Re-Envisioning School Streets: Creating More Space for Children and Families
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INFO BRIEF Re-envisioning School Streets: Creating More Space for Children and Families www.pedbikeinfo.org Creedmoor Elementary School in Creedmoor, NC. Source: Walk and Bike to School Day. and better accommodate walkers and bicyclists. Introduction These changes better support physical distancing For decades, communities worldwide and in the requirements in the short term and can help people U.S. have been working to improve road safety establish new travel behaviors that may persist when around schools, especially for children. Children “normal” activities resume. Similar initiatives on have unique safety needs, and there is a growing streets adjacent to schools and within school sites acknowledgement of and receptiveness to the idea can prioritize space for children and families to walk, that safety for kids should be the top priority when bike and play, and challenge long-held assumptions planning and designing streets around schools. about school travel patterns and mode choice. Limiting or prohibiting motor vehicles on a street adjacent to a school creates an opportunity for This information brief is for transportation walking and biking to be a safe, convenient option professionals, school administrators, and school for school travel and makes space for children and volunteers as they consider street changes families to socialize and play. around schools to create more space for children The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted typical and families. It includes examples of street travel behaviors and provided an opportunity for modifications to improve safety and active communities to consider a different way of doing travel access around schools, considerations for things. For example, some cities are implementing determining what changes work best in different “slow street” initiatives and rebalancing public settings and brief case studies from communities space on streets to limit motorized vehicle traffic that have altered their streets. 2 Benefits of school street changes Limiting motor vehicle access around a school offers many potential benefits. Improving safety Improving air quality Prioritizing the safety of walking and bicycling for Air quality around schools is impacted by the children and youth can help make streets safer traffic volume on roads near the school and the for all users because young people are among number of drivers that engage in behaviors such the most vulnerable. A focus on youth can also as stopping/starting and idling during school be the spark that creates community support arrival and dismissal. Air quality can be improved for a broader Vision Zero program to eliminate by reducing the number of motor vehicles on all traffic fatalities.Vision Zero for Youth1 roads near the school. encourages communities and elected officials to focus on safety improvements and efforts to Recreational space slow traffic speeds where children and youth Besides physical benefits, play is a form of frequently travel. learning and can contribute to social and emotional wellness in children. Road closures Encouraging more walking can create extra space for recess and other and bicycling to/from school recreational activities for students during the Changes to streets around schools to create more school day and beyond. space for children and families can make existing walking and bicycling routes safer and more Flexible space comfortable, both supporting students who may Many schools are recognizing a need for flexible have no other travel mode option and - for those and adaptive space for physically distanced tasks who do have a choice - encouraging active travel such as temperature checks and parent drop- to school. Street changes also send a message off that are set back from the front door. While that walking and biking to school is the norm this is a near-term issue, it speaks to a need for and is a valued behavior. flexibility on and near school campuses that is likely to remain important moving forward. 1 http://www.visionzeroforyouth.org 3 difference by reducing potential conflict points Changing streets and simplifying crossings for kids. See the case to prioritize young study on Fair Haven, New Jersey for an example walkers and bicyclists of a time-restricted closure. It is important to consider who will benefit and Full closures prohibit motor vehicle traffic, who could be burdened by changes to streets so the street is entirely pedestrian-oriented. near schools. People of color and people living Deliveries, bus travel, and accessible drop-off in underserved communities have historically and pick-up for students with disabilities occurs been burdened by transportation decisions and elsewhere on the school site. Because there are typically overrepresented in crash data. The are no motor vehicles, a full closure can create physical needs of differently abled students are space for recreational activities and can be also important to consider when planning a street flexible and adaptable so the design and use change. School representatives can support can evolve and change over time. Street art outreach to families to learn about their travel can be used to change the orientation, look, habits and places that are convenient for and feel of a street. See the case study on Chief drop-off and pick-up. Joseph Elementary School in Portland, Oregon Because every school and community is unique, for an example of a full closure. what works for one may not work for another. Shared spaces give pedestrians priority However, there are a variety of options for throughout the entire space, but limited motor changing school streets, including time-restricted vehicle access is still allowed for reasons such closures, full closures, or creating shared space. as enabling accessible drop off for students Changes can be physical or operational. Physical or receiving deliveries. This change requires changes address places where people walk, bike consideration of traffic operations surrounding or drive, like by installing bollards to block motor the school and motor vehicle access for vehicle access to a street in front of a school. Operational changes adjust how and when the residents who live on the street. Shared street is intended to be used, such as allowing space changes may repurpose spaces for play on-street parking at certain times of day but structures to engage students with the space. not others. See the case study on Vestre Skole in Odense, Denmark as an example of a shared space. Time-restricted closures are daily closures of lanes, streets, or driveways to motor vehicles Making changes during specified timeframes, such as during short-term or permanent school drop-off and pick-up times. This type of change requires planning, collaboration, and In addition to how to change the street, communication between stakeholders, communities can determine the level of including local government transportation permanency. Whether it’s a trial of a few days, a agencies. It is important to have established temporary change or a permanent one, each offer protocols, clearcommunication, and designated benefits and drawbacks. Shorter-term changes are roles to implement this change daily, such generally more flexible and adaptable and provide as posting road closure signs and posting greater opportunities for community involvement. volunteers or staff as needed. Small operational Permanent changes generally require more changes such as making a street one-way or coordination with the local government and may closing selected school driveways for some cost more but also create more assurance that the periods during the day can make a significant change will last from one year to the next. 4 Trial Street Characteristics Trial changes typically last a few days, tend to be Street network and street type lower cost and can be a good strategy for testing A grid network around a school makes street an approach and getting community feedback closures easier, as motor vehicle traffic can be without committing to a change. A trial can help routed to adjacent streets. If a school is not located a broad range of stakeholders understand and within a dense street grid with options to redirect visualize a change. If a school or public agency vehicles, a complete street closure will likely not wants to repeat or continue the trial, it is usually work. Neighborhood streets are typically slower easy to do so because of the temporary nature of speed and lower volume (unless impacted by school the physical and/or operational implementation. pick-up and drop-off times). Neighborhood streets See the case study on Keele Street Public School in are easier to change to make school safety-related Toronto, Canada as an example of a trial. improvements. Arterials with higher traffic volumes and speeds may benefit from safety treatments to Temporary change reduce speeds and better accommodate pedestrians Temporary changes can last several months. but are less conducive to closures or shared space. They allow schools or public agencies to evaluate Dead-end streets contribute to vehicle traffic changes in use, behavior, and opinions over a and congestion. When located close to schools, longer period and for more complex changes they can also exacerbate ongoing challenging while still allowing for design adjustments or a roadway conditions related to drop-off and pick- decision to remove the change and return to the up schedules. If motor vehicle traffic can shift to an original traffic pattern. These changes require more adjacent street, the dead-end street can become an advance planning and coordination than a trial. opportunity for a more pedestrian-friendly space. Materials should also be durable to withstand the Existing congestion longer timeframe. Existing traffic congestion around the school Permanent change site, whether it stems from school trips or not, impacts access to the school. Congestion limits Permanent changes are a way to institutionalize the available space for walking and biking, can street improvements and are less susceptible to being make it hard for pedestrians to see when it’s safe changed because of turnover in political or school to cross a street, and can present other safety and leadership.