Table 2. Infrastructure Recommendation List

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.

LOCATION

East 4th Street, between Colorado Avenue and California Avenue PROBLEM/ISSUE

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

C Columbia Avenue between South Street and Green River Road Lack of safe crossings of Columbia Avenue; high speed and high-volume vehicle traffic.

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

Intersections of Green River Road and Eleanor Avenue and Skyview Lane

East side of Morris Area Schools campus Lack of safe crossing locations along Green River Road.

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

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

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

Morris Area Schools campus and St. Mary’s Catholic School High volumes of vehicle traffic on Columbia Avenue; crosswalks are not high visibility.

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

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.

POTENTIAL SOLUTION/RECOMMENDATON

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing Columbia Avenue.

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

Add marked crosswalks at these intersections; Improved visibility and safety for students crossing Green River Road. LEAD

Morris Area School District City of Morris

City of Morris St. Mary’s Catholic School

City of Morris Morris Area School District

Morris Area School District City of Morris

City of Morris PRIORITY

High

High

High

Medium

Medium

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.

Install high-visibility (Continental style) crosswalks. Consider curb extensions / bump-outs to reduce crossing distances.

Install high-visibility (Continental style) crosswalks. Consider curb extensions / bump-outs to reduce crossing distances. Improved access to the Morris Area School campus, allowing students to avoid the busy Columbia Avenue corridor.

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing the intersection.

Improved visibility and safety for students crossing the intersections near the school. Morris Area School District Medium

City of Morris

City of Morris Medium

Medium

Morris Area School District St. Mary’s Catholic School Medium

Columbia Avenue between South Street and Green River Road

Between Columbia Avenue and Ridge Road

Morris Area High School

Citywide

Citywide

Citywide 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

Morris Area School District Medium

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

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.

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.

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.

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). 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

Improved safety for kids walking to school. City of Morris Stevens County MnDOT Low

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

Improved access for young children and those with physical disabilities or other mobility issues. City of Morris Morris Area School District St. Mary’s Catholic School

City of Morris Low

Low