Executive Summary, Significant Findings and Action Plan

E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y, S I G N I F I C A N T F I N D I NG S A N D A C T I ON PL A N

The purpose of this Safe Routes to School (SRTS) plan is to guide school and city staff, local and state officials, parents, and educators in their efforts to make it easier, safer and more comfortable for students to walk and bicycle to and from school. It is the product of direct observation, expert analysis of the existing conditions around the school and in the community and input from members of the community. Also included are the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) assembled crash and traffic data, and results from standardized parent surveys and student travel tallies. A successful SRTS program will require community involvement if it is to have a meaningful impact on the students attending school. However, as an added bonus, SRTS programs and infrastructure usually prove beneficial to the whole community.

SRTS plans and programming are just a few of the tools being used to combat physical inactivity and increased levels of obesity in the United States. Both are considered public health crises that are greatly impacting the health of Americans. As a result, this contributes to the rising costs of medical care today and much more so in the future, if current trends continue. Walking or biking to and from school is an easy way for children to get the regular physical activity they need to combat these problems and to build healthy habits into adulthood. Physically-active kids have fewer chronic health problems. They also have improved mood and concentration, a stronger self-image and more self-confidence, which are all critical for succeeding in school and in life. SRTS programs can also instill safe travel habits in children at an early age that they can take with them into adulthood.

In the spring of 2014, the Rothsay Public School and City of Rothsay were awarded a SRTS Planning Grant from MnDOT to conduct a SRTS plan for the Rothsay Public School. The SRTS planning process began with a kick-off meeting in August of 2014. It was decided that the actual planning process should be delayed until the following school year when the new school would be open just north of town. The new location is a half a mile north of the old school, just outside of town, and would greatly alter travel patterns. The SRTS team envisions a community that is connected, educated and encouraged to pursue active forms of transportation, as well as one where students can safely walk or bike to and from school. Working together, the Rothsay Public School and City of Rothsay are uniquely suited to implement the identified recommendations for the city and school. The recommendations in this plan address the five “E”s of education, encouragement, enforcement, engineering and evaluation, which is the standard strategy in SRTS planning. Also addressed are possible issues of equity, as some communities and/or members of the community may have been historically underserved, have greater needs and/or have been more negatively affected by transportation planning decisions of the past. After the SRTS planning document is approved by both the City of Rothsay and the Rothsay Public School, the city and/or school may seek funding and resources to implement the identified recommendations.

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