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Safe Routes To School Barnesville

West Central Initiative 2013

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City of Barnesville and Barnesville School District Safe Routes to School Plan 2013

Prepared by: West Central Initiative 1000 Western Avenue PO Box 318 Fergus Falls, MN 56538-0318 218-739-2239 www.wcif.org

Kayla Rossiter, Principal Author Cover photo by Jacob Underlee

Table of Contents Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................... 1 Executive summary ................................................................................................................. 2 Safe Routes to School Program ............................................................................................. 3 Background and Overview ...................................................................................... 3 The 5 E’s ................................................................................................................. 8 Barnesville Background and Overview ............................................................................... 10 Current condition .................................................................................................. 10 School Background and Overview ...................................................................................... 17 Current condition .................................................................................................. 17 SRTS Planning Process........................................................................................................ 18 Vision and goals .................................................................................................... 18 Planning Process/Meeting description ................................................................ 18 2013 Infrastructure Grant…………..……….……………………………………………………..23 Findings and data ................................................................................................................ 25 Analysis of Parent Survey Data............................................................................. 25 Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 27 5 E’s ...................................................................................................................... 27 Engineering ........................................................................................................... 28 Education .............................................................................................................. 31 Encouragement .................................................................................................... 32 Enforcement ......................................................................................................... 33 Evaluation Plan ..................................................................................................... 34 Quick wins………….……………………………………………………………………………….…….. 35 Next Steps ............................................................................................................ 35 Attachments Community Meeting Agenda & Invitation………………………………………………………36 Parent Survey and Student Tally (Forms Used)……………………………………………..38 Student Tally Form…………………………………………………..………………………………….40 Combined Parent Survey Results for Both Schools………………..……………………..41 Atkinson Elementary Parent Survey and Tally Results ………………………………….56 High School (grades 6-8) Parent Survey and Tally Results……………….……………73 Report of Violations…………………………………………………………………………………….87 MN Dept. of Education FAQ’s……………………………………………….……………………..92 School Transportation Policy………………………………………………………………….……93 2013 Infrastructure Grant Application…………………………………………….………...108 SRTS Maps (Sidewalk Inventory, SRTS Routes, School Area Map)…….……..….122 MnDot SRTS Assessment tool……………………………………………………………………124

Acknowledgements Without a dedicated team we could not have completed such a great plan. Thank you to all who helped bring this vision together.

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Jaye Abarr, PTA President Mike Detloff, Planning and Zoning Chair Dean Ernst, Chief of Police Patrick Hollister, PartnerSHIP 4 Health Keely Ihry, PartnerSHIP 4 Health Karen Lauer, EDA Director Scott Loeslie, Superintendent Mike Rietz, City Administrator Merlin Strom, School District Building & Grounds Supervisor Jeff Tharaldson, Police School Resource Officer Terry Ystenes, Public Works

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Executive Summary

The Safe Routes to School planning process began in September 2012 and ended in May 2013. During this time a team was tasked with numerous responsibilities including school observations, conducting surveys and hosting a community meeting. Throughout the process we learned that Barnesville has a strong base of community support for walking/bicycling and an active life style. For them this plan is about getting children safely to school and about creating the change necessary to make active living an integral part of daily life in Barnesville. Overall, getting children to walk and bike to school requires a combination of adding additional infrastructure and improving safety, as well as education and encouragement efforts. These efforts can take many forms and are meant to be fun and enjoyable for kids. Safe Routes to School can bring people in the community together, help improve the health of children, ease congestion caused by drivers of motor vehicles and help make air quality around schools better by decreasing the amount of vehicle emissions. The goal of Safe Routes to School is get children walking and biking where it is safe to do and where it is not safe the goal is to make it safe. To accomplish this goal a list of recommendations was developed by the committee to address safety and create enthusiasm in the areas of engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, and evaluation.

Safe Routes to School Program Background and Overview The following sections detailing the Safe Routes to School background and overview as well as the 5 E’s are taken from National Center for Safe Routes to School information. Please note that the data represented in these sections is national data and may or may not reflect conditions in Barnesville.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a national and international movement to create safe, convenient, and fun opportunities for children to bicycle and walk to and from schools. The program has been designed to reverse the decline in children walking and bicycling to schools. Safe Routes to School can also play a critical role in reversing the alarming nationwide trend toward childhood obesity and inactivity. In 1969, approximately 50% of children walked or bicycled to school, with approximately 87% of children living within one mile of school walking or bicycling. Today, fewer than 15% of school children walk or bicycle to school. As a result, kids today are less active, less independent, and less healthy. As much as 10 to 14% of morning traffic can be generated by parents driving their children to schools, and traffic-related crashes are the top cause of death and major injury for children in the U.S. ages 1 to 17. Concerned by the longterm health and traffic consequences of this trend, in 2005, the U.S. Congress approved $612 million in funding for five years of state implementation of SRTS programs. In 2012 funding changed under map 21 and lumped Safe Routes to School funding with 2 other programs in the same pot of money. This made funding more of a challenge however, commitments have been made to the continued funding of this program. in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Communities are using this funding to construct new bike lanes, pathways, and sidewalks, as well as to launch Safe Routes to School education, promotion and enforcement campaigns in K-8 schools. Safe Routes to School programs are built on collaborative partnerships among many stakeholders that include educators, parents, students, elected officials, engineers, city planners, business and community leaders, health officials, and bicycle and pedestrian advocates. The most successful SRTS programs incorporate the five E’s—evaluation, education, encouragement, engineering, and enforcement. The goal of Safe Routes to School is to get more children bicycling and walking to schools safely every day.

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(Source: National Center for Safe Routes to School, Fact Sheet)

Helpful Statistics on Safe Routes to School Traffic Congestion: Neighborhoods are becoming increasingly clogged by traffic. By boosting the number of children walking and bicycling, Safe Routes to School projects reduce traffic congestion. Within the span of one generation, the percentage of children walking or bicycling to school has dropped precipitously, from approximately 50% in 1969 to just 13% in 2009 While distance to school is the most commonly reported barrier to walking and bicycling, private vehicles still account for half of school trips between 1/4 and 1/2 mile—a distance easily covered on foot or bike.

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In 2009, American families drove 30 billion miles and made 6.5 billion vehicle trips to take their children to and from schools, representing 10-14 percent of traffic on the road during the morning commute. A California study showed that schools that received infrastructure improvements through the Safe Routes to School program yielded walking and bicycling increases in the range of 20 to 200%.

Safety: Safe Routes to School projects focus on infrastructure improvements, student traffic education, and driver enforcement that improve safety for children, many of whom already walk or bicycle in unsafe conditions.  

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Health and Obesity: Children today are simply not getting enough physical activity, contributing to growing rates of obesity and obesity-related health problems, such as diabetes. Safe Routes to School projects make it safer for more children to walk and bicycle to school, which will help address this obesity crisis among children by creating increases in physical activity. Over the past 40 years, rates of obesity have soared among children of all ages in the United States, and approximately 25 million children and adolescents—more than 33%—are now overweight or obese or at risk of becoming so.  

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Pedestrians are more than twice as likely to be struck by a vehicle in locations without sidewalks. In 2009, approximately 23,000 children ages 5-15 were injured and more than 250 were killed while walking or bicycling in the United States. From 2000-2006, 30% of traffic deaths for children ages 5-15 occurred while walking or bicycling. The medical costs for treating children’s bicycle and pedestrian fatalities cost $839 million in 2005 and another $2.2 billion in lifetime lost wage costs. A safety analysis by the California Department of Transportation estimated that the safety benefit of the SRTS was up to a 49% decrease in the childhood bicycle and pedestrian collision rates.

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Kids are less active today, and 23% of children get no free time physical activity at all. The prevalence of obesity is so great that today’s generation of children may be the first in over 200 years to live less healthy and have a shorter lifespan than their parents. Today, approximately one-quarter of health care costs in the United States are attributable to obesity, and health care costs just for childhood obesity are estimated at approximately $14 billion per year. People living in auto-oriented suburbs drive more, walk less, and are more obese than people living in walkable communities. For each hour of driving per day, obesity increases 6%, but walking for transportation reduces the risk of obesity. Walking one mile to and from school each day is two-thirds of the recommended sixty minutes of physical activity a day. Children who walk to school have higher levels of physical activity throughout the day.

Environment: Safe Routes to School projects increase the number of children walking and

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Children exposed to traffic pollution are more likely to have asthma, permanent lung deficits, and a higher risk of heart and lung problems as adults. Over the last 25 years, among children ages 5 to 14, there has been a 74% increase in asthma cases. In addition, 14 million days of school are missed every year due to asthma. One-third of schools in “air pollution danger zones.” Schools that are designed so children can walk and bicycle have measurably better air quality. A 5% increase in a neighborhood’s “walkability” reduces vehicle miles traveled by 6%. Returning to 1969 levels of walking and bicycling to school would save 3.2 billion vehicle miles, 1.5 million tons of carbon dioxide and 89,000 tons of other pollutants—equal to keeping more than 250,000 cars off the road for a year.

Bus Transportation Costs: Schools often make cutbacks in bus routes to save money— meaning that more children will be walking and bicycling in potentially unsafe conditions, or more parents will drive their children, which increases traffic congestion and air quality concerns.  

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Approximately 55% of children are bused, and we spend $21.5 billion nationally each year on school bus transportation, an average of $854 per child transported per year. Eliminating one bus route, based on average per-pupil expenditure and average number of pupils per bus, would save a school district approximately $45,000 per year. Nationwide, approximately 22% of school districts made busing reductions during the 2010-2011 school year due to fuel price increases.

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bicycling to school, which also cuts down on the number of cars. As cars emit pollutants for each mile traveled, reducing traffic can improve the quality of air that children breathe in and around their schools.

About the Safe Routes to School National Partnership

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Launched in August 2005, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a fast-growing network of hundreds of organizations, government agencies and groups working to set goals, share best practices, secure funding, and provide educational materials to agencies that implement Safe Routes to School programs. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s mission is to serve a diverse national community of organizations that advocates for safe bicycling and walking to and from schools throughout the United States. www.saferoutespartnership.org

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THE 5 E’s (Source: National Center for Safe Routes to School) Engineering strategies including planning and implementing physical improvements that make it safer and more attractive to walk and bicycle to school. Engaging planners and engineers is crucial to successfully implementing safety improvements. It’s also important to reach out to the community to educate neighbors about the benefits and importance of any proposed improvements.  

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Completing a school walking and bicycling audit and a school travel plan Adding traffic calming, crosswalks, sidewalks, bicycle lanes or other infrastructure that improves safety for walking and bicycling Installing bike racks at schools

Education about SRTS helps build support among kids, parents, teachers and community members. To craft education messages, first identify your goals and audiences. Do people need to know more about the benefits of walking or bicycling? Would maps of routes to the school help more people walk or bicycle? Would walking or bicycling safety information get kids and parents more excited about walking and bicycling?      

SRTS maps that show suggested routes to walk and bicycle to school School bicycle rodeo that teaches safe bicycling skills Curriculum focused on the benefits of walking and bicycling Seminars or events that educate parents about the benefits of walking and bicycling Traffic safety education Public education for safety improvements

Encouragement is closely tied to education strategies, but is more focused on getting people to try walking and bicycling to school and celebrating and rewarding people for their efforts. Encouragement activities are more effective if the physical environment works for walking and bicycling to school.   

Organizing events such as “Walk and Bike to School Day” to encourage families to try walking & bicycling to school Creating walking school buses that allow kids to walk together with adult volunteers Utilizing contests or incentives to encourage walking and bicycling to school

Enforcement strategies help reduce unsafe behaviors by drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists and help reduce unsafe behaviors by drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists and encourage all road users to obey traffic laws and share the road safely. Enforcement can be expensive, so it is best used strategically in conjunction with the other strategies.

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Partnership with law enforcement to target problem intersections for enforcement Educational “stings” that teach motorists about laws regarding yielding to pedestrians Installation of digital speed signs that display travel speed of passing vehicles

Evaluation is very important to a successful SRTS initiative and should be considered from the very beginning of planning. Ask yourself, how do we define success for our efforts and how can we measure or document our progress? Evaluation will likely include a combination of quantitative information, such as counts of how many children are walking and bicycling, and more qualitative information, such as success stories from families who have chosen to walk and bicycle more.

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A school walking and bicycling audit and a school travel plan that includes specific goals Bicycle and pedestrian counts that show bicycling and walking rates over time Data about vehicle crashes near the school, traffic speeds or traffic volumes

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Barnesville Background and Overview Current Condition Population and the Surrounding Area

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Between 2000 and 2010 Barnesville’s population increased by over 18%. Today, the population of Barnesville is estimated to be 2,588. The impressive population rebound over the past several years is encouraging after losing about 6% of its population in mid to late 1980s. Barnesville is located at the crossroads of two State Highways, 9 and 34; two County Highways, 2 and 52; and Interstate 94. There is a total of 20.1 miles of paved roads in the City of Barnesville, with another 3.9 miles in unpaved alleys and gravel roads. Additionally the City is serviced by the Ottertail Valley Railroad which runs parallel to Front Street. Barnesville also has a municipal operated airport. In addition traffic on Highway 34 as well as Interstate 94 has been steadily increasing over the past decade, increasing by almost two fold on the interstate. The City is responsible for about 81% of paved and gravel roads within the City. MnDOT and Clay County are responsible for most of the other 20%. The majority of the City’s local streets are 36 to 46 feet in width, paved. The right of way of local streets is 60 to 75 feet, typically. Over the years, the City of Barnesville and the Barnesville School District have had a very close working relationship and share similar visions and goals to grow the community through a robust school district. The Barnesville EDA has been very successful in recent years in attracting young families to the community.

Current Condition The last decade has seen a large influx of young families moving into Barnesville, increasing the need to provide safe routes for children to go to and from school. Sidewalks for walking and bicycling in the area of the school are fairly complete but there are sections missing in areas. The existing sidewalks are also fairly old and in need of some maintenance in certain areas. As you move south and east from the area where the schools are, sidewalk is almost entirely non-existent. Painted crosswalks are in place in the residential neighborhoods surrounding the school. One of the projects that the City has hoped top be able to complete for many years is a sidewalk inventory. With State LGA cuts and other budget concerns, there just has not been the necessary manpower to complete the project.

Some of the school district’s students live on the west side of Clay County Highway 52, otherwise known as Front Street. Minnesota State Highway 9 also intersects the west side of the community. Traffic volumes on these main arterials range from 1,550 to 4,400 vehicles per day, depending on the specific location. Over the years, safety concerns have been raised with students walking or biking through these areas.

Existing Policies The School does not have any policies that either limit or encourage biking and/or walking to school. However, the issue of where children are picked up by bus should be reviewed. It may be advantageous to have a radius from the school where children walk instead of being bused. The current Barnesville City Code does not require new residential subdivisions to have sidewalks. With the increase in the number of young families moving to Barnesville, sidewalks have created lots of discussion at both Planning Commission and City Council meetings over the past decade. While safety is a concern for many of the board members, with the ever increasing costs of infrastructure and the subsequent high cost of special assessments, decision makers feel that not requiring developers to build sidewalks helped Barnesville remain competitive in the regional housing market.

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For many years, the Barnesville School District has an active crossing guard program at Atkinson Elementary School. Crossing guards are in place both at the beginning and the end of the school day. Last year the Barnesville PTA paid to have 280 feet of sidewalk poured on the west side of the basketball/tennis court to help create safer walking and biking conditions for children walking to school.

In the established neighborhoods where there are sidewalks, the City Code does require abutting property owners to keep the sidewalk in good repair and to remove snow and ice in the winter months. The Planning Commission and Park Board have discussed the potential for developing a trail system within the city to link schools, residential areas and parks. One of the objectives in the City of Barnesville 2004 and 2013 Comprehensive Plans is to promote a healthy and active community with strategic initiatives to construct sidewalks on each side of the street in all new developments and to conduct a detailed sidewalk inventory in the established neighborhoods of the city.

Another objective stated in the Comprehensive Plan is to develop bike and pedestrian trails with the goal of connecting existing and future parks, residential areas, schools and other relevant destinations.

Support The community is very family oriented and caters to young families in order to support a vibrant school system. Community leaders believe the community would be very supportive of efforts to make it safer and easier for children to walk or bike to school.

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Barnesville has a very active PTA organization. Community leaders envision working very closely with that group both to develop and implement the program. Among the ideas they may choose to put in place might be fun contests to reward students that walk or bike to school. Both the City of Barnesville and the School District have a strong working relationship with Lakes County Service Cooperative in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. LCSC has a variety of wellness programs designed to promote healthy habits and encourage all types of physical activity. LCSC will be a good partner with implementation of the SRTS plan. Another good partner would be PartnerSHIP 4 Health. PartnerSHIP 4 Health (PS4H) is a collaboration of community partners in Becker, Clay, Otter Tail and Wilkin Counties. PS4H is working to reduce costs associated with chronic disease and improve the health of the residents through preventive strategies that support sustainable changes in schools, communities, childcares, worksites and health care settings. Barnesville Bus Company who provides bussing for the school district is locally owned and would be another strong partner in plan implementation; possibly with posters on the bus to encourage kids living closer to consider walking as alternative. The School District would also be willing to make Safe Routes to School information available to parents as part of the Parent-Teacher Conferences which are held two times per year.

Measuring Success The plan will be adopted by both the School Board and City Council. We will complete a baseline parent survey and classroom tally and parents will be periodically surveyed to determine parental interest in improving opportunities for students to walk or bike safely to school. We would anticipate that the Safe Routes to School Team would meet regularly to discuss, monitor and document the plan’s progress.

Existing Infrastructure

The existing sidewalks are in varying condition through out the city. Some places the sidewalk is in poor condition but intact for the entire block and other times the sidewalk is in good condition but sections have been removed by the homeowners. There is a portion of sidewalks in the downtown area that are intact and protected by city ordinance. The following photographs illustrate the use and need for a sidewalk network in Barnesville. This network will allow students as well as community members to get through town safely while minimizing the conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles that can happen when children use the street.

Future location of the sidewalk funded by the 2013 SRTS Infrastructure

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Sidewalk added by the PTA along 5th Street SE in front of the school

Grant along 5th Avenue SE on school property

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5th Avenue SE showing where children are also using the street

A view of a city sidewalk to show use

In this photo people have made a path where there is missing sidewalk to BARNESVILLE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN

get to the intact sidewalk

A view of a city sidewalk to show use

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A path through a section of missing or un-shoveled sidewalk

School Background and Overview The community of Barnesville is the proud home of ISD #146 which includes Barnesville High School (6-12) and Atkinson Elementary (K-5). Barnesville Public Schools has recently experienced a modest and steady increase in student enrollment. The current enrollment of approximately 850 students in grades K-12 reflects the highest enrollment numbers in the past two decades. There are many factors that contribute to increased student enrollment and clearly one major factor that has ignited student enrollment numbers is the support of the voting public that reside within the boundaries of ISD #146. In 2005 the voters overwhelmingly approved a $950 per/pupil school operating referendum. Passage of the school operating referendum enabled the school district to proceed with a focus on all-day every-day kindergarten, improved and increased opportunities in technology, and maintaining small class sizes. The significance of the favorable referendum vote also enabled the school district to continue to aspire in meeting its vision that challenges student learners to reach their full potential and by adopting a school mission of working collaboratively with community, parents, and staff to educate students in an innovative environment. The on-going pursuit of the district’s mission and vision is readily evident as the school has fully engaged and embraced a 1-to-1 digital learning Bikers and Walkers on Walk to School Day, initiative known as MOVE 21 in which all students have been issued their own iPad May 7, 2013: learning tool. The school district continues Kindergarten = 3 (1 classroom did not respond) to be educationally proactive and forward Grade 1 = 12 thinking while daily emphasizing and practicing our “Commitment to Excellence” Grade 2 = 29 in education. Grade 3 = 12 (1 classroom did not respond) School Name: Atkinson Elementary School Population: 406 Grades at school site: K-5

Grade 4 = 22 (1 classroom did not respond)

School Name: Barnesville High School School Population: 435 Grades at school site: 6-12

Total = 115

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Current Condition

Grade 5 = 19 Grade 6 = 18

Throughout the planning process Atkinson Elementary and Barnesville High School, in an effort led by Superintendent Scott Loeslie, have been increasing the number of students biking and walking to school by participating in National Bike or Walk to School Day. This is a great effort and along with other suggestions in the Recommendations section Bike or Walk to School Day should be something that is continued every spring and fall.

SRTS Planning Process Safe Routes to School Vision & Goals SRTS Overall Vision The City of Barnesville envisions a Safe Routes to School program that enables students to walk or bike safely; and increase the amount of physical activity students receive.

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SRTS Overall Goals

1. Inventory and evaluate the existing pedestrian network in Barnesville 2. Develop a good plan for improving or constructing sidewalks and bike trails to help reduce the transportation burden for the local school bus company 3. To be prepared to make use of infrastructure improvement funds, should they become available 4. Recommendations for effective bike and pedestrian ordinances and policies 5. Recommendations for Increasing education and encouragement to create a culture that supports walking and biking to school 6. Leverage community assets to help accomplish our goals

Planning Process – Kick off Meeting On Thursday September 20th 2012 a Kick-off Meeting was held. It was attended by eight persons who form the core of the Safe Routes Planning Team. At this meeting the team discussed the purpose of Safe Routes to School, shared strengths and discussed initial issues, and identified some “quick wins”.

Strengths/Opportunities School located in town Stakeholders/Planning Commission/ City Council Active PTA School wellness plan Oversized streets EDA focused on attracting young families Current bike system around lake School Patrol Concerns/Issues Sidewalk policy allows property owners to remove adjacent sidewalk sections Wide radius where kids live around school Very few current walkers/bikers Full school buses Weather-mind set Overall mindset/culture around walking/biking to school Available adults to walk with kids Snow removal on sidewalks

Quick Wins Stronger sidewalk policy Complete streets policy Walking school bus Walk to school day Bike rodeo “supercharge” Bike/walking challenge Additional bike racks Identify and submit application for an infrastructure project Education (coordinate with PTA)

Data collection Process One of the important steps in this process was getting input from parents about the concerns or barriers they saw that needed to be improved to help encourage kids walking and biking to school. To do this a “parent survey” was sent home with students in Grades K-8. In addition teachers were also asked to conduct a “tally survey” using the form provided on the National Safe Routes to School Website. For the tally survey students were asked to raise their hand indicating how they arrived and departed from school each day. A total of three consecutive days was preferred; however the majority of the teachers completed it a two consecutive day period. An analysis of the survey results is located in the Findings and Data subsection below. For the complete survey results and the forms used please see the attachments section.

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Planning Process – School Observation 2012 School observation was held on Monday October 15th, 2012. On this day volunteers observed students arriving to school in the morning and leaving in the afternoon. Volunteers were placed at several locations around the school in locations in order to observe students who were truly walking and biking to school and not just walking to or from a vehicle. The conditions on this day, according to weather.com were partly sunny with a high of 50 F and a Low of 21F . On this day the volunteers observed a number of student walkers and cyclists and witnessed kids coming from every direction of town to the school. One of the routes students used often was to go between the High School and Atkinson Elementary along 4th Ave. SE. This route already includes sidewalks. Another thing the volunteer observers noted was that students walked in the road or in the grass near the football field along 5th Ave. SE. This subsequently became the focus of the community’s Safe Routes Infrastructure Application. It was also noted that enhanced crossings where needed at several locations around the school.

Crash and Ticket Data Safe Routes to School is about more than just building new sidewalks. The planning process examined current safety conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists within the City of Barnesville. An inquiry to the local police department revealed that they were aware of 1 bike/vehicle accident. In the case of this accident it was reported that the bike hit the car. Ticket data was collected from a radius of 5 blocks around the school from years 2005-2012. During this 7 year period the most notable statistics were 15 no license, 15 speeding and 21 stop sign violations. It is not possible without extensive work to determine the ages of those

violators nor is it feasible to determine the hours at which these violations happened. The number and frequency of these violations are relatively low so no specific recommendations are needed. If this becomes an issue additional steps could be taken. For the complete violations report please see the attachments section.

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Mark Fenton Visit As part of the Safe Routes to School planning initiative in the State of MN several state agencies arranged for national walking and active living expert Mark Fenton to visit the area and speak on the topic of Safe Routes to School. West Central Initiative chose to host him in Battle Lake. As part of his visit Mr. Fenton hosted a 2 day workshop at the school in Battle Lake. While the first day of the workshop consisted of a walking audit of Battle Lake, day two was open to the public, and a team from Barnesville participated. During this portion of the workshop, attendees discussed why SRTS is important, with ideas ranging from healthy living to community connections. The day ended with ideas being brainstormed for next steps in the Safe Routes process, and several strategies emerged. The notes, specific the Barnesville, from this brainstorming session provided by Mark Fenton, along with Jill Chamberlin from Blue Cross/ Blue Shield of Minnesota are as follows:  Evaluation: Just beginning program, so have to tap into parents, families to understand their perspective  Encouragement: Have done bike rodeo for years, but could now enhance relationship with school, and increase participation and incentives  Enforcement: League of Minnesota Cities: Discussion at state legislature enabling legislation for the creation of sidewalk improvement districts. How to pay for them? Lighting, street, sidewalk utilities. Fergus has built it into capital program  Education: Healthy community family film festival. Have discussion groups, lay out community initiatives

Team Meetings Throughout this process team meetings were held nearly monthly. The input of the team was paramount in the formation of this plan. At the meetings the team discussed visioning, proposed projects, next steps, and priorities for Safe Routes to School in the community of Barnesville.

Community Meeting On Wednesday January 9th 2013 a SRTS community input meeting was held. The purpose of this meeting was to receive community input related to the SRTS planning effort and hear what types of improvements residents of Barnesville would like to see made. At this meeting a short presentation was given explaining Safe Routes to School and participants were divided into small groups, each with a map, to discuss the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and challenges that they saw in Barnesville. There were several main themes that were heard throughout this meeting.

COMMUNITY STRENGTHS  Drop-off loop for bus  Some sidewalks around school  Crossing guards  Wide streets

Sidewalks are maintained and students tend to use them

COMMUNITY WEAKNESSES  Bus policy-everyone may ride the bus  Non-existent crosswalk at 5th Avenue  Current City Sidewalk Ordinance  No connection to practice field  Habit not to walk, bike; use car or bus instead  Need culture change-back to accepting sidewalks, use of alternative transportation  No city ordinance to protect sidewalks built with federal funds, but repercussions  Missing sidewalks on 6th Street SE from 3rd Ave SE to 2nd Ave SE  4th Street SE (3rd Ave SE-5th Ave SE); kids to and from school o Congestion caused by parking too close to stop signs o Drop off at elementary school and parents/kids not paying attention; some safety patrols (5th graders) o Yellow paint appears to not be effective as people are parking too close to crosswalks o Sidewalks not used in this area by high school students; use the street instead because sidewalks are not maintained-ice and snow  Elementary students do use the sidewalks  There would be issues with proposing sidewalk along 5th Ave SE because walkers/bikers in same space as cars.  High school football players walk the middle of the streets and cut through the field at 2nd Ave SE COMMUNITY NEEDS  Defined crosswalks  Crossing guards at two corners during limited hours  Flashing lights or school zone/crossing  Controlled intersections  Repair sidewalks  Strengthen language in sidewalk ordinance regarding maintenance  Ordinance not allowing removal of sidewalk  Sidewalks are always on right-of-ways (e.g. 5th Street SE between 5th Ave SE and 4th Ave SE  Adjust ordinance-develop school routes; needs support  Establish two main roads to funnel people through town o Create arteries to reduce congestion and keep cars out from 2nd Ave SE to 5th Ave SE  Another elementary parking lot  Better lighting in existing elementary school parking lot  Stopping, dropping students and moving on in elementary school parking lot by widening and designating lanes; what is the best drop off zone? 4th Street SE by 4th Ave SE (wrestling team by weight room doors)

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Make secondary loop for parent drop off at elementary school-gets children off the street…dropping off on 5th Street SE Teachers at each of the three doors on west side Move bike racks to north side of the elementary school Sidewalk from east side of elementary school to 5th Avenue o Continue sidewalk between 3rd Ave SE and 5th Ave SE Replace sidewalks along west side of elementary school and east side of the high school Make north vehicle access at the high school safer somehow (entrance only or relocate) Sidewalk on 5th o 5th Street/Blue Eagle Park connection o Installation difficult-look at south side Education-changing the norms and mindset. You can build the sidewalks but will they be used? Promote through iPads Something for biking/walking to school-accumulate time for recess Walking school bus Install sidewalks by the fairground o Students get to practice and fairgrounds Take students around school block Students walk to ice rink Sidewalk needed at St. John’s Church area Make sidewalks a priority in city budget o Community funds o Community money o Creative solutions o Set aside money from property taxes that goes towards sidewalks People want sidewalks but do not want to pay for them Streets not extremely busy 7th Avenue SE-traffic speed a problem Community stops-Barnesville does-why does bus pick up kids in town? o Safety for young children: traffic, predators-“Jacob Wetterling effect” Install sidewalks south side of football field all the way to 9th Speed tables How can we get more kids to bike/walk to school? Keep them off the streets. Provide the kids with a route or trail. Area on west side of 13th (not on map); site of future trail.

2013 Safe Routes to School Infrastructure Grant

BARNESVILLE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN

In February 2013 Barnesville had the opportunity to apply for a Safe Routes to School infrastructure grant. This grant was subsequently funded and the project, that included a new sidewalk on school property along 5th Avenue SE, will be constructed during the coming year. Below are several maps that illustrate the key elements of this grant. See the rest of the application in the Attachments section of this plan.

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Findings and data Analysis of Parent Survey Data

In October 2012 two types of data collection surveys were done for children in grades K-8. The 1st was a student tally where students were asked to raise their hands to indicate how they arrived to school that morning and also how they planned to get home that evening. This was done for 2-3 consecutive days and as part of this tally the weather on each of those days was noted. The findings from the student tally as well as a copy of the form used can be found in the Attachments section.

Summary of the findings: Getting to and from school: o

Students most often get to school by motorized vehicle;  bus (53%)  car (30%)  walk (14%)  bicycle (3%) Students most often get home from school by motorized vehicle;  bus (52%)  car (24%)  walk (21%)  bicycle (3%)

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In addition to the student tally, a form was also sent home for parents to fill out. Analysis of the Barnesville Parent Survey Data includes a total of 303 questionnaires for grades K-8. Due to the close locations of the school the response data was combined. Below is the combined survey data. Please see the attachments section to view the data separated by high school and elementary.

Top barriers to walking or riding bicycle to school: (Parents were allowed to select more then one) o o o o o o o o o o o o

Distance - too far from school (68%) Weather – too cold in winter (56%) Amount of Traffic Along Route (46%) Speed of Traffic Along Route (44%) Safety of Intersections and Crossings (41%) Lack of Sidewalks or Pathways (32%) Time (30%) Child’s Participation in After School Programs (21%) Violence or Crime (16%) Lack of Adults to Bike/Walk with (13%) Convenience of Driving (13%) Lack of Crossing Guards (9%)

Typical mode of school arrival and departure by distance child lives from school o

Less than 2 miles  School Bus (47.25%)  Family Vehicle (29%)  Walk (17.5%)  Bike (4.25%) More than 2 miles  School Bus (79%)  Family vehicle (21%)  All other methods (0%)

Things that would help students walk or ride bicycle more often: BARNESVILLE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PLAN

Speed and Amount of Traffic -Combined (85% indicated it was a barrier)  This could be due to large road ways and the “feel” of the streets more than the actual traffic speed  Traffic calming measures could be implemented to help reduce speed and the perception of unsafe roadways Infrastructure improvements –Safety of Intersections and Crossings; Sidewalks and pathways- Combines (73% indicated these were barriers)  Creating these pathways can help address this concern Weather (56% indicated it was a barrier)  This is an issue of perception  Could also be due to the inability to purchase proper winter attire  If this is believed to be a factor a winter clothing drive should be held Nothing, I live too far from school (34% of those who responded live more then 2 miles from school)  66% of those that responded live between 0-2 miles from school  This could indicate that the distance objection identified above is perception or due to other factors making walking or biking undesirable

Recommendations The 5 E’s

Creating a new task force or continuing to meet with the current Safe Routes to School Team is highly recommended due to the ongoing nature and need for continuing support of Safe Routes to School. It should also be noted that these recommendations are not at an engineering level and each location should be evaluated by a qualified person to recommend specific improvements and engineering treatments. For the purposes of this plan, items labeled long and short term refer to the relative ease and resources needed to make a specific project happen. It doesn’t necessarily indicate a specific timeline in which these items should be completed.

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As funding becomes available the City of Barnesville is positioned to implement strategies from all areas of the 5 E’s. The planning process along with some policy change will lay the groundwork for the addition of new sidewalks and trails as well as education and encouragement efforts. The Safe Routes to School team has discussed the strategies they believe will be most beneficial for the community of Barnesville. The team also strongly considered the opinions brought forth at the public meeting conducted as part of the SRTS planning effort. Although considerable thought went into these recommendations it is understood that situations change as do funding sources and flexibility may be necessary when choosing projects to implement in the future.

Engineering Engineering strategies including planning and implementing physical improvements that make it safer and more attractive to walk and bicycle to school. Engaging planners and engineers is crucial to successfully implementing safety improvements. It’s also important to reach out to the community to educate neighbors about the benefits and importance of any proposed improvements. Objective 1: Examine current City Ordinances and School policies. 

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Objective 2: Identify and modify existing infrastructure to improve safety.         

Consider implementing a Sidewalk district (short-term) o Refer to MN State Statute 435.44 Sidewalk Improvement Districts; Costs Split by Benefit Consider implementing a Complete Street Policy (short-term) Review current sidewalk ordinance (short-term) o protect key routes o consider mandating sidewalks in all new development o Review/modify sidewalk maintenance ordinance Review/modify busing practice (short-term) o community pick up locations versus pick up at each home o discuss implementing minimum distance requirement for bus service

Identify key intersections and create pedestrian enhancements (short-term) Flashing lights or school zone/crossing could be added at key intersections (shortterm) Add sidewalks along key identified routes (see map) (short-term) Repair sidewalks along key identified routes (see map) (short-term) Discuss the need for secondary loop for parent drop off at elementary school (Shortterm) Discuss the use of speed tables (short-term) Maintain sidewalk network to ensure safe access for all (long-term) Participate in the PartnerSHIP 4 Health bike rack program to add more bike racks around town (short-term) Add bike shelters at key locations (long-term) o Could have students build in shop class o An example of some of the many designs

Several of the recommendations above suggest enhancing pedestrian crossings at certain locations. The specific type of enhancement should be evaluated per project and designed with maximum safety in mind. Some examples of pedestrian enhancements include:  Pedestrian activated lights at crossings  Crosswalks  Bulb-outs, also known as curb extensions  ADA curb cuts  Pedestrian islands  Narrowing road widths  Parking setbacks from crosswalks  Advance yield markings o These show vehicles where to stop if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk o Stopping further back allows other vehicles to see the pedestrian as well

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Pedestrian Enhancement Considerations

Community Impact considerations

A sidewalk can be a way to increase safety for pedestrians of all ages. When sidewalks are available, children are less likely to walk/bike on the street. This is of particular concern wherever parked vehicles are present because children entering the street from between parked vehicles are often obscured from the vision of drivers. Additionally, sidewalks tend to result in pedestrian crossing activity that is more predictable. When this occurs, more effective signing and pavement marking strategies can be implemented. Further, crossing activity is often more focused to key locations resulting in greater visibility to drivers.

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Sidewalks also can help encourage people to be more active within their community. This activity can have a positive health impact on the individual as well as a community building impact on the neighborhood.

When taking on an infrastructure project that involves sidewalks understand that while some residents may be excited, others may be opposed. Some of the things to consider when siting a sidewalk are: Impacts on trees and landscaping Maintenance responsibilities Right of way and setbacks Perceived lack of need Cost burden When considering constructing a new sidewalk stakeholders affected by the improvements should be notified and solicited for input in the process. A suggestion is to accommodate stakeholders by allowing the sidewalk location to vary within the right of way, hopefully avoiding some of the unwanted impacts mentioned above.

Education Providing education about SRTS helps build support among kids, parents, teachers and community members. To craft education messages, first the community should identify their goals and audiences. Some questions to ask might include: Do people need to know more about the benefits of walking or bicycling? Would maps of routes to the school help more people walk or bicycle? Would walking or bicycling safety information get kids and parents more excited about walking and bicycling? It is suggested that a specific group be tasked with reviewing and implementing these for maximum effectiveness

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Identify community groups to work with on these projects (short-term) o Active Living Committee, School Wellness Committee, etc. o These groups could work with an identified partner like PartnerSHIP 4 Health to help addresses these topics, and others that promote the health of the community.

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Continue hosting International Bike/Walk to school day event in spring and fall (shortterm) Continue to have the City of Barnesville host a yearly bike rodeo (short-term) Consider adding additional partners or pairing with another event (short-term) Host a bike safety 101 course (short-term) Start a SRTS Facebook page or a City healthy living page o Could be run by HS students Teach safe walking and biking to kids at a level appropriate for their age (short-term) Encourage the use of smart phone apps and technology programs that promote health and active living (short-term) MnDOT is working to adapt a bicycle safety curriculum from Florida to be more Minnesota specific. (long-term) o This could be a useful tool once final. Put SRTS info on school and city websites (short-term) o Link to the national SRTS and other resources

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Objective 1. Review list of suggestions below and work on these projects or similar education projects.

Encouragement Encouragement is closely tied to education strategies, but is more focused on getting people to try walking and bicycling to school, and celebrating and rewarding people for their efforts. Encouragement activities are more effective if the physical environment works for walking and bicycling to school. It is suggested that a specific group be tasked with reviewing and implementing these for maximum effectiveness.

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Objective 1. Review list of suggestions below and work on these projects or similar encouragement projects.    

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Host a Walk to School Day (short-term) Start Walking School bus (short-term) Host a community bike ride (short-term) Hold a SRTS logo contest (short-term) o Have all the students design a logo and then pick winner and have t- shirts printed with this logo Punch card program for kids who walk or bike to school (short-term) Have class by class competitions (short-term) o Drawings for prizes Start a bike rental program o A local business might be interested in running this Prizes for bikes in the bike racks (short-term) o Attach them to the bikes o Maybe just for the 1st month of school or specified time period Host a bike/walk contest or challenge (short-term) o Challenge kids from a rival school district! Have a remote drop off day one day a month for all students (short-term) o Increase frequency over time Introduce “Walking Wednesdays” (short-term) o Every Wednesday children have a special activity around walking Host an Open Streets Event (short-term)

Enforcement Enforcement strategies help reduce unsafe behaviors by drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists and encourage all road users to obey traffic laws and share the road safely. Enforcement can be expensive, so it is best used strategically in conjunction with the other strategies. Objective 1. Review list of suggestions below and work on these projects or similar Enforcement projects.

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Teach pedestrian safety course to HS drivers (short-term) o Could be incorporated into driver’s education classes. Enforcement around yielding to pedestrians (short-term)

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Evaluation Plan Evaluation planning is very important to a successful SRTS initiative and should be considered from the very beginning of the planning process. Questions for the community to consider would include: how do we define success for our efforts and how can we measure or document our progress? Evaluation will likely include a combination of quantitative information, such as counts of how many children are walking and bicycling, and more qualitative information, such as success stories from families who have chosen to walk and bicycle more. It is suggested that a specific group be tasked with reviewing and implementing these for maximum effectiveness.

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Objective 1. Review list below and work on these projects and similar Evaluation projects as a key part of Safe Routes to School. Implement this list of recommended activities:    

Objective 2. These tasks are important in the evaluation of Safe Routes to School, consider adding them to the evaluation of Safe Routes to School as time allows .  

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Complete tally forms for grades k-8 (min) each year (short-term) Complete parent survey forms for grades k-8 every other year (short-term) Review and make updates as necessary the Safe Routes to School plan bi-annually (short-term) Continue to meet as a Safe Routes to School team regularly (short-term) o At least quarterly o Alternatively a group such as the PTA or other community group could be tasked with this

Have community members conduct walk audits (short-term) Conduct bike/ped counts (short-term) o Can be done anywhere, by school or trails, etc o Refer to Mn/DOT for instructions and counting form Key informant interviews with community members and business owners to find out what they are interested in (short-term) Consider working with PartnerSHIP 4 Health (short-term) o To help complete tallies and surveys o To accomplish other objectives as identified o To add additional bike racks

Quick Wins Quick Wins are those activities that Barnesville can complete relatively easily with little, no, or currently available funding. These activities should also be chosen for maximum impact in order to generate support and enthusiasm around the Safe Routes to School Program.

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Apply for future SRTS funding as it becomes available Seek out other sources of funding for SRTS projects Continue hosting bike rodeo yearly Identify key routes city wide for sidewalk installation as funds become available Participate in Bike or walk to school week Identified key sidewalk routes o protect these key routes by policy Add additional bike racks through the PartnerSHIP 4 Health program Adopt a Complete Streets policy Promote new sidewalk funded by 2013 Safe Routes to Schools grant Educate community and students about pedestrian and bicycling safety

Next Steps Safe Routes planning is meant to identify strategies that Barnesville can use to continue this work towards creating a community where walking and biking to school is a viable and safe choice. It is important that this work be on-going in order to help create a cultural shift in the community to more fully embrace walking and biking to school. Where it is safe we want to encourage children to walk/bike, where it is not safe we want to work to make it safe. Some recommendations for moving forward with this program are as follows:  Seek out appropriate funding sources to complete the engineering improvements outline above o Safe Routes to Schools funds o Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) Funds o Minnesota State Hwy Funds o DNR Trail Funding o Funding from organizations such as Bikes Belong o Local Funds  Identify projects that each school would like to take on in an effort to encourage a healthy active lifestyle and increase walking/biking.  View bike/pedestrian infrastructure as an integrated part of Barnesville’s transportation system.  Continue meeting as a SRTS team or task another team to completing noninfrastructure projects related to SRTS  Look into creating a paid position at the school o Apply for SRTS non-infrastructure implementation to help fund

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ATTACHMENTS

SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY MEETING AGENDA 6pm – 6:30 Open House

This is a time to have an informal visit with your local SRTS team and community leaders.

6:30-7:10 Presentation

Introductions- Why are you attending tonight? Introduction of local SRTS Team SRTS Presentation SRTS Video Overview of Planning Process

7:10-7:55 Small Group

Strengths, Weakness, Opportunity Challenges Visioning- What would you like your community to look like

7:55- 8:oo Wrap up End at 8pm Sharp

The SRTS team will be available after the meeting to answer any questions.

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Parent Survey (Form Used)

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Student Tally (Form Used)

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Combined Survey

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Atkinson Elementary

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High School

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Report of Violations

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School Transportation Policy

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2013 Infrastructure Grant Application

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All attachments are not included due to length, see entire report by contacting Karen Lauer at the City of Barnesville Economic Development

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