Working together, the SRTS team, consisting of members of the City, School District, MnDOT and PartnerSHIP 4 Health were uniquely suited to identify and implement the suggested recommendations in this plan for the city and schools. This plan addresses the five “Es” of education, encouragement, enforcement, engineering and evaluation, which is the standard strategy in SRTS planning. Also addressed are possible issues of equity. Equity needs to be considered as some communities and/or members of the community may have been historicallyunderserved, have greater needs and/or have been more negatively affected by transportation planning decisions of the past. After the SRTS planning document is approved by both the City and School District, the city and/or school may seek out funding and resources to implement the identified recommendations.
SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OBSERVATIONS AND WALKING AUDIT •
Hawley has a dense, contiguous urban/suburban form with an active downtown and industrial centers well-positioned on the southern the edge of the city. The campus that includes Hawley Elementary School and Hawley High School is well-situated within the community. The school campus location was clearly intended to be the focus of the community as a source of civic pride but also to maximize efficiency for the students walking and biking to school. It is also contiguous with several residential neighborhoods. The Walk/Bike Analysis found that all residences within urbanized Hawley are within a mile of the Hawley school campus, with most residences located within a half-mile of the campus.
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It is estimated that over 60 percent of Hawley school students live within the city of Hawley. Due to the city’s walkable size, all students residing in town are prime candidates to walk and/or bike to and from school.
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Circulation at the elementary school seems to work well, especially with the restricted vehicle access directly in front of the school. There are potential conflicts between vehicles and kids walking and biking within the parking lot between the elementary and high schools, considering the proximity of the walking lane through the parking lot. Potential conflicts exist where vehicles cross the walking lane to enter and exit the pickup lane.
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Circulation near the high school was more problematic for kids walking and biking. In the afternoon, higher vehicle speeds, and the large volume of vehicles, along with the numbers of kids walking and biking, made for a less-than-ideal situation.
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HAWLEY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN
