Southeast Washington School Walk Route Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Highland Elementary School Fast Facts Travel Mode: 65% of the student body is estimated to walk or bike to school Student Population: 350 City of Clarkston Population: 7,229 (2010 US Census) entrance is served by high visibility crosswalks, complete sidewalks, and school warning signs. Bike parking is located below the parking lot toward the Boys & Girls Club fence. Plans The student handbook directs students to cross the street at locations manned with crossing guards and states where these are located. The Safety Walking Map provided in the student handbook shows all the streets near the school, but does not designate safe walking routes. Highland Elementary does not have an existing Safe Routes to School Plan. Intersections and Crossing Guard Locations Intersections near the school have high visibility crosswalks and school warning signs. A crossing guard is located at 15th Street and Highland at 8:00-8:30am and 3:00-3:30pm each day and at the crosswalk at Highland School and Highland Avenue each day when school is out. School Route Conditions Most routes to school are characterized by a complete sidewalk network, high visibility crosswalks, and accompanying school route warning signs. Gaps in the sidewalk network do exist on Libby Street, 14th Street, and Francis Street. Existing Conditions Siting Highland Elementary School is located on a large block between Libby street and Highland Avenue (east and west) and 14th Street and 15th Street (north and south). The main entrance to the elementary school is on Highland Avenue. An off- street surface parking lot adjacent to the school serves as a student unloading/loading zone for parents driving their children to school. The Appendix: School Site Evaluations and Recommendations page 70 Location of the school within the larger city context Southeast Washington School Walk Route Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Southeast Washington School Walk Route Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Engineering Recommendations Crossings Highland ES is proximate to a number of major roadways: 15th Street, Highland Avenue, and Fleshman Avenue. For this reason, facilitating safe crossings for students is very important. Recommended crossing improvement projects are listed below: • At the intersection of Highland Avenue and 15th Street/Hwy 128 there are existing high visibility crosswalks that could be enhanced with a pedestrian hybrid beacon or rectangular rapid flash beacons. Though staffed with crossing guards during peak school hours, this treatment would significantly improve visibility at a high speed/volume unsignalized intersection during off-peak hours and during the summer. • At the intersections of Libby Street and 15th Street/Hwy 128 and Chestnut Street and 15th Street/Hwy 128 there are existing high visibility crosswalks that could be enhanced with a pedestrian hybrid beacon or rectangular rapid flash beacons. This treatment would significantly improve visibility at a high speed/volume unsignalized intersection that is used by students on their route to school. • Libby Street, north of the school, is a main east/west connector in the area. As such, it should be equipped with high visibility crosswalks at several intersections that students are likely using to cross the street. Van Arsdol Street and Washington Street are two intersections that would benefit from the addition of marked crossings. Sidewalks Many streets on student walk and bike routes do not have complete sidewalks on either one, or both, sides. Recommended sidewalk infill projects include: • Chestnut Street from 16th Street to Washington Street • Birch Street (entire length) • Libby Street from 16th Street to 13th Street • Washington Street from Chestnut Street to southern terminus Bikeways There are no existing bike lanes, trails, or other bike-supportive facilities on the approach to Highland ES. To improve access to the school for bicyclists, the following recommendations are provided: • Install bike lanes on 15th Street/Hwy 128 and Highland Avenue Some of the lower traffic volume/speed streets could also be optimized for bicycle travel. This may be accomplished using low impact/low cost bikeway solutions, such as wayfinding, bicycle shared lane markings (SLMs), and traffic calming as required. Streets that have been optimized for pedestrian and bicycle travel in this way are often referred to as “neighborhood greenways” or “family-friendly routes.” Streets near Highland ES that have been identified for these types of low impact treatments include: • Washington Street between Chestnut Street and the southern terminus • Birch Street between Hwy 128 and Francis Avenue There are also opportunities to connect to the school, from the neighborhoods on the north end, via shared use paths. The end of the cul-de-sac on Washington Street, and the cul-de-sac on Van Arsdol both have the potential to have a trail punched through to the roadway, and linking to the school. 72 Highland Elementary School U V 128 13Th 16Th Libby Chestnut Highland 15Th 14Th 16Th Birch Boston Dustan 2Nd Francis Libby Mccarroll Pound Van Arsdol Highland 18Th Sycamore Valleyview 17Th 12Th Webster Washington 20Th Chestnut Benjamin Foster Fleshman Locust Belmont Ridgeview Street Acorn Sycamore 14Th Sycamore Chestnut 14Th Francis Benjamin Fleshman WSDOT, GIS and Roadway Data Office, Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, i- cubed, USDA, USGS, AEX, Getmapping, Aerogrid, IGN, IGP, swisstopo, and the GIS User Community Highland Elementary School Engineering Recommendations 0 1,000 500 Feet F Southeast Washington Walking Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Date: June 2013 LEGEND Half-mile distance Proposed Facilities Crossing Guard Location Æ ý High visibility crossing 8 9 : L M N O Ped actuated signal Å Æ Ç School sign Í Î School zone beacon 1 2 3 | Speed sign Recommended Facilities Proposed Sidewalk Proposed Bike Lane Proposed Shared Lane Markings Proposed, Shared Use Path, å Schools Æ c Library Active Rail Line Southeast Washington School Walk Route Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Southeast Washington School Walk Route Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Non-Infrastructure Recommendations Highland Elementary does not currently offer any walking and biking specific programs or edu- cation. Details about individual education and encouragement programs are found in Chapter Two. To further increase safe student walking and biking activity, the following are recommend- ed as possible next steps: • Walk/Bike to School Day/Week/Month (annually) • Back-to-School Blitz • Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Education Course and/or Curriculum Procedural Recommendations The Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 392-151 mandates the preparation of “suggested route plans” and the distribution of a recommended school route to all elementary students. The code also provides the details of organizing and training safety patrols. The suggested route plan for Asotin is shown at right. This plan is recommended based on considerations of traffic patterns existing traffic controls, and other crossing protection aids such as school patrols. These route plans limit the number of school crossings so that students move through the crossings in groups, allowing only one entrance-exit from each block to and from school. To further increase the use of the suggested route plans, the following are recommended as next steps for the school: • Distribute the suggested route plans to all students with instructions that it be taken home and discussed with parents • Consider locations along the suggested routes where school safety patrols would be beneficial • Form a Safety Advisory Committee consisting of school administration, law enforcement, traffic engineering professionals, and the school-parent association. • Consider using Student Transportation Allocation funding as matching funds for the construction of recommended engineering improvements 74 å å å å Heights Elementary Lincoln Middle School Grantham Elementary School Highland Elementary School £ ¤ 12 U V 128 U V 129 U V 129 13Th Libby 16Th Chestnut Highland 15Th Fleshman Elm 8Th 7Th 9Th 5Th 10Th 11Th 14Th 12Th 4Th Maple Fair Poplar 2Nd 18Th 20Th 3Rd 16Th Valleyview 22Nd Sycamore 19Th Birch 17Th Walk Boston Dustan Diagonal 21St Vineland Francis Ash Libby Mccarroll 128 Burns Frost Van Arsdol Hillyard Reservoir Pound Hillcrest Peaslee 23Rd Highline Highland Allen Billups Lambert Powe Jackson Webster Washington 13Th Golfview Cemetery Morrison 6Th Fleshman Chestnut Benjamin Ridgeview Foster University Riverside Marvin Crestview Holly Walnut Florence Ben Johnson Charnita Stafford Steele Rankin Hill Bursell Belmont Grandview Schaefer Ashley Monroe 15Th Locust Walden Shelly Westwood Coulter Fredrickson Shaun Andreasen Bridger Solar Hills College Park Schweiter Neal Westward Ho Laurel Evergreen Street Parkview Setlow Suncrest Acorn Lynn Lisa Willow Sycamore 16Th Walk 14Th Hillcrest Valleyview Lambert Ashley Benjamin 14Th 20Th 17Th 20Th 23Rd 12Th Fleshman Schaefer 16Th Sycamore Chestnut 19Th Francis 20Th Stafford Coulter WSDOT, GIS and Roadway Data Office Highland Elementary School Walk Route Map 0 2,000 1,000 Feet F Southeast Washington Walking Study Data Collection and Analysis Project Date: May 2013 LEGEND å Schools Crossing Guard Location Æ ý High visibility crossing Æ ý Marked crossing 8 9 : L M N O Ped actuated signal Å Æ Ç School sign Í Î School zone beacon 1 2 3 | Speed sign ! Ô Shared Use Path U Bus stop Æ c Library Existing School Route 1-mile Buffer Rail Lines of Washingtion State å U V 128 Libby Highland 14Th Francis Libby Dustan Highland Locust Fleshman Washington Van Arsdol F o s t e r 14Th 1/4 mile distance from school