal transportation. Many of the schools provide incentives to students on a regular basis, often from donated merchandise from local businesses. And the Town's SRO can often be found out on the streets after school encouraging safe behavior. In fact, the Los Gatos Police department often provides coupons for Slurpee's or pizza in recognition of good bicycle habits and bicycle helmets, provided through various grants, are available to students to ensure their safety. On a regular basis, at both the SR2S meetings and the Transportation and Parking Commission meetings, the Police Department reports the number of traffic incidents that occur between motorists and non - motorists, with an emphasis around schools. Additionally, the schools make regular counts of how many children are riding bicycles to schools. These metrics provide good baseline information for comparative purposes as efforts to increase safety around schools progress. These activities within the Town demonstrate a similar approach to that in Palo Alto. The difference may lay with the intensity of the effort which may be aligned with the dedicated resources and size of the population and respective municipal budgets. The Town funds a full time SRO to support activities around schools, including SR2S. A funding partnership with the Town, the School Districts, and Los Gatos - Saratoga Recreation provides for funding of an additional .5 FTE. The Town does not dedicate other staff to the SR2S program. Safety around Los Gatos schools continues as an important area of focus for the Town. Meaningful partnerships with the school districts remain essential to continued success. Town staff looks forward to the continued success and values the input provided through the joint study session from both the Town Council and the School Boards. Attachments: 1. Palo Alto Unified School District Traffic Safety Guidelines 2. Palo Alto Unified School District Resolution Endorsing the Safe Routes to School National Partnership Consensus Statement This Page Intentionally Left Blank Traffic Safety Guidelines Building for Excellence Program May 4, 1999 INTRODUCTION The Palo Alto Unified School District is committed to providing educational facilities that are functionally efficient, innovative in design, compatible with the local environment, architecturally appropriate, free of safety problems, and economic to construct, operate and maintain. As the planning progresses for the Building for Excellence Program, we continue to identify areas that need refinement and expansion to meet the District's objectives. The following Traffic Safety Guidelines will guide our planning process across the District in partnership with the City of Palo Alto where appropriate and within our available resources. TRAFFIC SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR DESIGN PLANNING Address access, circulation and parking concurrently with other site planning issues as part of original schematic design process: • Develop plans that promote safe bicycle and pedestrian ingress /egress to the school site; • Review design of loading zones, auto circulation and parking to ensure safe drop off and pick up of students; • Provide safe and appropriate access for alternative forms of transportation to encourage and support traffic reduction at the school; • Provide for neighbor and community involvement, including the school's traffic safety committee, in the early planning process of the safety and traffic planning for the renovation of each site; and • Work with the City of Palo Alto Traffic Department to jointly promote traffic safety adjacent to our schools. Design Principles: Minimize the number and severity of conflicts among motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. ATTACHMENT 1 • Design for proper vehicular traffic movements, including right -way bicycle riding. • Provide easy, safe and conflict -free access from the street to the on -site bike racks so as to encourage biking to school. Separate bike storage facilities may be needed for different access points. Specific Considerations: • Strive for designs where students do not have to cross parking lot or driveway entrances and exits and designated loading zones to get to their classrooms or the school office. • Designate separate staff and visitor parking sections wherever possible to create stable areas that minimize or eliminate vehicle movements that would otherwise conflict with pedestrian/bicyclist movements during school commute rime. • Provide for adequate signage and striping so that traffic and people are self - guided. • Locate bike racks with student bicycle safety as the primary consideration and safe keeping as important but secondary. Separate bike storage facilities may be needed for different access points. • Use bicyclist - friendly road bumps, rather than speed bumps, for reducing speed on -site. • Channelize pedestrians and bicyclists only when necessary for safety. • Provide adequate loading zone space for vehicles and buses (PAUSD and private day care). Benefits of combining or separating vehicles and buses should be weighed, as well as on -site vs. on- street loading areas for buses. • Provide adequate exterior lighting at night. Suggestions: • Consider designating preferential parking spaces for carpools. • Consider multiple loading zones for different areas of campus where doing so is practical and would result in increased student safety. TRAFFIC SAFETY GUIDELINES DURING CONSTRUCTION Address safety issues for students and adults during construction including: • Plan student ingress /egress to the campus for walking, biking, or drop off; • Designate access, circulation and parking for staff, buses, parents, and visitors; • Provide limited entrance and parking for construction workers; • Limit hours and access for delivery of materials to periods when students will not be coming or leaving school; • Provide a fenced construction area including materials storage; and • Include safety instructions and expectations in the construction contract. THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK PALO ALTO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT RESOLUTION 2005.06.13 ENDORSING THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP CONSENSUS STATEMENT WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School is a national and international movement to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to school; and WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School programs provide a variety of important benefits to students and their communities, including improved health and fitness, reduced traffic congestion, better air quality, and enhanced neighborhood safety; and WHEREAS, the Palo Alto Unified School District has a longstanding commitment to working with parents and the City of Palo Alto to enhance the safety of students on their way to and from school, and WHEREAS, members of the City /School Liaison Committee have been meeting regularly since April 2004 with members of the local Safe Routes to School Community Task Force with the goal of creating and sustaining "a city /school/community partnership to reduce risk to students and to encourage more families to use atematives to driving more often;" and WHEREAS, a Safe Routes to School National Partnership has been established and the Partnership has agreed upon a Consensus Statement; and WHEREAS, the goals of the Partnership are to support the development and implementation of successful Safe Routes to School programs throughout the United States; and WHEREAS, the Executive Board of the Palo Alto Council of PTAs endorsed the National Safe Routes to School Partnership Consensus Statement on October 6, 2005; and WHEREAS, at their meeting on January 25, 2006, members of the City /School Liaison Committee recommended that the City Council and the School Board endorse this Consensus Statement. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this board does hereby endorse the attached Safe Routes to School National Partnership Consensus Statement as a means to encourage the continued collaboration of City, School District and community partners in their efforts to reduce risk for students and to encourage more families to use alternatives to driving to school more often. PASSED AND ADOPTED BY: the Board of Education of Palo Alto Unified School District this 14th day of February 2006 by the following vote: AYES: Lowell, Townsend, Mitchell, Price, Tom NOES: None ABSENT: None ATTACHMENT I, Mary Frances Callan, Clerk of the Governing Board of the Palo Alto Unified School District of Santa Clara County, California, do hereby certify that the foregoing is a full, true, and correct copy of a resolution adopted by the Board at a meeting thereof held at its regular place of meeting on the date shown above and by the vote above stated, which resolution is on file in the office of said Board. I I Z----A� x--A iI Date: ,x f , 2006 Signed: RESOLUTION NO. 8590 RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALO ALTO ENDORSING THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL NATIONAL PARTNERSHIP CONSENSUS STATEMENT WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School is a national and international movement to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to school; and WHEREAS, Safe Routes to School programs provide a variety of important benefits to students and their communities, including improved health and fitness, reduced traffic congestion, better air quality and enhanced neighborhood safety; and WHEREAS, Policy T -40 of the City's Comprehensive Plan affirms that the city will "Continue to prioritize the safety and comfort of school children in street modification projects that affect school travel routes;" and WHEREAS, members of the City /School Liaison Committee have been meeting regularly since April 2004 with members of the local Safe Routes to School Community Task Force with the goal of creating and sustaining "a city /school /community partnership to reduce risk to students and to encourage more families to use alternatives to driving more often;" and WHEREAS, a Safe Routes to School National Partnership has been established and the Partnership has agreed upon a Consensus Statement; and WHEREAS, the goals of the Partnership are to support the development and implementation of successful Safe Routes to School programs throughout the United States; and WHEREAS, the Executive Board of the Palo Alto Council of PTAs endorsed the National Safe Routes to School Partnership Consensus Statement on October 12, 2005; and WHEREAS, at their meeting on January 25, 2006, members of the City /School Liaison Committee recommended that the City Council and the School Board endorse this Consensus Statement. 060315 sm 0100430 1 NOW, THEREFORE, the Council of the City of Palo Alto does RESOLVE as follows: SECTION 1. The Council does hereby endorse the attached Safe Routes to School National Partnership Consensus Statement as a means to encourage the continued collaboration of City, School District and community partners in their efforts to reduce risk for students and encourage more families to use alternatives to driving to school more often. SECTION 2. The Council finds that this is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act and, therefore, no environmental impact assessment is necessary. INTRODUCED AND PASSED: February 06, 2006 AYES: BARTON, BEECHAM, CORDELL, DREKMEIER, KISHIMOTO, KLEIN, KLEINBERG, MORTON, MOSSAR NOES: ABSENT: ABSTENTIONS: ATTEST: Ill i City Clerk V APPROVED AS TO FORM: i 4/-Sr. Asst. City Attorney APPROVED: City }Manager Director o Planning & Community Environment Director of administrative Services 060322 sm 0100430 2 Attachment Safe Routes to School National Partnership Consensus Statement We believe it is time for a change. The Problem In the last 30 years we have seen a loss of mobility among our nation's children that has severely impacted their personal health and their ability to explore their neighborhoods, even by walking or biking to school. Consider these facts: • Within the span of a single generation, the number of children walking and bicycling to school has dramatically declined. In 1969, approximately 50% of children walked or biked to school, and 87% of children living within one mile of school did. Today, fewer than 15% of schoolchildren walk or bike to school. (CDC) • There are more than three times as many overweight children today as there were 25 years ago. (CDC, NHANES III) • As much as 20 to 30% of morning rush hour traffic can be parents driving children to schools. (Data from local communities) These problems are all related to the fact that many communities lack basic infrastructure — sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, pathways, and crosswalks —and are no longer designed to encourage or allow children to walk and bicycle safely. Concerns about traffic, crime, and other obstacles keep children strapped in the back seat of cars, which further adds to the traffic on the road and pollution in the air. The Solution Communities around the country are organizing Safe Routes to School programs, which have a common goal to make it safe, convenient, and fun for children to walk and bicycle to and from school like their parents did. While each program is unique, the programs have common objectives to: • Encourage students, families, and school staff to be physically active by walking and bicycling more often. . • Make streets, sidewalks, pathways, trails, and crosswalks safe, convenient, and attractive for walking and bicycling to school. • Ensure that streets around schools have an adequate number of safe places to cross and that there is safe and convenient access into the school building from adjacent sidewalks. • Keep driving speeds slow near schools, on school routes, and at school crossings. • Enforce all traffic laws near schools, on school routes, and in other areas of high pedestrian and bicycle activity. • Locate schools within walking and bicycling distance of as many students as possible. • Reduce the amount of traffic around schools. • Use trails, pathways, and non - motorized corridors as travel routes to schools. • Provide secure bicycle parking at schools. • Teach traffic safety skills routinely in school. Every community is unique, so every Safe Routes to School program must respond differently. Successful programs include some combination or all of the following approaches to improve conditions for safe walking and bicycling: • Encouragement - Using events and activities to promote walking and bicycling. • Education - Teaching children about the broad range of transportation choices, instructing them in important lifelong safety skills, and launching driver safety campaigns. • Engineering - Creating operational and physical improvements to the infrastructure surrounding schools, reducing speeds, and establishing safer crosswalks and pathways. • Enforcement - Partnering with local law enforcement to ensure drivers obey traffic laws, and initiating community enforcement such as crossing guard programs. • Evaluation - Monitoring and researching outcomes and trends through the collection of data. The Partnership The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is comprised of multiple constituencies at the local, state, and national levels. It includes: • Parents • Students • Educators Government officials • Business leaders • Community groups • Advocates for bicycling and walking • Law enforcement officers • Transportation, urban planning, engineering, and health professionals • Health, conservation, and safety advocates The Safe Routes to School National Partnership works to support the development and implementation of programs by: • Setting goals for successful implementation. • Sharing information with all interested parties. • Working to secure funding resources for Safe Routes to Schools programs. • Providing policy input to implementing agencies. • Providing training and resource materials to assist communities in starting a Safe Routes to School program. • Illustrating the cost effectiveness of Safe Routes to School programs. • Providing a unified voice for Safe Routes to School. Through forming the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, we call on you to join us in giving children back the sense of freedom and responsibility that comes from walking or bicycling to and from school. Together, we can again provide children with the opportunity to know their neighborhoods enjoy fresh air and arrive at school alert, refreshed and ready to start the day. As partners in the Safe Routes to Schools National Partnership, we are transforming children's lives and their communities.