Morris Area Safe Routes to School Plan

Safe Routes to School A plan to make walking and biking to school a safe, fun activity.

Morris, MN | June 2021 Morris Area Elementary School Morris Area High School St. Mary’s Catholic School

Acknowledgements The following key people/entities participated in the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan efforts for this Safe Routes to School Plan. Their creativity, energy, and commitment were critical to the success of this effort.

Chris Watkins, Sustainability Project Coordinator

Jeff Kuhn, City Engineer

City of Morris SRTS Team Co-chair

City of Morris / Widseth

Darcy Winkelman, Physical Education Teacher

Stevens County

Morris Area Schools SRTS Team Co-chair

Amy Mondloch, Community Project Administrator

Todd Larson, County Engineer

Center for Small Towns

Chris Atkinson, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Shane Monson, Elementary School Principal

University of Minnesota Morris

Morris Area Schools

Jane Butzer, Program Coordinator

Deanne Recker, Director

MnDOT District 4

Morris Area Transportation

Autumn Carlson, Program Coordinator Tony Reimers, Director

Conexiones

Morris Community Education

Troy Ferguson, Superintendent

Mary Safgren, Planning Director

Morris Area Schools

MnDOT District 4

Tanya Fisher, Principal

Reggie Welle, Chief

St. Mary’s Catholic School

Morris Police Department

Blaine Hill, City Manager

Rebecca Young, County Coordinator

City of Morris

Stevens County

Maggie Johnson, Health Educator

West Central Initiative Staff Team:

Horizon Public Health / Horizon SHIP

Wayne Hurley, Director of Transportation Planning Mallory Jarvi, Minnesota GreenCorps Member Jill Amundson, Innovation Strategist

Bill Kehoe, High School Principal

Morris Area Schools

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Contents Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................................... 2 Introduction + Context........................................................................................................................................... 5 Introduction to Safe Routes to School ............................................................................................................... 7 The Six E’s ....................................................................................................................................................... 7 Navigating this Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 8 The Vision ........................................................................................................................................................... 9 SMART Goals ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 Community and School Profiles ....................................................................................................................... 10 City of Morris ................................................................................................................................................ 10 Morris public schools .................................................................................................................................... 10 St. Mary’s catholic school ............................................................................................................................. 10 Demographics and EquitY ............................................................................................................................. 10 Programs .............................................................................................................................................................. 11 Existing Programs ............................................................................................................................................. 12 Program Recommendations............................................................................................................................. 12 Table 1. Recommended Programs List ......................................................................................................... 13 Program Descriptions ................................................................................................................................... 14 Infrastructure ....................................................................................................................................................... 16 Existing Infrastructure .................................................................................................................................. 17 Infrastructure REcommendations – Morris area schools campus ................................................................ 22 Infrastructure REcommendations – st. mary’s school .................................................................................. 23 Table 2. Infrastructure Recommendation List .............................................................................................. 24 Examples of potential Infrastructure improvements ................................................................................... 26 How to Get Involved ............................................................................................................................................ 33 Using this Plan .................................................................................................................................................. 34 Who are You? ............................................................................................................................................... 34 Appendices .......................................................................................................................................................... 37 APPENDIX A: Caregiver SURVEY RESULTS ..................................................................................................... 38 APPENDIX B: STUDENT TRAVEL TALLY RESULTS ........................................................................................... 56 APPENDIX C: DATA COLLECTION INTRUMENTS ............................................................................................ 66 APPENDIX D: MORRIS AREA SMART GOALS ................................................................................................. 71 APPENDIX E: MORRIS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL TEAM MEETING NOTES ................................................... 72 APPENDIX F: PUBLIC HEALTH LAW CENTER, SRTS POLICY AMENDMENTS ................................................... 76 APPENDIX G: MINNESOTA SRTS MODEL POLICIES TIP SHEET ...................................................................... 83 APPENDIX H: MORRIS CITY ORDINANCES ..................................................................................................... 88 APPENDIX I: MORRIS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT # TRANSPORTATION POLICY ............................................... 92

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APPENDIX J: CRASH DATA ............................................................................................................................. 99 APPENDIX K: MAPS ..................................................................................................................................... 102

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Introduction + Context 5

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Introduction to Safe Routes to School THE SIX E’S Safe Routes to School programs use a variety of strategies to make it easy, fun, and safe for children to walk and bike to school. These strategies are often called the “Six E’s”.

Equity Equity is an overarching concept that applies to all the Es. Equity in SRTS means that the SRTS program is inclusive, celebrates the diversity of students, allocates resources to overcome inequities, and supports a community where walking and biking is safe, comfortable, and convenient for every student.

Education

Enforcement

Programs designed to teach children about traffic safety, bicycle and pedestrian skills, and traffic decision-making.

Law enforcement strategies aimed at improving driver behavior near schools and ensuring safe roads for all users.

Encouragement

Evaluation

Programs that make it fun for kids to walk and bike, including incentive programs, regular events, or classroom activities.

Strategies to help understand program effectiveness, identify improvements, and ensure program sustainability.

Engineering

Engagement – a 7th “E”

Physical projects that are built to improve walking and bicycling conditions.

All Safe Routes to School initiatives should begin by listening to students, families, teachers, and school leaders and working with existing community organizations, and build intentional, ongoing engagement opportunities into the program structure.

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NAVIGATING THIS PLAN Below is a roadmap for navigating the way through this plan. Use it to find all the information you need for helping students be safer and more active!

Programs

How to get involved

Getting kids to walk and bike to school requires fun and engaging programs for schools and families. Turn to this section for recommended events, activities, and strategies that will get students moving.

The more people involved with a local Safe Routes to School process, the more successful it will be!

Use this section to find out how you can be a part of this important initiative.

Appendices Infrastructure Ensuring the safety of students on their trips to and from school means upgrading the streets. See this section for suggestions to improve the safety, comfort and convenience of walking and biking, including paint, signage, and signals.

There is more information available than could fit in this plan. For additional resources, turn to this section

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The Vision

SMART Goals

The City of Morris, along with the Morris Area School District and St. Mary’s Catholic School, seek to become a community where it is safe and convenient for all children to walk and bicycle to and from school, where our children can travel, explore, and play in their community safely under their own power, and where they learn life-long habits of incorporating physical activity into their daily lives. We will seek to achieve this vision through safety awareness, education, encouragement, and self-evaluation, all while building the infrastructure needed to make walking and bicycling safer and more convenient for all.

This plan will offer recommendations for programs and infrastructure that are consistent with the concept of SMART Goals, which provide a framework for an effective and sustainable SRTS plan. SMART Goals for this plan will be: Specific: the recommendations will communicate what needs to be accomplished and by whom.

Measurable: the outcomes from the recommendations will be quantifiable.

Attainable: the recommendations will be ambitious but reasonable.

Relevant: the recommendations will be responsive to the needs of the school and community.

The vision and goals for the community were developed with guidance from community stakeholders that met four times throughout the planning process. The meeting notes can be found in Appendix E.

Timely: the recommendations will have a specific timeline.

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Community and School Profiles CITY OF MORRIS The City of Morris is located in east-central Stevens County, at the intersection of US Highway 59, State Highway 9, and State Highway 28.

travel. The schools could also address dismissal policies for students that walk or bike to school by staggering when students vacate campus for safer traveling conditions.

As of 2018 the top industries in Morris are education services/health care/social assistance (36.5%), manufacturing (12.3%), and arts/entertainment/recreation/accomadation/ food services (11.1%). The average communter in Morris travels 10.2 minutes to work, with 76% driving alone.

The Morris public schools do not currently participate in walking or biking events or programs; there was a bike rodeo held in 2014, and Conexiones held a bike safety event in 2019.

There is not currently a district plan for evaluating Safe Routes to School. Both of these are areas where the school could improve the district involvement in such programs.

The median household income of Morris is $48,875, with 50% of household incomes under $50,000, 26% between $50,000 and $100,000, 18% between $100,000 and $200,000, and 6% over $200,000.

Strengths that the public schools have is that there is a separate location where parents and school buses drop off students, the speed limits within the school zone are all lower than 30 mph, and there are few to no obstacles blocking the sidewalks adjacent within the school zone.

In 2018 the population of Morris was 5,352. There were 2,058 households with an average of 2.4 people per household. The racial make-up of the city was 89% White, 2% Black or African American, 1% American Indian or Alskan Native, 3% Asian, 2% of two or more races, and 4% Hispanic or Latino ethnicity.

ST. MARY’S CATHOLIC SCHOOL St. Mary’s Catholic School is private Pre-K through sixth grade elementary school in Morris. It is located at 311 Colorado Avenue in Morris, MN. In total 97 students attend St. Mary’s.

The city of Morris has several ordinaces that affect walking and biking within the city. An abridged list of these ordinances can be found in Appendix G.

12% of St. Mary’s students are eligible for free and reduced lunches. 38% of students live within one mile of the school, while 36% live in a hazard bus area, primarly across the State and US Highways around Morris.

MORRIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS Morris Independent School District ISD #2769 – home of the Tigers – is located at 201 South Columbia Avenue in Morris, MN. In total 1,083 students attend Morris Elementary and Morris High School on a combined campus.

DEMOGRAPHICS AND EQUITY

28% of Morris Area Schools students are eligible for free and reduced lunches. 40% of students live within one mile of the school, while 10% live in a hazard bus area, primarly across State Highway 9 and the railroad tracks.

Equity means that resources are allocated appropriately to between individuals and groups based on their needs. This involves specific strategies for each school and communities. This is important because children from lower-income families are twice as likely to walk to school compared to higher-income students.

Morris Elementary and High School both have opportuites to improve their wellness policy by addressing the importance of walking and biking to and from school safely. This can also be addressed in the district transportation program and how Safe Routes to School fits into student

African American neighborhoods are 38 times more likely to have low quality sidewalks.

Children from low-income families are 159% more likely to be deprived of recess. By investing in Safe Routes to School communities can become more equitable for everyone.

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Programs The Safe Routes to School movement acknowledges that infrastructure changes are a necessary but insufficient condition for shifting school travel behavior. Programs are a necessary component of any successful SRTS plan.

While engineering improvements such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and bikeways are important, equally important are education programs to give children and families basic safety skills, encouragement programs to highlight walking and bicycling to school as fun and normal, enforcement against unsafe and illegal motorist behavior, and evaluation of the impact of investments and non-infrastructure efforts. Often,

programs that help to get more kids walking and biking lead to increased public support for infrastructure projects - they can be an important first step towards building out the physical elements that make walking and biking safer and more comfortable. And relative to certain infrastructure projects, most programs are very low cost.

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Existing Programs

Program Recommendations

Since the community of Morris is relatively new to Safe Routes to School, there have been limited programs to date. A bike rodeo was held in 2020 by the Morris Police Department, after a hiatus of approximately five years.

The Safe Routes to School team and West Central Initiative staff have developed several program recommendations. These recommendations are based on observations at the school sites in Morris, information gathered from student travel tallies and parent surveys, and via a Wikimap that was used to gather input.

A list of these recommendations can be found below. In the table on the next page, each recommended program shows the “E” it falls under, plus suggested lead, support, and priority.

Recommended Programs List: • • • • • • •

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Bus Drop and Walk/Park and Walk Bicycle Rodeo Walking School Bus Walk and Bike to School Days Family Biking Class Walk! Bike! Fun! Classroom Curriculum Crossing Guards

TABLE 1. RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS LIST PROGRAM

WHICH “E”?

PROGRAM LEADER

PROGRAM SUPPORT

PRIORITY

Bus Drop and Walk/Park and Walk

Encouragement

School staff

District, parents

Short term (1-2 years)

Bicycle Rodeo

Education

District, local advocates

Short term (1-2 years)

Walking School Bus

Encouragement

Parents, Local law enforcement, Local bicycle group Parents, PTA

Short term (1-2 years)

Walk and Bike to School Days

Encouragement

Parents, students, local advocacy group

Teachers, local government, administrators, local advocates Teachers, local government, local advocates, PTA, volunteers

Bike Fleet

Equity

Teachers, Bicycling advocates, Administrators

PTO, parents, local advocates, local government

Short term (1-2 years)

Family Biking Class

Education

Parents, Bicycling advocates

Teachers, PTA, School district, local advocates

Medium term (2-4 years)

Walk! Bike!

Fun!

Education

Teachers, Administrators

School district, PTA, parents, local advocates

Medium term (2-4 years)

Crossing Guards

Enforcement

School district, local law enforcement

Teachers, PTA, parents, local government, local advocates

Medium term (24 years)

Short term (1-2 years)

Ongoing evaluation Evaluation is an important tool that helps determine if the goals defined by the community are being met and identifies if there is a need for adjustments to the program. Evaluation does this by receiving information from parents and teachers in the community regarding how often kids travel to school. By having access to this data, evaluation provides many benefits to the community. Some of the key benefits are that the underlying problem is identified, and then the proper strategies can be used. Setting reasonable expectations is also important because it gives the program a starting point. From that starting point changes can be made throughout the course of development to continue improving the program. Then at the end of the implementation evaluation can help determine funding sources, inform the media, and reach out to the public to support SRTS. Another important benefit is that it can affect future funding at the local, state, and national level for SRTS programs across the country.

There are two great tools to evaluate all the SRTS work in your community: • Parent Surveys: Recommended to be done once every 2-3 years. A hard copy survey or link to the survey can be sent to parents which asks their perceptions of walking and biking to school.

• Student Travel Tally: Recommended to be done fall and spring of every year. These in-class tallies ask students how they travel to and from school.

• More information on both the parent survey and the student travel tally can be found at http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org/evaluation/

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PROGRAM DESCRIPTIONS Bus Drop and Walk This program is designed to give those who ride the bus or commute with a parent a chance to get physical exercise before school. School administration should choose a location a quarter to half mile away from school where drop off from buses and parent vehicles can occur on a single day. Not all students are able to walk or bike the whole distance to school; they may live too far away, or their route may include hazardous traffic situations. This program allows students who are unable to walk or bike to school a chance to participate in Safe Routes to School programs.

Additional Resources: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnsaferoutes/training/bus-stop-and-walk/index.html

Bicycle Rodeo This program is designed to educate children of all levels of bicycle riding experience on traffic safety, walking, and bicycling. A rodeo should be in organized between spring and fall when the weather is warm, but if the weather is poor, they can be held in a gymnasium. Rodeos should focus on proper biking safety, technique, and proper rode safety. Not all students have been taught proper biking and traffic safety, and this also gives students an opportunity to receive proper training with the support of their community behind them.

Additional Resources: http://www.bikemn.org/storage/documents/rodeo-101-v1.2.0.pdf

Walking School Bus This program is designed to give students who live in close vicinity of the school safe travel by walking with a group of students lead by an adult volunteer. A walking school has a set route in the morning that gives parents a way to know that their child is getting safely to school without driving or having their child take the bus in the morning. A walking school bus should be coordinated with a group of parent volunteers or through a local advocacy group.

Additional Resources: https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/sites/default/files/resource_files/step-by-stepwalking-school-bus-2017.pdf

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Walk and Bike to School Days Walk and Bike to School Day is an international event that attracts millions of participants in over 30 countries in October. Winter Walk to School Day is held every year in February, and give kids an opportunity to experience walking to school in winter weather. In May, Bike to School Day is celebrated nationwide. These events encourages students and their families to try walking or bicycling to school. Parents and other adults accompany students and staging areas can be designated along the route to school where groups can gather and walk or bike together. These events are often heavily promoted through media.

Additional Resources: http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/learn-more/about-the-events/about-walk-to-school-day/ http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnsaferoutes/news-events/bike-to-school-day.html http://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnsaferoutes/news-events/winter-walk-to-school-day.html

Bike Fleet Bike fleets are a set of bicycles purchased for a school or school district for the use of bike-related student events. This gives all students no matter their socio-economic background the opportunity to participate in bike events with their classmates. These events include class field-trips, in-class biking instruction, bicycle rodeos, class bike rides, bike clubs, and integrated SRTS educational events with classroom teachers.

Additional resources: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnsaferoutes/resources/bike_fleets.html

Family Biking Class Family biking classes are great tools for educating and encouraging families to ride bicycles. Education trainings can cover safety checks, skills instruction, basic bike maintenance, how to carry kids by bicycle, cargo bike demonstrations, bike rodeos, and/or guided bike rides.

Additional resources: https://www.bikemn.org/education/courses/short-courses-a-rides

Walk! Bike! Fun! Classroom Curriculum The Minnesota Walk! Bike! Fun! Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum is a modular curriculum designed specifically for Minnesota’s schools and youth education programs, and meets MN Physical Education Standards and Benchmarks. Walk! Bike! Fun! lessons teach school-aged kids about pedestrian and bicycle safety to walk and ride confidently in their community.

Additional resources: https://www.walkbikefun.org/

Crossing Guards Crossing guards are trained adults, paid or volunteer, who are legally empowered to stop traffic to assist students with crossing the street.

Additional Resources: https://www.dot.state.mn.us/mnsaferoutes/training/mncrossing%20guard%20training/index.html

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Infrastructure In addition to program recommendations, changes to the streetscape are essential to making walking and biking to school safer and more comfortable.

West Central Initiaitive’s Safe Routes to School team visited Morris in the Fall of 2020 and Spring of 2021 to conduct walk and bike audits. During the Spring 2021 visits, the SRTS team also conducted arrival and dismissal observations at Morris Elementary School, Morris High School, and St. Mary’s Catholic School. In addition, feedback from parents was gathered through a survey that was sent to all parents.

Public input was also gathered via a WikiMap, which allowed people to make comments and recommendations on a map of the community.

Based on the data gathered, several recommendations have been developed.

Infrastructure recommendations were also provided based on data from past accidents that involved a car and a pedestrian or bicyclist within the city of Morris. This information can be found in Appendix K. 16

EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE

Main entrance to Morris Area Elementary School, showing the crosswalk to the parking lot.

The entrance to the school is very busy during school arrival and dismissal times and can be challenging for students to cross.

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The intersection of Columbia Avenue and South Street is very busy with bus and drop-off traffic and can be challenging for students to cross when walking and biking to and from school.

This area along East 4th Street is very busy with drop-off traffic. Students were observed crossing the street at various mid-block points to reach the school grounds instead of going to the corner to use the crosswalk.

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The paint on this crossing has faded and it is exceptionally wide, making crossing challenging. Vehicle speeds tend to be high for a parking lot, as vehicles are exiting from Columbia Avenue into the parking lot here.

The wide curb radius at the elementary school entrance induces high speeds for vehicles entering the parking lot. The volume of traffic also results in vehicles blocking the sidewalk and backing up into the roadway. The location of the curb cut also makes for a sharp turn for a child on a bicycle who is heading to the bike rack.

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Parallel striped crosswalks are less effective than high-visibility crosswalks (e.g., continental style)

Vehicles parked blocking or protruding onto the sidewalk can be challenging to navigate around – especially for those with physical disabilities or limited mobility.

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Heaving and cracked sidewalks can be challenging to navigate – especially for those with physical disabilities or limited mobility.

While there are not many intersections like this in Morris, the lack of a curb cut at this intersection can make it challenging for those with physical disabilities or limited mobility to navigate.

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INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS – MORRIS AREA SCHOOLS CAMPUS Blue lines indicate existing sidewalks; purple lines indicate recommended sidewalks; purple icons indicate areas for possible crosswalk improvements; purple shaded areas indicated areas to explore for possible connection opportunities.

Detailed information on infrastructure recommendations is available in the table that follows.

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INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS – ST. MARY’S SCHOOL Blue lines indicate existing sidewalks; purple lines indicate recommended sidewalks; purple icons indicate areas for possible crosswalk improvements; purple shaded areas indicate areas to explore for possible connection opportunities.

Detailed information on infrastructure recommendations is available in the table that follows.

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TABLE 2. INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATION LIST #

LOCATION

PROBLEM/ISSUE

POTENTIAL SOLUTION/RECOMMENDATON

ANTICIPATED OUTCOME

LEAD

PRIORITY

A

North end of school property near intersection of Columbia Avenue and South Street

Busy location with bus and drop-off traffic; students walking to and from school must cross several busy driveways with traffic from the school parking lot.

Explore opportunities to provide a “bypass” for students walking and biking to school in the area near the wetland on the north end of the school property.

Improved safety for students walking and biking to school. Students will be able to avoid several busy driveways near the school parking lot.

Morris Area School District City of Morris

High

B

East 4th Street, between Colorado Avenue and California Avenue

Large numbers of kids crossing mid-block; high volume of vehicle traffic (including school drop-off traffic) and parked vehicles.

Install mid-block crosswalk with curb extensions / bumpouts, aligned with the entry sidewalk on the northwest side of St. Mary’s School.

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing East 4th Street.

City of Morris St. Mary’s Catholic School

High

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing Columbia Avenue.

City of Morris Morris Area School District

High

This could be done via a MnDOT SRTS Demonstration Project before committing to a permanent installation.

C

Columbia Avenue between South Street and Green River Road

Lack of safe crossings of Columbia Avenue; high speed and high-volume vehicle traffic.

Explore opportunities for crosswalk improvements along Columbia Avenue, particularly near the driveways for the school parking lots. Improved crosswalks would feature curb extensions / bump-outs to reduce crossing distances.

Nearby driveways should be reconstructed to reduce curb radii to slow vehicle turning speeds.

This could be done via a MnDOT SRTS Demonstration Project before committing to a permanent installation.

D

Morris Elementary School Entrance

Vehicle traffic in parking lot makes it difficult for students walking and biking to access the school.

Create new entrance path to the school across the parking lot, including speed tables at the crosswalks and a bridge across the wetland.

An enticing and safe entrance to the school will improve visibility and safety for students crossing the parking lot into the school entrance.

Morris Area School District City of Morris

Medium

E

Intersections of Green River Road and Eleanor Avenue and Skyview Lane

Lack of safe crossing locations along Green River Road.

Add marked crosswalks at these intersections;

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing Green River Road.

City of Morris

Medium

F

East side of Morris Area Schools campus

Lack of direct access to the school from the neighborhoods south of Green River Road.

Explore opportunities for a shared use path running along the ridge on the east side of the Elementary School and High School, toward the tennis courts on Green River Road.

Improved access to the Morris Area School campus, allowing students to avoid the busy Columbia Avenue corridor.

Morris Area School District

Medium

G

Intersections of Columbia Avenue and: Green River Road; South Street; East 2nd Street; and East 5th Street

High volumes of vehicle traffic on Columbia Avenue; crosswalks are not high visibility.

Install high-visibility (Continental style) crosswalks.

Consider curb extensions / bump-outs to reduce crossing distances.

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing the intersection.

City of Morris

Medium

H

Intersections surrounding St. Mary’s School, including California Ave & East 3rd St / East 4th St and Colorado Ave & East 3rd St / East 4th St

High volumes of drop-off vehicle traffic on East 4th Street; high speed traffic on California Avenue; crosswalks are not high visibility.

Install high-visibility (Continental style) crosswalks.

Consider curb extensions / bump-outs to reduce crossing distances.

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing the intersections near the school.

City of Morris

Medium

I

Morris Area Schools campus and St. Mary’s Catholic School

Bike racks are located far away from school entrances, making them a less attractive option and sometimes difficult to access.

Relocate bike racks to be closer to the school entrance.

Alternately, install additional bike racks near the school entrances. Consult the APBP Bicycle Parking Guidelines for appropriate rack style and placement.

Improved safety for students biking to and from school. Increased security for bikes parked at the racks. More students biking to school.

Morris Area School District St. Mary’s Catholic School

Medium

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#

LOCATION

PROBLEM/ISSUE

POTENTIAL SOLUTION/RECOMMENDATON

ANTICIPATED OUTCOME

LEAD

PRIORITY

J

Columbia Avenue between South Street and Green River Road

Sidewalks near the Morris Area Schools campus are not set back from the street with a boulevard, causing an uncomfortable walking and biking experience for students.

When sidewalks need to be replaced, set them back from the street with a boulevard. Adding street trees will further enhance the experience for students using these sidewalks.

Improved comfort and safety for students walking and biking to school.

City of Morris

Medium

K

Between Columbia Avenue and Ridge Road

No direct route for students to access the school from the neighborhood to the west.

Explore opportunities for a sidewalk or shared use path connection between Ridge Road and Columbia Avenue.

Improved access to the Morris Area School campus.

City of Morris

Low

L

Morris Area High School

Students may need to make minor repairs or adjustments to their bike before riding it home.

Consider installing a bicycle repair station at the High School.

Incentive for students to ride their bike to school; ability for students to make minor repairs or adjustments to their bike, improving safety.

Morris Area School District

Low

M

Citywide

Lack of sidewalks and high-visibility crosswalks on key routes to school.

Add sidewalks on routes to school in accordance with SRTS recommendations map. Convert existing marked crosswalks to high-visibility (Continental style) crosswalks.

Improved safety for kids walking to school.

City of Morris Stevens County MnDOT

Low

N

Citywide

City ordinances and codes, along with school policies should be reviewed to ensure that they work well for students walking and biking.

Review city ordinances and codes related to sidewalks and update, as necessary. Review school policies related to walking and biking and update, as necessary.

Improved conditions for students and others who walk and bike in the community.

City of Morris Morris Area School District St. Mary’s Catholic School

Low

O

Citywide

Some sidewalks lack curb cuts at the intersection.

Add curb cuts to sidewalks that lack them, in accordance with the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).

Improved access for young children and those with physical disabilities or other mobility issues.

City of Morris

Low

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Morris Area School District

EXAMPLES OF POTENTIAL INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS

Curb extensions (sometimes called bump-outs or bulb-outs) can improve safety by shortening crossing distances and improving visibility for both people driving and people walking. Image courtesy NACTO.

A mid-block crosswalk can provide a crossing option in areas with many people crossing the street to destinations that are not near an existing crosswalk. Image courtesy NACTO.

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A pedestrian bridge such as this could provide a more direct, safer crossing to Morris Area Elementary School entrance from areas along Columbia Avenue, across the wetland/rain garden areas. Image courtesy Acrow.

An LED sign like this is an option to improve safety and visibility for students crossing the street at crosswalks. Image courtesy TAPCO.

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High visibility crosswalks such as this “ladder” style crosswalk “are preferable to standard parallel or dashed pavement markings. These are more visible to approaching vehicles and have been shown to improve yielding behavior” according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).

An alternate high-visibility crosswalk such as this color treated crosswalk could be installed near the school, utilizing school colors. This type of crosswalk can improve visibility and enhance student pride. This rendering is of a crosswalk being installed in Brainerd. Image courtesy City of Brainerd.

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A “Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon” (RRFB) is an option to improve safety and visibility for students crossing the street. Image courtesy www.pedbikeimages.org / Lara Justine.

Most sidewalks in Morris are in very good condition. New or rebuilt sidewalks should be a minimum of 5’ wide, and potentially wider closer to the schools. Whenever possible, sidewalks should be set back from the street by boulevards. Consideration for mature trees, as in this photo, may mean sidewalks meander within the right-of-way. The City of Morris does an excellent job of this, and that practice should be continued.

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The City of Morris is in the process of updating curb ramps citywide to be compliant with the Public Right-ofWay Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). PROWAG compliant curb ramps such as those pictured here improve safety for young children, people with disabilities, or mobility issues to navigate the sidewalk network.

A spiral or “helix” bike rack is a good option for bike parking for elementary school students. It provides security and organization, and the fun design encourages students to ride to school. Image courtesy Dero.

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A campus rack like this one is a good option for bike parking at high schools. These racks provide security and organization, and can incorporate school colors. Image courtesy Dero.

Another option for a high school bike rack would be a hoop style rack. These racks can incorporate school logos like the one seen above for the Hawley Owls. Like the campus racks, these racks provide good security and bike storage options. Image courtesy Dero / West Central Initiative.

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A public bicycle repair station like this one provides an opportunity for high school students (plus school staff and faculty) to make minor adjustments and repairs to their bicycle before riding. It can serve as an incentive for students to ride their bike to school. Image courtesy Saris.

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How to Get Involved 33

Using this Plan At the heart of every successful Safe Routes to School comprehensive program is a coordinated effort by parent volunteers, school staff, local agency staff, la w enforcement and community advocates, such as public health.

This plan provides an overview of Safe Routes to School with specific recommendations for a 6 E’s approach to improve the safety and the health and wellness of students. The specific recommendations in this plan are intended to support improvements and programs over the next 5 years. These recommendations include both long- and short-term infrastructure improvements as well as programmatic recommendations.

It should be noted that not all these projects and programs need to be implemented right away to improve the environment for walking and bicycling to school. The recommended projects and programs listed in this plan should be reviewed as part of the overall and ongoing Safe Routes to School strategy. Some projects will require more time, support, and funding than others. It is important to achieve shorter-term successes while laying the groundwork for progress toward some of the larger and more complex projects.

WHO ARE YOU? Successful programs are achieved through the coordinated efforts of parent volunteers, school staff, local agency staff, law enforcement and community advocates, such as public health. Each partner has a key role to play in contributing to a plan’s success. The following paragraphs highlight the unique contributions of key partners in Safe Routes to School.

the plan. They can use this report to better understand where there may be opportunities to participate in programming initiatives and infrastructure improvements. Community members, including seniors or retirees who may have more flexible schedules than parents with school-aged children, may volunteer in established programs or work with school staff or community partners to start new programs recommended in this plan.

I AM A PARENT Parents can use this report to understand the conditions at their children’s school and to become familiar with the ways an SRTS program can work to make walking and bicycling safer.

Concerned parents or city residents have a very important role in the Safe Routes to School process. Parent groups, both formal and informal, have the ability and the responsibility to help implement many of the educational and encouragement programs suggested in this plan.

Parent groups can also be key to ongoing success by helping to fundraise for smaller projects and programs.

I WORK FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT School district staff can use this report to prioritize improvements identified on District property and develop programs that educate and encourage students and parents to seek alternatives to single family commutes to school.

District officials are perhaps the most stable of the stakeholders for a Safe Routes to School program and are in the best position to keep the program active over time. District staff can work with multiple schools, sharing information and bringing efficiencies to programs at each school working on Safe Routes.

I AM A COMMUNITY MEMBER Community residents, even if they do not currently have children enrolled in school, can play an important role in supporting implementation of 34

I AM A SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR

use this report to support Safe Routes to School funding and support opportunities such as:

School administrators have an important role in implementing the recommendations contained within this SRTS plan. For a plan to succeed, the impetus for change and improvement must be supported by the leadership of the school.

• MnDOT Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grants • Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grants • Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP)

School administrators can help with making policy and procedural changes to projects that are within school grounds and by distributing informational materials to parents within school publications.

Please read the SRTS Facts for School Communication in Appendix B

For all infrastructure recommendations, a traffic study and more detailed engineering may be necessary to evaluate project feasibility, and additional public outreach should be conducted before final design and construction. For recommendations within the public right-of-way, the responsible agency will determine how (and if) to incorporate suggestions into local improvement plans and prioritize funding to best meet the needs of each school community.

I AM A TEACHER OR OTHER STAFF MEMBER Other than parents, teachers might interact with students the most. Teachers can include bicycle and pedestrian safety in lesson plans (see Walk!

Bike! Fun!). Sharing books in your classroom that promote walking and biking is a good way to get kids interested at an early age. Teachers can also arrange for field trips within walking distance of school and incorporate informal lessons about safety along the way. In general, being positive and encouraging about walking and biking is a great way to start!

WORK FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT Police department staff can use this report to understand issues related to walking and bicycling to school and to plan for and prioritize enforcement activities that may make it easier and safer for students to walk and bike to school. The Police Department will be instrumental to the success of the enforcement programs and policies recommended in this plan. The Police Department will also have a key role in working with school administrations in providing officers and assistance to some of the proposed education and encouragement programs.

I WORK FOR THE CITY OR COUNTY City and County staff can use this report to identify citywide issues and opportunities related to walking and bicycling and to prioritize infrastructure improvements. City staff can also

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For all infrastructure recommendations, a traffic study and more detailed engineering may be necessary to evaluate project feasibility, and additional public outreach should be conducted before final design and construction. For recommendations within the public right-of-way, the responsible agency will determine how (and if) to incorporate suggestions into local improvement plans and prioritize funding to best meet the needs of each school community.

I WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH Public health staff can use this report to identify specific opportunities to collaborate with schools and local governments to support safety improvements and encourage healthy behaviors in school children and their families.

I AM A TEACHER OR OTHER STAFF MEMBER Other than parents, teachers might interact with students the most. Teachers can include bicycle and pedestrian safety in lesson plans (see Walk!

Bike! Fun!). Sharing books in your classroom that promote walking and biking is a good way to get kids interested at an early age. Teachers can also arrange for field trips within walking distance of school and incorporate informal lessons about safety along the way. In general, being positive and encouraging about walking and biking is a great way to start!

WORK FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT Police department staff can use this report to understand issues related to walking and bicycling to school and to plan for and prioritize enforcement activities that may make it easier and safer for students to walk and bike to school. The Police Department will be instrumental to the success of the enforcement programs and policies recommended in this plan. The Police Department will also have a key role in working with school administrations in providing officers and assistance to some of the proposed education and encouragement programs.

I WORK FOR THE CITY OR COUNTY City and County staff can use this report to identify citywide issues and opportunities related to walking and bicycling and to prioritize infrastructure improvements. City staff can also use this report to support Safe Routes to School funding and support opportunities such as:

I WORK IN PUBLIC HEALTH Public health staff can use this report to identify specific opportunities to collaborate with schools and local governments to support safety improvements and encourage healthy behaviors in school children and their families.

• MnDOT Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grants • Federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) grants • Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP)

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Appendices

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APPENDIX A: CAREGIVER SURVEY RESULTS

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APPENDIX B: STUDENT TRAVEL TALLY RESULTS Student Travel Tally Report: One School in One Data Collection Period School Name: Morris Area Elementary School

Set ID: 31481

School Group: West Central Minnesota / MnDOT D4

Month and Year Collected: May 2021

School Enrollment: 0

Date Report Generated: 06/15/2021

Number of Classrooms Included in Report: 29 This report contains information from your school's classrooms about students' trip to and from school. The data used in this report were collected using the in-class Student Travel Tally questionnaire from the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison

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Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison by Day

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison by Day

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Travel Mode by Weather Conditions

Travel Mode by Weather Condition

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Student Travel Tally Report: One School in One Data Collection Period School Name: Morris Area Secondary School

Set ID: 31507

School Group: West Central Minnesota / MnDOT D4

Month and Year Collected: May 2021

School Enrollment: 0

Date Report Generated: 06/15/2021

Number of Classrooms Included in Report: 23 This report contains information from your school's classrooms about students' trip to and from school. The data used in this report were collected using the in-class Student Travel Tally questionnaire from the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison

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Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison by Day

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison by Day

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Travel Mode by Weather Conditions

Travel Mode by Weather Conditions

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Student Travel Tally Report: One School in One Data Collection Period School Name: St. Mary’s Catholic School

Set ID: 31483

School Group: West Central Minnesota / MnDOT D4

Month and Year Collected: May 2021

School Enrollment: 0

Date Report Generated: 06/15/2021

Number of Classrooms Included in Report: 5 This report contains information from your school's classrooms about students' trip to and from school. The data used in this report were collected using the in-class Student Travel Tally questionnaire from the National Center for Safe Routes to School.

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison

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Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison by Day

Morning and Afternoon Travel Mode Comparison by Day

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Travel Mode by Weather Conditions

Travel Mode by Weather Conditions

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APPENDIX C: DATA COLLECTION INTRUMENTS CAREGIVER SURVEY ABOUT WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION Dear Parent or Caregiver, Your child’s school would like to learn your thoughts about students walking and biking to school during a typical year. If your child’s school is currently in distance-learning because of COVID-19, think about what you would do if they were attending classes in person.

This survey will take about 5 - 10 minutes to complete. We ask that each family complete only one survey per school your children attend. If more than one child attends the same school, please fill out the survey for the child with the next birthday from today's date.

Your responses will be kept confidential and neither your name nor your child’s name will be associated with any results.

School Name: [DROP DOWN MENU] SECTION 2 - ABOUT YOU The following questions ask about the demographics of your child and family. They will help us understand if we are reaching a representative sample of the community. The questions are optional, and your answers will remain anonymous.

What is the grade of your child? [DROP DOWN] What is the gender of your child?

• Male • Female • Other • Prefer not to answer What is the race/ethnicity of your child? (check all that apply)  White  Hispanic or Latino  Black or African American  Native American or American Indian  Asian  Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander  Other  Prefer not to say What is your annual household income?

• Less than $25,000 • $25,000 to $50,000 • $50,000 to $75,000 • $75,000 to $125,000 • $125,000 to $200,000 • More than $200,000 • Prefer not to say Do you speak a language other than English at home?

• Yes • No

What language(s) do you speak at home? (check all that apply)

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                     

Spanish Hmong Cushite (includes Romo, Somali, Sidamo, and other East African languages) German Vietnamese Chinese (includes Cantonese, Mandarin, and other Chinese languages) French (includes Patois and Cajun) Russian Laotian Arabic Amharic Hindi Kru, Ibo, Yoruba Korean Mon-Khmer, Cambodian Tagalog Telegu Norwegian Ojibwa Karen Swahili Other: _____________________________

What is the street intersection nearest your home? [STREET 1 SHORT ANSWER] and [STREET 2 SHORT ANSWER] How far does your child live from school?

• Less than ¼ mile • ¼ mile to ½ mile • ½ mile to 1 mile • 1 to 2 miles • More than 2 miles • Don’t know SECTION 3 - SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL This section asks about school travel habits and attitudes towards walking and biking.

If your child’s school is currently in distance-learning because of COVID-19, think about what you would do if they were attending classes in person.

On most days, how does your child travel to and from school?

Travel arriving to school • Walk • Bike • School bus • Family vehicle (only children in your family) • Carpool (children from other families) • Transit (city bus, subway, etc.)

• Other (skateboard, scooter, inline skates, etc.)

Travel leaving school • Walk • Bike • School bus • Family vehicle (only children in your family) • Carpool (children from other families) • Transit (city bus, subway, etc.)

• Other (skateboard, scooter, inline skates, etc.)

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Has your child asked you permission to walk or bike to/from school in the last year?

• Yes • No At what grade would you allow your child to walk or bike to/from school without an adult? [DROP DOWN] Which of the following issues prevent your child from walking or biking to/from school? (check all that apply)  Distance between home and school  Convenience of driving  Time it takes to walk/bike  Before or after-school activities  Traffic speeds along route  Amount of traffic along route  Adults to walk or bike with  Fear of hate or street harassment based on race, ethnicity, and/or gender identity  Other students to walk or bike with  Sidewalks or pathways  Safety of intersections and crossings  Lack of crossing guards/student patrols  Bullying  Fear of violence or crime  Weather or climate  School policy discourages/prohibits walking/biking  Access to a bike or bike lock  Concerns about COVID-19 transmission What would help your child walk or bike to/from/at school more often? (check all that apply)  A group of students to walk or bike with  A shorter distance to walk or bike  Learning traffic rules and regulations and how to walk/bike safely  Safer intersections/crossings  An adult to walk or bike with  Better/more sidewalks or pathways  Walking/biking field trips  Incentives, games, or rewards for walking/biking  Better snow/ice removal in winter  School policy that encourages walking/biking  More information about walking and biking routes  Less traffic along route  Slower car speeds along route  Bullying, hate, and harassment prevention and bystander intervention training  A school club or after-school program  Crossing guards/student patrols/corner captains  Access to a bike, bike lock, or secure bike parking  Better/more lighting along route  Other: _____________________________ How much does your child’s school encourage walking and biking to/from school?

• Strongly encourages • Encourages • Neutral • Discourages • Strongly discourages How much fun is walking or biking to/from school for your child?

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• • • • •

Very fun Fun Neutral Boring Very boring

How healthy is walking or biking to/from school for your child?

• Very healthy • Healthy • Neutral • Unhealthy • Very unhealthy SECTION 3 - COVID The following questions ask about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected your family’s travel habits and physical activity.

How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected your child’s travel/physical activity habits?

My child walks...

• More often than before • About the same • Less often than before My child bikes...

• More often than before • About the same • Less often than before My child travels by car…

• More often than before • About the same • Less often than before My child travels by school bus/transit…

• More often than before • About the same • Less often than before Which of the following distance learning/social distancing activities have you participated in? (check all that apply)  Walking or biking to get to a destination  Walking or biking for recreation (no destination)  Temporary street closures for walking/biking  Walking/biking distance learning curriculum  Other: _____________________________ SECTION 4 - MAP/COMMENTS To identify specific walking/biking routes, barriers, opportunities, and destinations at your child’s school, visit the interactive project map: [LINK] Please provide any additional comments below: [LARGE COMMENT BOX] The online version of the quiz can be found here in English and Spanish respectively: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/mnsrtscaregiversurvey-en https://es.surveymonkey.com/r/mnsrtscaregiversurvey-es

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STUDENT TRAVEL TALLY SURVEY ABOUT WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL

A high-quality and text readable original version of this document can be found at: http://saferoutesdata.org/downloads/SRTS_Two_Day_Tally.pdf

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APPENDIX D: MORRIS AREA SMART GOALS Education ▪

The City of Morris, Morris Area School District, and St. Mary’s School will host a Bike Rodeo to improve bicycle skills for elementary students in the 2021-2022 school year.

▪ The Morris Area School District will send teachers to Walk Bike Fun training in the 20212022 school year.

▪ The Morris Area School District and St. Mary’s Catholic School will adopt the Walk Bike Fun Curriculum in physical education classes for the 2022-2023 school year.

Engagement ▪

The Morris Area School District and St. Mary’s School will share Safe Routes to School information at Parent / Teacher conferences, with all families, starting in the 2021-22 school year.

▪ The WCA School District will deploy WCI’s Rainbow Friends toolkit during the 2021-2022 school year to gather input into SRTS.

Encouragement ▪

By 2024, the Morris Area School District, St. Mary’s School and City of Morris will partner to organize a Walking School Bus to increase the number of kids who walk to school.

▪ The Morris Area School District will participate in ongoing Walk and Bike School Days in the 2021-2022 school year. This includes fall and winter walk to school day and Bike to School Day in May.

Enforcement ▪

By 2025, the City of Morris and St. Mary’s School will partner to install speed feedback signs near St. Mary’s, to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety for students walking and biking.

▪ The Morris Area School District will develop a School Safety campaign for the 2021-2022 school year that involves putting posters up in school and sending home letters on how to travel safely to school and how vehicles should behave at school to make active transportation safer.

Engineering ▪

The City of Morris will partner with the Morris Area School District to implement crosswalk improvements along Columbia Avenue near the Elementary School and High School by 2026 to improve safety for students walking and biking.

▪ The City of Morris will convert crosswalk markings at intersections near St. Mary’s School to continental style crosswalks by 2022 to improve safety for students walking and biking.

Evaluation ▪

Starting in the fall of 2021, the Morris Area School District and St. Mary’s School will conduct student travel tallies twice annually (fall and spring), to record changes to the number of students walking and biking to school.

▪ Starting in the fall of 2022, WCA School District will conduct parent surveys every 2 years to evaluate and measure progress on SRTS activities.

Equity ▪

By 2023, the Morris Area School District will apply for funding to purchase a bike fleet for the district, ensuring that all students have access to bicycles for on-bike education.

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APPENDIX E: MORRIS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL TEAM MEETING NOTES Morris Meeting 1: 1/11/21 Discussion: Where is there need of work Parking lot near school is a barrier to getting kid sot walk and bike to school Shane: Kids cutting through parking near crossing of Columbia. No crosswalks. Need to address the safety piece.

Blaine: This area used to be a grove of pine trees until hospital put in parking lot.

Shane: I have gotten calls from medical center that kids are cutting through parking lot Diane: Backroad where buses come in between school and college. But no path in winter. Filled with snow.

Tony: I drive up hill and see younger students. Gets nervous because they have to cross 2 entrances in the schools.

Cars in 4 different places flying in and out. Challenging for little kids.

Darcy: Distinct West side and East side of town. No welcoming invitation for kids to get from West side of town.

Wayne: During walk audit, didn’t spend much time on West side of town. Spend more time there navigating what is going on. Morris has a very good sidewalk network that are good shape and on most of streets.

Blaine: Completed length of sidewalk green river park to 7th street. Cali ave to 7th st. Sidewalk around green river park. There are pink markings in sidewalk for cracks. There will be major sidewalk project this year, but it is ongoing. Morris has worked on SRTS grant before. South side Morris below tennis, put in sidewalk along backside of school that links up path at university, that links up other trail system. This would allow students not to walk in the front. Need to change attitudes on whether parents will allow students to ride bikes. Lots of parents driving kids to school.

Discussion: Great place to walk or bike Blaine: Missed boat with MNDOT. Took sidewalk out by Dairy Queen, there is no good sidewalks along main highway. Not putting in highway project. A lot of people and bicycles traveling along the highway. Good opportunity along entire length. This would get people to uptown.

Jeff: South and east of county rd 22 along highway 9.

Todd: Riley edition, NE part of town. There is no good way to get their on highway. That whole neighborhood is isolated. Comes along 7th street across baseball field. This area is landlocked. Parent has to drive kids out of neighborhood.

Reggie: They let kids goes into church parking lot by H28.

Blaine: No consideration for how neighborhood built to allow for walking and biking. Across 28 on other side.

Northside. Newest neighborhoods. Not just bicycles. It is water and sewer. In future link up all infrastructure with neighborhood. Trailor court and houses too.

Reggie: Could SRTS partner with school to create bike path.

Wayne: Possibility. Have talked about people cutting though yards. Could be find 2 homeowners to give up space to create sidewalk/paths for kids. Talk more about it in the future. Great opportunity. Formalized shortcut.

End of discussion

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Wayne: Everyone look over questions and reply. Suggest email chain with everyone’s email. Brainstorm via email.

Action items: work with school (Darcy and Shane) to get it sent out. Schedule SZHA and Walk bike audit in spring.

MNDOT wants location for public viewing of plan. WCI can host on website. Meeting schedule for following meetings via doodle poll.

Get two more meetings before finish contract. Look at March and (mid)May. Morris ends at beginning of June.

Chris: Thanks everyone. Great forum for learning.

Darcy: Excited, great team Wayne: Thanks, stay in touch. Questions?

Shane: Information as needed?

Wayne: Yes, we will give you information as it is needed. Give you homework as needed.

Questions about Hancock planning grant…

Underwood also applied.

Could get trail by Riley edition near Superior St??

Darcy: Parent Survey/Student survey?

Wayne: With student travel tally, in classroom…, wait till April, or late April. Takes only a week. Covid may cause Morris to go back to distance learning. We could do one now to have a winter one and do another one in the spring.

Darcy: Can we do one in the Spring and one early fall?

Wayne: Too late. Need to be done prior to June. But please continue doing them in the fall and spring forever…..

Better idea about the data and impacts of what we are doing. Serious discussion MNDOT D4 for requirements for funding we would require student travel tallies required prior to application. Down the road STT would benefit community to have in place. Not difficult just gotta do it.

Darcy: PE teachers see students every day and we can assist with it.

Wayne: We can do PE or homeroom. Up to you guys to do one now or late or now and later. Parent survey can be done at any time but can be skewed because of winter. Be comfortable finishing before the beginning of May. No later than the end of April.

Darcy: What to do before March?

Wayne: Do the school assessment. Enrollment, FRL.

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Morris Meeting 2: 3/29/21 Attending: Wayne Hurley, Jeff Kuhn, Mallory Jarvi, Rebecca Young, Mary Safgren, Makala Simon, Chris Watkins, Blaine Hill, Autumn, Reggie Welle, Maggie Johnson, Deann, Jane Butzer, Tony Reimers Update on Planning Process: Scope of work: Task 1 and 2 are done. Task 3 is in process. That is mostly observation day and student travel tally.

Action Plan and Plan development are in the process. Plan review will be the last scheduled meeting in May/June.

Complete by the end of June.

Draft Table of Contents: Table of contents is almost finalized, need to add labels for appendices of the data once received. Need to decide SMART goals for Morris and will have a specific meeting for this topic.

School Environment and policy Assessment: Went over Morris and St. Mary’s School environment and policy assessment. This data will be created into a narrative in the SRTS planning guide.

WikiMap: WikiMap rough draft is done, waiting for final comments and changes to publish the map. The map works by adding a point or a line to the map were barriers or improvements could be in the community. Anyone in Morris will be able to submit comments and/or pictures to the WikiMap. Parent Survey: Parent survey is ready to go, just waiting for WikiMap to finish. Once WikiMap is live then parent survey will be sent out to school.

Student Travel tally will wait for the end of April to pass cold weather.

Parent survey and STT can be sent out the same week.

Observation Day: Need to schedule observation day. Push to end of April, for decent weather.

Kids arrive at 7:45 at the elementary. Be in position at 7:30 for the observation day.

Need to decide where to place observers to watch for kids walking and biking. WCI will supply all the safety vest, clipboards, and forms. Everybody will leave post at 8:30 to head back. Then quick debrief to hear what people’s observations were. Reconvene before end of the day and do another observation. WCI and whoever wants to join can perform a hazard assessment. Walk around community and take some notes on sidewalks and other infrastructure. Can join for all or some of the assessment.

Next Team Meetings: Meeting #3 shortly after observation day to discuss SMART goals.

Meeting #4 Late May or early June

Other Topics/Questions:

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Publish notice of ADA transition plan. There is a 30-day comment period for the plan. Also looks at handicap crossing for all the intersections.

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Morris Meeting 3: 6/18/21 Attending: Wayne, Mallory, Blaine Hill, Chris Watkins, Jeff Kuhn, Maggie Johnson, Morris had a bike rodeo on June 14th from 5PM-7PM. Gave away free helmets. Hosted by the Morris Police dept at the Morris Elementary school. Add to plan that Morris started having bike rodeos again.

Blaine- Faded crosswalks need to be fixed. Could implement continental style.

Blaine: Should have been a sidewalk along HWY 9 when developed. There is no good way to get to town home from ELM or south st. There is a sidewalk around Green river park. Looking into funding along HWY 9. When built bank and funeral home they took out the sidewalks. Put recommended sidewalk along HWY 9 to Columbia. People walk along highway from motel. Put on East side of highway.

Jeff: Link HWY9 to Green River Park.

Blaine: Presented sidewalk to southern housing subdivision, but no one wanted sidewalks because they didn’t want to pay for it.

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APPENDIX F: PUBLIC HEALTH LAW CENTER, SRTS POLICY AMENDMENTS

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APPENDIX G: MINNESOTA SRTS MODEL POLICIES TIP SHEET

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APPENDIX H: MORRIS CITY ORDINANCES The following is a list of city ordinances affecting walking and biking within the City of Morris. This list has been abridged. A complete and updated version can be viewed at https://www.ci.morris.mn.us/wpcontent/uploads/2020/10/City-Code-Updated-2018-compressed.pdf. For questions or interpretation, please contact the City of Morris.

SEC. 2.74. PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS. A. Arterial Streets. Arterial streets shall be of "9 ton" design, of adequate width to accommodate projected traffic volumes. Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of all arterial streets unless specifically omitted by the Council, and shall be of the width approved by the Council. Arterial streets shall be resurfaced at or near their expected service age, dependent upon existing conditions.

B. Collector Streets. (Collector streets including commercial and industrial access streets) shall be of "7 ton" design, or "9 ton" design, based on anticipated usage, and shall normally be 44 feet in width, measured between faces of curbs. Sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of all collector streets and shall be at least five feet in width, unless otherwise approved by the Council. Wherever feasible, a boulevard at least five feet in width shall be provided, measured from the street face of curb to the street face of the sidewalk. Collector streets shall be resurfaced at or near their expected service age or at such time as the Council determines it is necessary to raise the structural value of the streets.

C. Minor Streets. Minor streets shall be of "7 ton" design, 36 feet in width, measured between faces of curbs.

Unless specifically omitted by the Council, sidewalks shall be provided on both sides of all minor streets that have one or more midblock building sites. Where no midblock building sites are located within a block or where other improvements have previously been constructed, the Council may order the construction of sidewalks when such construction is warranted. Minor streets shall be resurfaced at or near their expected service age, dependent upon existing conditions.

SEC. 7.05. ICE AND SNOW ON PUBLIC SIDEWALKS. Subd. 1. Ice and Snow a Nuisance. All snow or ice remaining upon public sidewalks is hereby declared to constitute a public nuisance and shall be removed by the owner or tenant of the abutting private property within two (2) days after such snow or ice has ceased to be deposited.

Subd. 2. City to Remove Snow and Ice. The City may cause to be removed from all public sidewalks, beginning three (3) days after snow or ice has ceased to fall, all snow or ice which may be discovered thereon, and it shall keep a record of the cost of such removal and the private property adjacent to which such accumulations were found and removed.

Subd. 3. Cost of Removal to be Assessed. The City Manager shall, upon direction of the Council, and on receipt of the information provided for in the preceding Subdivision, extend the cost of such removal of snow or ice as a special assessment against the lots or parcel of ground abutting on walks which were cleared, and such special assessments shall at the time of certifying taxes to the County Auditor be certified for collection as other special assessments are certified and collected.

Subd. 4. Administrative Fee. Failure of the owner or tenant of the abutting private property to remove snow or ice in the allotted time may result in the issuance of an administrative fee. Regardless of who occupies the property, the owner of the private property is ultimately responsible for snow and ice removal on abutting public sidewalks and is responsible for payment of administrative fees. The administrative fee will be set by Resolution of the City Council. It is a misdemeanor for the owner to fail to pay the administrative fee within thirty (30) days of receiving

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written notice of the fee being assessed. The administrative fee and misdemeanor violation for failing to pay the fee are not exclusive remedies for failure to remove snow or ice misdemeanor.

Subd. 5. Continuing Violations. Each day snow or ice remains on a sidewalk past the allotted time is a continuing violation of this Section and shall constitute a separate offense.

SEC. 7.06. CONSTRUCTION AND RECONSTRUCTION OF ROADWAY SURFACING, SIDEWALK, CURB AND GUTTER.

Subd. 2. Permit Required. It is a misdemeanor to construct or reconstruct a sidewalk, curb and gutter, driveway, or roadway surfacing in any street or other public property in the City without a permit in writing from the City Manager.

SEC. 7.07. OBSTRUCTIONS IN STREETS.

Subd. 5. Placing Snow or Ice in a Roadway or on a Sidewalk.

A. It is unlawful for any person, not acting under a specific contract with the City or without special permission from the City Manager, to remove snow or ice from private property and place the same in any roadway or on a sidewalk within the public right-of-way.

B. Where permission is granted by the City Manager the person to whom such permission is granted shall be initially responsible for payment of all direct or indirect costs of removing the snow or ice from the street or sidewalk. If not paid, collection shall be by civil action or assessment against the benefited property as any other special assessment.

SEC. 7.11. REGULATION OF TREES, GRASS AND WEEDS IN STREETS.

E. Planting Near Curbs and Sidewalks. The distance trees may be planted from curbs or curblines and sidewalks will be in accordance with the three species size classes listed in this Section, and no trees may be planted closer to any curb or sidewalk than the following: small trees, 2 feet; medium trees, 3 feet; and large trees, 4 feet.

SEC. 7.14. SIDEWALK MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR.

Subd. 1. Primary Responsibility. It is the primary responsibility of the owner of property upon which there is abutting any sidewalk to retain any existing sidewalk and to keep and maintain such sidewalk in safe and serviceable condition.

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Subd. 2. Construction, Reconstruction and Repair Specifications. All construction, reconstruction or repair of sidewalks shall be done in strict accordance with specifications on file in the office of the City Manager.

Subd. 5. Failure of Owner to Reconstruct or Make Repairs. If the owner of the abutting property fails to make repairs or accomplish reconstruction as herein required, the City Manager shall report such failure to the Council and the Council may order such work to be done under its direction and the cost thereof assessed to the abutting property owner as any other special assessment.

Subd. 6. Inspection. The Public Works Director shall make such inspections as are necessary to determine that sidewalks are kept in safe and serviceable condition.

SEC. 8.03. BICYCLE REGULATION.

Subd. 1. Definition. The term "bicycle", as used in this Section, means every device propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride, having two tandem wheels except scooters and similar devices, and including any device generally recognized as a bicycle though equipped with two front or rear wheels.

Subd. 2. Registration Required. It is unlawful for any person to ride or operate a bicycle not registered upon any street, sidewalk or other public property.

Subd. 3. Traffic Laws Apply. Every person riding a bicycle upon a roadway or upon any path set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles shall be granted all of the rights and shall be subject to all of the duties applicable to the driver of a vehicle by this Chapter, except as to special regulations in this Chapter and except as to those provisions of this Chapter which by their nature can have no application.

Subd. 6. Where to Ride.

A. Every person operating a bicycle upon a roadway shall ride as near to the right side of the roadway as practicable, exercising due care when passing a standing vehicle or one proceeding in the same direction.

B. Persons riding bicycles upon a roadway shall not ride more than two abreast except on paths or parts of roadways set aside for the exclusive use of bicycles.

C. Whenever a usable path for bicycles has been provided adjacent to a roadway, bicycle riders shall use such paths and shall not use the roadway.

Subd. 7. Right of Way - Sidewalks. Whenever a person is riding a bicycle upon a sidewalk, such person shall yield the right of way to any pedestrian and shall give audible signal before overtaking and passing such pedestrian.

Provided, that it is unlawful for any person to ride a bicycle on any public sidewalk within the downtown area of the City, defined as an area bounded on the south by 5th Street, on the west by Pacific Avenue, on the north by 8th Street, and on the east by Oregon Avenue, and including the area of said designated boundary streets and the sidewalks parallel thereto on both sides of the street, or to park a bicycle upon a sidewalk except where parking stalls have been provided.

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SEC. 9.02. GENERAL PARKING PROHIBITIONS. It is unlawful for any person to stop, stand or park a vehicle except when necessary to avoid conflict with other traffic or in compliance with the specific directions of a police officer or traffic control device in any of the following places: (1) on a sidewalk; (2) in front of a public or private driveway; (3) within an intersection; (4) within ten feet of a fire hydrant; (5) on a crosswalk; (6) within twenty feet of a crosswalk at any intersection;

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APPENDIX I: MORRIS AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT # TRANSPORTATION POLICY The following is the district’s transportation policy, which has been abridged. A complete and updated version can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1_QfCjM_7JMUYQkHCkNL5w5_zr7N6CEh-/view Transportation of Public-School Students, Revised: Aug. 2018 I. PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to provide for the transportation of students consistent with the requirements of law.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY A. The policy of the school district is to provide for the transportation of students in a manner which will protect their health, welfare, and safety.

B. The school district recognizes that transportation is an essential part of the school district services to students and parents but further recognizes that transportation by school bus is a privilege and not a right for an eligible student.

III. DEFINITIONS A. “Child with a disability” includes every child identified under federal and state special education law as deaf or hard of hearing, blind or visually impaired, deafblind, or having a speech or language impairment, a physical impairment, other health disability, developmental cognitive disability, an emotional or behavioral disorder, specific learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, traumatic brain injury, or severe multiple impairments, and who needs special education and related services, as determined by the rules of the Commissioner of Education. A licensed physician, an advanced practice nurse, or a licensed psychologist is qualified to make a diagnosis and determination of attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder for purposes of identifying a child with a disability. In addition, every child under age three, and at the school district’s discretion from age three to seven, who needs special instruction and services, as determined by the rules of the Commissioner, because the child has a substantial delay or has an identifiable physical or mental condition known to hinder normal development is a child with a disability. A child with a short-term or temporary physical or emotional illness or disability, as determined by the rules of the Commissioner, is not a child with a disability. (Minn. Stat. § 125A.02) B. “Home” is the legal residence of the child. In the discretion of the school district, “home” also may be defined as a licensed day care facility, a respite care facility, the residence of a relative, or the residence of a person chosen by the student’s parent or guardian as the home of a student for part or all of the day, if requested by the student’s parent or guardian, or an afterschool program for children operated by a political subdivision of the state, if the facility, residence, or program is within the attendance area of the school the student attends. Unless otherwise specifically provided by law, a homeless student is a resident of the school district if enrolled in the school district. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.92, Subd. 1(b)(1); Minn. Stat. § 127A.47, Subd. 2) C. “Homeless student” means a student, including a migratory student, who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence and includes: students who are sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; are living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; are living in emergency or transitional shelters; are abandoned in hospitals; are awaiting foster care placement; have a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; are living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings. (42 U.S.C. § 11434a) D. “Nonpublic school” means any school, church, or religious organization, or home school wherein a resident of Minnesota may legally fulfill the compulsory instruction requirements of Minn. Stat. §120A.22, which is located

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within the state, and which meets the requirements of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. § 2000d, et seq). (Minn. Stat. §123B.41, Subd. 9) E. “Nonresident student” is a student who attends school in the school district and resides in another district, defined as the “nonresident district.” In those instances when the divorced or legally separated parents or parents residing separately share joint physical custody of a student and the parents reside in different school districts, the student shall be a resident of the school district designated by the student’s parents. When parental rights have been terminated by court order, the legal residence of a student placed in a residential or foster facility for care and treatment is the district in which the student resides. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 6; Minn. Stat. § 125A.51; Minn. Stat. § 127A.47, Subd. 3) F. “Pupil support services” are health, counseling, and guidance services provided by the public school in the same district where the nonpublic school is located. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.41, Subd. 4) G. “School of origin,” for purposes of determining the residence of a homeless student, is the school that the student attended when permanently housed or the school in which the student was last enrolled. (42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(3)(G)) H. “Shared time basis” is a program where students attend public school for part of the regular school day and who otherwise fulfill the requirements of Minn. Stat. § 120A.22 by attendance at a nonpublic school. (Minn. Stat. § 126C.01, Subd. 8) I. “Student” means any student or child attending or required to attend any school as provided in Minnesota law and who is a resident or child of a resident of Minnesota. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.41, Subd. 11) IV. ELIGIBILITY A. Upon the request of a parent or guardian, the school district shall provide transportation to and from school, at the expense of the school district, for all resident students who reside two miles or more from the school, except for those students whose transportation privileges have been revoked or have been voluntarily surrendered by the student’s parent or guardian. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 1) B. The school district may, in its discretion, also provide transportation to any student to and from school, at the expense of the school district, for any other purpose deemed appropriate by the school board.

C. In the discretion of the school district, transportation along regular school bus routes may also be provided, where space is available, to any person where such use of a bus does not interfere with the transportation of students. The cost of providing such transportation must be paid by those individuals using these services or some third-party payor. Bus transportation also may be provided along school bus routes when space is available for participants in early childhood family education programs and school readiness programs if these services do not result in an increase in the school district’s expenditures for transportation. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 10, 11, 12, and 13) D. For purposes of stabilizing enrollment and reducing mobility, the school district may, in its discretion, establish a full-service school zone and may provide transportation for students attending a school in that full-service school zone. A full-service school zone may be established for a school that is located in an area with higher than average crime or other social and economic challenges and that provides education, health or human services, or other parental support in collaboration with a city, state, or nonprofit agency.

V. TRANSPORTATION OF NONRESIDENT STUDENTS A. If requested by the parent of a nonresident student, the school district shall provide transportation to a nonresident student within its borders at the same level of service that is provided to resident students. The

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school district may provide transportation to a nonresident student outside its borders only after written notice to the resident district. (Minn. Stat. § 124D.04, Subd. 7; Minn. Stat. § 123B.92, Subd. 3; Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd.

6) B. If the school district decides to transport a nonresident student within the student’s resident district, the school district will notify the student’s resident district of its decision, in writing, prior to providing transportation. (Minn.

Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 6) C. When divorced or legally separated parents or parents residing separately reside in different school districts and share physical custody of a student, the parents shall be responsible for the transportation of the student to the border of the school district during those times when the student is residing with the parent in the nonresident school district. (Minn. Stat. § 127A.47, Subd. 3(b)) D. The school district may provide transportation to allow a student who attends a high-need English language learner program and who resides within the transportation attendance area of the program to continue in the program until the student completes the highest grade level offered by the program. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.92, Subd.

3(b)) VI. TRANSPORTATION OF RESIDENT STUDENTS TO NONDISTRICT SCHOOLS A. In general, the school district shall not provide transportation between a resident student’s home and the border of a nonresident district where the student attends school under the Enrollment Options Program. A parent may be reimbursed by the nonresident district for the costs of transportation from the pupil’s residence to the border of the nonresident district if the student is from a family whose income is at or below the poverty level, as determined by the federal government. The reimbursement may not exceed the pupil’s actual cost of transportation or 15 cents per mile traveled, whichever is less. Reimbursement may not be paid for more than 250 miles per week. (Minn. Stat. § 124D.03, Subd. 8) B. Resident students shall be eligible for transportation to and from a nonresident school district at the expense of the school district, if in the discretion of the school district, inadequate room, distance to school, unfavorable road conditions, or other facts or conditions make attendance in the resident student’s own district unreasonably difficult or impracticable. The school district, in its discretion, may also provide for transportation of resident students to schools in other districts for grades and departments not maintained in the district, including high school, for the whole or a part of the year or for resident students who attend school in a building rented or leased by the school district in an adjacent district. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subds. 1 and 4) C. In general, the school district is not responsible for transportation for any resident student attending school in an adjoining state under a reciprocity agreement but may provide such transportation services at its discretion.

(Minn. Stat. § 124D.041).

VII. SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS/STUDENTS WITH TEMPORARY DISABILITIES A. Upon a request of a parent or guardian, the Board must provide necessary transportation consistent with Minn.

Stat. § 123B.92, Subd. 1(b)(4), for a resident child with a disability not yet enrolled in kindergarten for the provision of special instruction and services. Special instruction and services for a child with a disability not yet enrolled in kindergarten include an individualized education program (IEP) team placement in an early childhood program when that placement is necessary to address the child’s level of functioning and needs. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 1) B. Resident students with a disability whose handicapped conditions are such that the student cannot be safely transported on the regular school bus and/or school bus route and/or when the student is transported on a special route for the purpose of attending an approved special education program shall be entitled to special transportation at the expense of the school district or the day training and habilitation program attended by the

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student. The school district shall determine the type of vehicle used to transport students with a disability on the basis of the handicapping condition and applicable laws. This provision shall not be applicable to parents who transport their own child under a contract with the school district. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 19; (Minn. Rules Part 7470.1600) C. Resident students with a disability who are boarded and lodged at Minnesota state academies for educational purposes, but who also are enrolled in a public school within the school district, shall be provided transportation, by the school district to and from said board and lodging facilities, at the expense of the school district. (Minn.

Stat. § 125A.65) D. If a resident student with a disability attends a public school located in a contiguous school district and the school district of attendance does not provide special instruction and services, the school district shall provide necessary transportation for the student between the school district boundary and the educational facility where special instruction and services are provided within the school district. The school district may provide necessary transportation of the student between its boundary and the school attended in the contiguous district, but shall not pay the cost of transportation provided outside the school district boundary. (Minn. Stat. § 125A.12) E. When a student with a disability or a student with a short-term or temporary disability is temporarily placed for care and treatment in a day program located in another school district and the student continues to live within the school district during the care and treatment, the school district shall provide the transportation, at the expense of the school district, to that student. The school district may establish reasonable restrictions on transportation, except if a Minnesota court or agency orders the child placed at a day care and treatment program and the school district receives a copy of the order, then the school district must provide transportation to and from the program unless the court or agency orders otherwise. Transportation shall only be provided by the school district during regular operating hours of the school district. (Minn. Stat. § 125A.15(b); Minn. Stat. § 125A.51(d)) F. When a nonresident student with a disability or a student with a short-term or temporary disability is temporarily placed in a residential program within the school district, including correctional facilities operated on a fee-for-service basis and state institutions, for care and treatment, the school district shall provide the necessary transportation at the expense of the school district. Where a joint powers entity enters into a contract with a privately owned and operated residential facility for the provision of education programs for special education students, the joint powers entity shall provide the necessary transportation. (Minn. Stat. § 125A.15(c) and (d); Minn. Stat. § 125A.51(e)) G. Each driver and aide assigned to a vehicle transporting students with a disability will be provided with appropriate training for the students in their care, will assist students with their safe ingress and egress from the bus, will ensure the proper use of protective safety devices, and will be provided with access to emergency health care information as required by law. (Minn. Rules Part 7470.1700) H. Any parent of a student with a disability who believes that the transportation services provided for that child are not in compliance with the applicable law may utilize the alternative dispute resolution and due process procedures provided for in Minn. Stat. Ch. 125A. (Minn. Rules Part 7470.1600, Subd. 2) VIII.

HOMELESS STUDENTS

A. Homeless students shall be provided with transportation services comparable to other students in the school district. (42 U.S.C. § 11432(e)(3)(C)(i)(III)(cc) and (g)(4)(A)) B. Upon request by the student’s parent, guardian, or homeless education liaison, the school district shall provide transportation for a homeless student as follows: 1. A resident student who becomes homeless and is residing in a public or private shelter location or has other non-shelter living arrangements within the school district shall be provided transportation to and from the

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student’s school of origin and the shelter or other non-shelter location on the same basis as transportation services are provided to other students in the school district. (42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(1)(J)(iii)(I)) 2. A resident student who becomes homeless and is residing in a public or private shelter location or has other non-shelter living arrangements outside of the school district shall be provided transportation to and from the student’s school of origin and the shelter or other non-shelter location on the same basis as transportation services are provided to other students in the school district, unless the school district and the school district in which the student is temporarily placed agree that the school district in which the student is temporarily placed shall provide transportation. (Minn. Stat. § 125A.51(f); 42 U.S.C. § 11432(g)(1)(J)(iii)(II)) 3. If a nonresident student is homeless and is residing in a public or private homeless shelter or has other nonshelter living arrangements within the school district, the school district may provide transportation services between the shelter or non-shelter location and the student’s school of origin outside of the school district upon agreement with the school district in which the school of origin is located. (Minn. Stat. § 125A.51(f)) IX. AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES Transportation shall be provided on all regularly scheduled school days or make-up days. Transportation will not be provided during the summer school break. Transportation may be provided for summer instructional programs for students with a disability or in conjunction with a learning year program. Transportation between home and school may also be provided, in the discretion of the school district, on staff development days. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 21) X. MANNER OF TRANSPORTATION The scheduling of routes, establishment of the location of bus stops, manner, and method of transportation, control, and discipline of school children, the determination of fees, and any other matter relating thereto shall be within the sole discretion, control, and management of the school board. The school district may, in its discretion, provide room and board, in lieu of transportation, to a student who may be more economically and conveniently provided for by that means. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 1) XI. RESTRICTIONS Transportation by the school district is a privilege and not a right for an eligible student. A student’s eligibility to ride a school bus may be revoked for a violation of school bus safety or conduct policies, or violation of any other law governing student conduct on a school bus pursuant to the school district’s discipline policy. Revocation of a student’s bus riding privilege is not an exclusion, expulsion, or suspension under the Pupil Fair Dismissal Act. Revocation procedures for a student who is an individual with a disability under 20 U.S.C. § 1415 (Individuals with Disabilities Act), 29 U.S.C. § 794 (the Rehabilitation Act), and 42 U.S.C. § 12132, (Americans with Disabilities Act) are governed by these provisions. (Minn. Stat. § 121A.59) XII. FEES A. In its discretion, the school district may charge fees for transportation of students to and from extra curricular activities conducted at locations other than school, where attendance is optional. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.36, Subd.

1(10)) B. The school district may charge fees for transportation of students to and from school when authorized by law. If the school district charges fees for transportation of students to and from school, guidelines shall be established for that transportation to ensure that no student is denied transportation solely because of inability to pay. The school district also may waive fees for transportation if the student’s parent is serving in, or within the past year has served in, active military service as defined in Minn. State. § 190.05. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.36, Subd. 1(11)and 6)

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C. The school district may charge reasonable fees for transportation of students to and from post-secondary institutions for students enrolled under the post-secondary enrollment options program. Families who qualify for mileage reimbursement may use their state mileage reimbursement to pay this fee. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.36, Subd.

1(13))

The following is the district’s transportation policy, which has been abridged. A complete and updated version can be viewed at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PqYg2dwS_W_w5yugqEyNcrjK3kfVIZSJ/view Transportation of Nonpublic-School Students, Revised: Aug. 2016 I. PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to address transportation rights of nonpublic school students and to provide equality of treatment in transporting such students pursuant to law.

II. GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY The policy of the school district is to recognize the rights of nonpublic school students and to provide equal transportation to those students as required by law.

III. ELIGIBILITY A. The school district shall provide equal transportation within the school district for all students to any school when transportation is deemed necessary by the school district because of distance or traffic conditions in like manner and form as provided in Minn. Stat. § 123B.88 and § 123B.92 when applicable. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.86, Subd. 1) B. Upon the request of a parent or guardian, the school district shall provide school bus transportation to the school district boundary for students residing in the school district at least the same distance from a nonpublic school actually attended in another school district as public school students are transported in the transporting school district. Such transportation shall be provided whether there is or is not another nonpublic school within the transporting school district, if the transportation is to schools maintaining grades or departments not maintained in the school district or if the attendance of such students at school can more safely, economically, or conveniently be provided for by such means. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.86, Subd. 2(a)) C. The school district may provide school bus transportation to a nonpublic school in another school district for students residing in the school district and attending that school, whether there is or is not another nonpublic school within the transporting school district, if the transportation is to schools maintaining grades or departments not maintained in the school district or if the attendance of such students at school can more safely, economically, or conveniently be provided for by such means. If the school district transports students to a nonpublic school located in another school district, the nonpublic school shall pay the cost of such transportation provided outside the school district boundaries. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.86, Subd. 2(b)) D. The school district shall provide the necessary transportation within school district boundaries between the nonpublic school and a public school or neutral site for nonpublic school students who are provided pupil support services, if the school district elects to provide pupil support services at a site other than a nonpublic school.

(Minn. Stat. § 123B.44, Subd. 1) E. When transportation is provided, the scheduling of routes, manner, and method of transportation, control, and discipline of students and any other matter relating thereto shall be within the sole discretion, control, and management of the school district. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.86, Subd. 3)

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F. Additional transportation to and from a nonpublic school may be provided at the expense of the school district where such services are provided in the discretion of the school district.

IV. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES A. If a resident student with a disability attends a nonpublic school located within the school district, the school district shall provide necessary transportation for the student within the school district between the nonpublic school and the educational facility where special instruction and services are provided on a shared-time basis. If a resident student with a disability attends a nonpublic school located in another school district and if no agreement exists for the provision of special instruction and services on a shared time basis to that student by the school district of attendance and where the special instruction and services are provided within the school district, the school district shall provide necessary transportation for that student between the school district boundary and the educational facility. The school district may provide necessary transportation for that student between its boundary and the nonpublic school attended, but the nonpublic school shall pay the cost of transportation provided outside the school district. School districts may make agreements for who provides transportation.

Parties serving students on a shared time basis have access to a due process hearing system as provided by law.

(Minn. Stat. § 125A.18) B. When the disabling conditions of a student with a disability are such that the student cannot be safely transported on the regular school bus and/or school bus route and/or when the student is transported on a special route for the purpose of attending an approved special education program shall be entitled to special transportation at the expense of the school district or the day training and habilitation program attended by the student. The school district shall determine the type of vehicle used to transport students with a disability on the basis of the disabling conditions and applicable laws. This section shall not be applicable to parents who transport their own child under a contract with the school district. (Minn. Stat. § 123B.88, Subd. 19; Minn. Rules Part 7470.1600, Subd. 1) C. Each driver and aide assigned to a vehicle transporting students with a disability will be provided with appropriate training for the students in their care, will assist students with their safe ingress and egress from the bus, will insure the proper use of protective safety devices, and will be provided with access to emergency health care information as required by law. (Minn. Rules Part 7470.1700) D. Any parent of a student with a disability who believes that the transportation services provided for that child are not in compliance with the applicable law may utilize the alternative dispute resolution and due process procedures provided for in Minn. Stat. Ch. 125A. (Minn. Rules Part 7470.1600, Subd. 2) V. APPLICATION OF GENERAL POLICY The provisions of the school district’s policy on transportation of public school students [Model Policy 707] shall apply to the transportation of nonpublic school students except as specifically provided herein.

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APPENDIX J: CRASH DATA Crash data from within the Morris city limits was gathered using the online Minnesota Crash Mapping Analysis Tool. (MCMAT) (http://www.dot.state.mn.us/stateaid/crashmapping.html) MCMAT is MnDOT’s crash database that includes all crashes involving a motor vehicle where a crash report was filed. It includes crash reports from the past ten years. However, a crash involving a solo cyclist, the most common type of bicycle crash, would not be recorded even if emergency services responded as long as the crash did not involve a motor vehicle. The MCMAT data for Morris was accessed, November 13th 2020. As of that date, the dataset included crash reports from January 4th 2010 through September 18th 2020, all of which were included in this analysis. According to the MCMAT homepage accessed on the date above, there has been a delay in updating the database with crash data from 2020. Typically, the lag time between crash occurrence and data entry into the MCMAT database can be approximately 2-3 months with the data updated four times per year, approximately quarterly.

The staff at WCI felt that collecting crash data within the city limits of Morris would provide the most utility. There was a total of 687 crashes with seventeen of those involving either a pedestrian (seven) or bicyclist (ten). Three of the bicyclist / pedestrian crashes resulted in “property damage only”, eight “possible injuries”, and six “minor injuries.” Figure A: The following maps show the locations of accidents in Morris that involved a vehicle and a pedestrian or bicyclist

1

2

3

4

8

5

6 7

9

Figure A: The map above shows the locations of car crashes that involved a pedestrian or bicyclist within the city limits of Morris.

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Figure B: The following is a closeup views of the crashes in downtown Morris

10 11

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14 15

1. On November 8, 2015 at 10:57 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 26-year old male riding an electric school traveling east with traffic abruptly turned left onto 462nd Ave without signaling and collided with the passenger car operated by a 62-year old female who was not driving improperly resulting in a possible injury.

2. On October 23, 2017 at 00:20 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 22-year old female with a passenger car heading south, turned left into a parking park and stuck a 20-year old female bicyclist heading straight north on the road. The driver of the car was distracted by outside factors and resulted in a possible injury.

3. On July 19, 2010 at 11:13 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 49-year old female with a passenger car made a U-turn and due to improper turning stuck and ran over a 24-year old who was in the street resulting in a minor injury.

4. On September 2, 2014 at 8:30 under dry, clear daylight conditions a 67-year old female in a passenger car headed north was driving straight on a road and struck a 20-year old female bicyclist who was headed east and failed to yield at a stop sign. There were no contributing factors and the bicyclist sustained a minor injury.

5. On December 6, 2014 at 18:10 under dry, clear dark conditions, a 36- year old female with a passenger car was looking for her sons and stopped when she found her son with a friend. She proceeded to back up in the road without properly checking behind her and ran over a 9-year old male. Alcohol was a contributing factor and the accident resulted in a minor injury.

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6. On September 19, 2017 at 8:02 under dry, cloudy daylight conditions, a 43-year old female with a passenger van was exiting the parking lot of the elementary school failed to yield the right-ofway and struck a 11-year old male bicyclist who was using the crosswalk that goes across the driveway. The bicyclist sustained a minor injury.

7. On May 22, 2019 at 7:52 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 50-year old male with a pickup exited the parking lot of the elementary school struck a 10-year old male bicyclist who was turning left into the driveway from an adjacent sidewalk. There were no contributing factors and both parties claimed property damage.

8. On May 1, 2014 at 17:53 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 67-year old female with a van headed east struck a 7-year old male who darted across an intersection headed north. There were no contributing factors with both party and resulted in a minor injury.

9. On April 28, 2020 at 16:55 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 39-year old female with a passenger car improperly backed out of a driveway that goes across a sidewalk and struck a 45year old blind male with a dog and knocked him to the ground. The accident resulted in property damage to the car and the pedestrian denied medical assistance.

10. On October 30, 2015 at 14:30 under wet, rainy daylight conditions, a 33-year old female with a sport utility vehicle made a left turn heading north at a traffic light failed to yield and struck a 22-year old female bicyclist heading west on a crosswalk resulting in possible injury.

11. On June 20, 2016 at 6:45 under dry, clear daylight conditions, a 49-year old male with a pickup turned left at an intersection and collided with a 19-year old female bicyclist who had the walk symbol at a crosswalk. The bicyclist sustained minor injuries after falling off the bike due to being stuck by the truck.

12. On September 25, 2017 at 18:03 under dry, cloudy daylight conditions a 75-year old male with a pickup turned left at a stoplight and came in close contact with a 12-year old male bicyclist using the crosswalk. The bicyclist fell over in the cross walk resulting in property damage to the bike.

13. On January 15, 2013 at 9:10 under wet, clear daylight conditions a 58-year old male with a passenger car head south struck a 56-year old woman heading west across the road and not in a crosswalk. The driver’s vision was obscured by the sun and was not able to slow down in time resulting a possible injury to the pedestrian.

14. On January 25, 2018 at 11:18 under dry, cloudy daylight conditions, a 15-year old female crossed Atlantic Ave without a cross walk or the right of way and was struck by a 36-year old male with a passenger car who had a green light resulting in a possible injury.

15. On November 3, 2015 at 16:21 under dry, clear sunset conditions, a 75-year old female with a passenger car turned left to go south at a traffic light failed to yield right-of-way and struck a 68year old male pedestrian heading east on a crosswalk resulting in possible injury.

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APPENDIX K: MAPS West Central Initiative has created online maps via Google Maps© for the use of the Morris Area Safe Routes to School committee. The maps are available here for Morris: https://tinyurl.com/srnakjza.

West Central Initiative also created a WikiMap for the Morris community that was open to the public for input. The WikiMap is available here for Morris: https://wikimapping.com/Morris1.html.

The maps contain multiple layers for easy viewing, some of which have been manipulated to produce figures A –I and tables A -B. These maps were created in May of 2021, based on visual assessments and data obtained during community walk audits.

Figure A: Evaluations of sidewalks could be placed in these four categories

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Figure B: Evaluations of curb cuts could be placed in these four categories

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Figure X: The map below shows the existing sidewalks of the City of Morris as of 2021.

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Figure X: The map below shows locations where there are no existing sidewalks in the City of Morris and where West Central Initiative recommends sidewalks and crosswalks be installed.

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Figure X: The following are areas in the City of Morris connections to the school could be potentially installed.

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Figure X: The following are marked location from community members on areas in the City of Morris where they feel there are walking or bicycling issues that need to be addressed.

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Category

Initial Comment

Create Date

Improvement opportunity

There is a sidewalk that leads into the elementary school parking lot that just dumps kids into the parking lot without further guidance for the children or the drivers. There are no painted crosswalks or drawn routes. There is no protection for kids once they are there and the shortest route from that sidewalk to the school is not the safest option.

23-Apr-21

Bicycle Barrier

The bicycle rack is in a location that has students crossing in front of traffic extra times. This is exacerbated by drivers using a parking area that they are not supposed to use (which they especially do at pickup time).

23-Apr-21

Improvement opportunity

There are no sidewalks on the hospital side of the road where 1st meets Columbia. That encourages crossings over Columbia where there are no traffic controls.

23-Apr-21

Improvement opportunity

Could there be someone here helping direct traffic? This is a super busy intersection.

23-Apr-21

Improvement opportunity

Could there be a bridge for pedestrians and cyclists here?

23-Apr-21

Improvement opportunity

This is a two-way traffic area. Pedestrians and cyclists must watch for cars from many directions. This is also a bottleneck for people leaving the parking lot. If it was an "exit only" for traffic, there could be lanes for turning left or turning right. Making a left turn out of this lot after school is very challenging. Making a right turn after school can also be tricky because the traffic backs up from the 4-way stops all the way to the parking lot and beyond. That sometimes seems to encourage drivers to exit from the other route and that makes the other entrance area busy and confusing too.

23-Apr-21

Improvement opportunity

Crossing Columbia at any crosswalk in this corridor at peak times is a terrifying experience; there has to be a better way to control or slow traffic here.

4-May-21

Add cycling route to improve

Adding a path along the bus road would allow cyclists and pedestrians to cross just one time. Perhaps there could be an adult stationed there at the end of the school day and/or before school to help with crossing.

23-Apr-21

Add cycling route to improve

Adding a path along the bus road on the same side as the wetlands would allow pedestrians and cyclists to cross at a 4-way stop (and they would only need to cross in front of the bus-only path). This could eliminate all crossings the are close to the parking lot where people are dropping children off or picking children up.

23-Apr-21

Add walking route to improve

This area has no sidewalk. The hospital side would make the most sense as a place to add it since there is sidewalk in other areas along this road.

23-Apr-21

Add walking route to improve

The crosswalks encourage pedestrians to cross the parking lot entrances. These are heavy traffic areas at drop off and pickup times.

23-Apr-21

Add walking route to improve

There could be more guidance about a good route to get from the sidewalk to the other sidewalk through the parking lot.

23-Apr-21

Add cycling route to improve

Could there be a way to encourage cyclists to avoid areas with cars? Could there be parking for bicycles that is close to the door to encourage people to cycle to school and might also protect their bikes a little more?

23-Apr-21

Table X: The following is a list of comments that community members addressed on the WikiMap for the City of Morris.

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