SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OBSERVATIONS AND WALKING AUDIT
The location of the new Rothsay school is not contiguous with the residential sections of the city of Rothsay. However, all residences within the city limits are still within a one-mile radius of the school with the furthest residence on 3rd Avenue Southeast; a 1.1 mile trip from the school using the roadway network. This distance would require a child to walk 26 minutes or 8 minutes to bike. As such, all students living within the city of Rothsay in grades 6 and up should be able to walk and/or bike to and from school, as should all K-5 grade students living within one-half mile of the school.
The layout of the new school grounds is effective at separating parent drop-off/pick-up and high school student traffic by placing it on the west side of the school, a safe distance from bicycle and pedestrian traffic approaching from the east side.
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There are no sidewalks on County Highways 52 and 11, or 1 Street NW servicing the new school location.
There is heavy truck traffic entering and exiting the Rothsay Truck Stop and Café during both the morning arrival and afternoon dismissal of students.
While most children were seen using the crosswalks and pathway leading to the school at County st
Highway 52 and 1 Street NW, one or two students did not.
The assumed speed limit of 55 mph on County Highway 52 would appear to be rather fast for a road with an urban amenity located on it, particularly a school. While a 25 mph school zone limit was installed soon after Observation Day, it is not known if this limit is regularly observed by drivers.
On County Highway 11, there are no signs warning southbound drivers of the change to a 30-mph limit just south of the County Highway 52 intersection. Because the County Highway 11/52 intersection is busy with truck stop traffic and a downhill run into town from the Interstate overpass, drivers tend to carry a lot of speed through the intersection and into the 30-mph section of County Highway 11 / Center Street.
The speed limit on County Highway 11 through the Highway 52 intersection is 55 mph. The speed limit doesn’t drop to 30 mph until a point about 55 feet south of the intersection.
P a g e 8 | Executive Summary, Significant Findings And Action Plan
