Underwood Safe Routes to School Plan

Safe Routes to School

The Vision

The City of Underwood, along with the Underwood School District, seek to become a community where it is safe and convenient for all children to walk and bicycle to and from school, and where our children can travel under their own power, explore, and play in their community safely, 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.

THE 6 E’S

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs rely on six core strategies, called the “Six Es”, to work towards their vision.

EQUITY THE OVERARCHING E

Prioritizing positive outcomes for students from lower income households; Black, Indigenous, and students of color; students with disabilities; and other students who face disproportionate barriers to walking, biking, and rolling to school.

ENGAGEMENT

Working with students, families, school staff, and community members and organizations, especially those from priority Equity groups, to create and implement Safe Routes to School initiatives.

ENGINEERING

Developing Equity focused changes to the built environment, designed and prioritized through community Engagement.

EDUCATION

Providing students and other community members, especially those from priority Equity groups, with skills and knowledge about walking, biking, and rolling.

ENCOURAGEMENT

Normalizing a culture of walking, biking, and rolling through incentive programs, events, and activities that center priority Equity groups.

EVALUATION

Measuring how Safe Routes to School initiatives are implemented (process evaluation) and what their impacts are (outcome evaluation), especially how initiatives Engage with and support priority Equity groups.

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the participation of the following individuals and organizations in the development of this Safe Routes to School Plan.

SRTS PLANNING TEAM

Anne Stenoien, Director of Transportation

Underwood Public School

SRTS Planning Chair

Dave Kuehn, Superintendent Underwood Public School

Evan Meece, Teacher Underwood Public School

Virginia Larsen, Resident City of Underwood

Patrick Hollister

PartnerSHIP 4 Health

Jakob Kramer, Student Underwood Public School

Jason Morris, Sherriff Deputy Otter Tail Sherriff’s Department

Beth Eidal, Mayor City of Underwood

SRTS PLANNING TEAM

Jane Butzer, Program Director

MnDOT District 4

Mary Safgren, Planning Director

MnDOT District 4

Laranda Drechsel, Daycare Provider Organization

Chuck Grotte, County Engineer

Otter Tail County

Sophie Ravenscraft, Student Underwood Public School

Kaleb Hammes, Student Underwood Public School

Arick Follingstad, Principal Underwood Public School

West Central Initiative Planning Staff

Wayne Hurley, Director of Transportation Planning Mallory Jarvi, Assistant Transportation Planner Kallan Sandahl, Minnesota GreenCorps Member

ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT

report is designed to support and be accessible to multiple groups of people involved with Safe Routes to School in Underwood, including students, caregivers, teachers, school administrators, public works staff, elected officials, and county and state employees. To help make the body of this report relevant to all readers while also documenting all of the participation, analysis, and deliberation that went into development of the plan some content has been moved to the Appendices.

Why Safe Routes to School?

Equity in SRTS

Particular groups and communities in the US have disproportionate access to resources such as high quality jobs, schools, parks, healthcare, food, and bike and pedestrian infrastructure. Meanwhile, some groups of people have limited access to these resources, negatively impacting their health and wellbeing. These differences are not random they are the results of government policy in the past and present, which has worked to the benefit of some and to the disadvantage of others, often along race, income, and gender lines. These group based differences are forms of inequity.

Equity in Safe Routes to School is impacted by transportation system inequities such as limited access to high quality walking and biking infrastructure or the presence of highways in lower income and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) neighborhoods as well as inequities in

related systems. For example, racial wealth inequities and racial discrimination in housing mean that BIPOC students may live further away from schools than their white peers from higher income families.

Safe Routes to School works to address these inequities by prioritizing programs, infrastructure, and policy improvements that help individuals and groups with less access to resources, in particular those who don’t have safe, convenient, and fun routes to school. By looking at demographic data, examining existing transportation services and policies, and speaking with members of the community, the Underwood Safe Routes to School team worked to develop recommendations that support equity in walking and biking to school.

Underwood Community in Context

Home of the Underwood Rockets

Underwood is a small rural town in west central Minnesota located at the intersection of State Hwy 210 and County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 35. Underwood is just east of the City of Fergus Falls and about 180 miles west along I 94 of the St. Paul/Minneapolis metropolitan area. Underwood is located in the southwest corner of Otter Tail County near farmland, lakes country, and forests.

Underwood has a population of 362 residents. The demographic makeup of the population is 88.95% white, 0.5% Hispanic, 8.42% two or more races, and 2.63% African American.

The median age is 44.2 years old, and the average household size is 2.2. The median household income is $46,042, and 67.6% of residents own their home. For level of education, 92.06% of residents have a high school degree or higher.

Underwood Public School

SITE CIRCULATION

Pedestrians: Many students were observed walking to and from campus along several routes, including Park Street, Main Street, and East Street. There is a crosswalk and pedestrian crossing sign going across Southern Avenue at the Park Street intersection. During dismissal, student crossing guards patrol the area.

Before and after school students have been seen crossing the campus and Cleveland Avenue to buy food from a local gas station. There is another gas station located across Hwy 210 that students walk to. There are no pedestrian facilities with a route to either gas station directly from the front entrance of the school.

Bicyclists: A few students were observed biking around the school area on the day of the walk audit There were three bicyclists who rode to school, and they all parked their bicycles at the front entrance in the campus bike rack.

School Buses: Buses and school vans drop off and pick up students at the back entrance near the elementary section of the school building.

Transit: While Transit Alternatives (Otter Express) does provide public transit in portions of Otter Tail County, they do not serve the City of Underwood at this time.

Vehicles: Parents drop off and pick up are at the front entrance of the school in a one way loop beginning at the west entrance of the parking lot and exiting back onto Southern Avenue using the East entrance. There were parents observed dropping their kids off on the north and south sides of Southern Avenue and then crossing the street and into the parking lot to the front entrance.

Underwood Public School

STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS:

• Underwood’s enrolled population of 580 students is spread across kindergarten through 12th grade Students who live within the city limits of Underwood are not eligible for free busing, while those who live outside of the City of Underwood receive free busing to and from Underwood Public School.

Arick Follingstad

Dave Kuehn

ENROLLMENT: 580

GRADES SERVED: K 12

34% of secondary students eligible for free or reduced lunch

DEMOGRAPHICS*

White, non Hispanic, 92.9%

Hispanic, 2.4%

Asian 1.2%

American Indian/Alaska Native 0.7%

Multiracial, 1.2%

Black/African American, 1.4%

LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY STUDENTS IN DISTRICT**

English Language Learners: 1%

*Source: School district records

**Source: School district records

• Underwood’s student population encompasses children and families from a range of demographic groups. Around 7% are students of color or American Indian, and over a third of all students are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, reflecting that many families are lower income.

• Most of the students who attend Underwood Public School live more than two miles or less than a ¼ mile from school The caregiver survey noted that 84.6% live more than 2 miles from school, and 4.6% live less than a ¼ mile from school.

Infrastructure

Introduction to Infrastructure

Physical changes to the streetscape are essential to making walking, biking, and rolling to school safer and more comfortable

An in person walking and biking audit helped to inform specific recommendations to address the key identified barriers to walking and bicycling in Underwood. Discussion with the Safe Routes to School Team and conversations with school and district staff, caregivers, students, community members, and city and county staff led to additional recommendations. Recommendations were prioritized based on community and stakeholder input, traffic and roadway conditions, proximity to schools, and proximity to and use by equity priority populations.

This plan does not represent a comprehensive list of every project that could improve conditions for walking and bicycling in the neighborhood. Instead, it calls attention to key conflict points and potential improvements. Recommendations range from simple striping changes and signing to more significant changes to the streets, intersections, and school infrastructure.

Engineering recommendations are described on the following pages. Recommendations are planning level concepts and will require additional study to confirm feasibility and to finalize project prioritization.

Hwy 210 and CSAH 35 Intersection

MNDOT STUDY

From October to December of 2021 MnDOT installed a temporary traffic camera to survey pedestrian movements at the intersection of State Hwy 210 and CSAH 35 The camera captured the movements of pedestrians during day time hours and was then viewed and studied by MnDOT staff

The study was initiated by the City of Underwood and Underwood Public School, who contacted MnDOT in response to their concern for the frequent crossing of students who were traveling to the local gas stations. The intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 35 is a two way stop control intersection. The speed limit on Hwy 210 is 60MPH with heavy truck and commuter traffic. There is currently no pedestrian crossing infrastructure, but there is a trail leading to the intersection. Students typically cross the intersection before and after school hours. This

has been an ongoing issue for many years, and parents have reported their concerns to the Safe Routes to School Planning Committee.

Based on observations and data from traffic camera it was noted that most students did not cross at the intersection. Students typically crossed diagonally east of the intersection.

PED COUNTER STUDY

In conjunction with MnDOT’s traffic cam study, West Central Initiative planning staff installed a temporary infrared pedestrian counter at the northwest corner of the intersection along the trail leading to and from Hwy 210. The findings of the ped counter showed that most crossings occurred between 8AM 9AM, and again at 4PM 5PM. For a full report of the infrared red counting study reference Appendix M.

A: Hwy 210 and CSAH 35

PRIORITY: High RECOMMENDATION

MNDOT is in the process of conducting an Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) at the intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 35. Based on the results of the ICE, MnDOT will determine potential improvements for pedestrian safety. In addition a speed study conducted by MnDOT should be done to evaluate if speeds could be lowered at the intersection.

Lighting should also be installed at the intersection to provide better visibility to drivers when pedestrians cross.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

Students have been seen frequently crossing the intersection before, at lunch, and after school to visit the two gas stations. With no current pedestrian infrastructure and high traffic speed along Hwy 210, the addition of signage, lighting, and pedestrian oriented infrastructure would make the intersection safer.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

County, city, state, and school leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Improving the intersection would give students without access to a vehicle a safer opportunity to access different food options.

B: Shared Use Path from School to Hwy 210 and CSAH 35

PRIORITY: High RECOMMENDATION

Install a shared use path from the front entrance of the school to the intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 35. The path would follow the west side of the building’s sidewalk down to the south side of the parking lot, along the edge of the parking lot, and diagonally from the southwest corner to the intersection. To make the path ADA accessible a curb ramp would need to be installed at the south edge of the sidewalk to the parking lot surface. The fence on the south side of the school would extend along the length of the trail.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

The current infrastructure does not protect active transportation users or allow access for people with disabilities.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

County, city, state, and school leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Installing an ADA accessible shared use path from the school to the Hwy 210 and CSAH 35 would give all students access to alternative food options.

C: Park Street

PRIORITY: Medium RECOMMENDATION

Explore sidewalk installation on the western side of Park Street between Cleveland Ave and Southern Avenue.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

Students were seen walking and biking to school along this route that has no sidewalks on either side.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Installing a sidewalk along this block would give students in Underwood a safe and accessible way to travel to and from school.

D: Main Street and Cleveland Avenue

PRIORITY: Medium RECOMMENDATION

The northwest corner curb of Main Street and Cleveland Avenue radius could be reconfigured to reduce traffic speeds and encourage full stops.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

High traffic speeds and frequent rolling stops were observed at the intersection. This creates dangerous driving as well as walking conditions at that intersection. Pedestrians walking north or south along Main Street would be more visible and spend less time in the intersection.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Narrowing the intersection and expanding the curb will make pedestrians more visible, including those who use alternative methods of travel such as a mobility scooter or a mobility adapted bicycle.

E: South Main Street and Southern Avenue

PRIORITY: Medium RECOMMENDATION

The intersection of South Main Street and Southern Avenue is fairly wide and should be narrowed. The curb radius could be narrowed on the northwest and northeast corners.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

The wide intersection makes the intersection less navigable for people walking and biking. The northeastern corner does have a sidewalk, however, there is not adequate space for a pedestrian or bicyclist to stop. If the corner was expanded, a landing pad and other ADA accessible infrastructure could be installed and would make the crossing distance smaller. By narrowing the intersection car speeds turning onto and off of Main Street would be reduced and make the entire intersection safer.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Narrowing the intersection would make crossing from Main Street to and from the school safer for all ages and abilities.

F: East Street

PRIORITY: Medium RECOMMENDATION

Install a sidewalk along the eastern and western side of East Street between Southern Avenue and Athletic Avenue East

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

There have been observations that there is pedestrian traffic along East Street, primarily in school age children. Currently there are no bike/ped infrastructure along the proposed area.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Installing a sidewalk would give pedestrians of any ability access to travel in town or from their home.

G: Intersections of Southern Avenue and Park Street, Main Street, and East Street

PRIORITY: Medium

RECOMMENDATION

Install curb bump outs in conjunction with sidewalks at the intersections of Southern Avenue and Park Street; Southern Avenue and Main Street; and Southern Avenue and East Street.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

Most students who walk and bike to school have to cross Southern Ave, and these three intersections would give all students an opportunity to safely cross to school.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Curb bump outs along with crosswalks decreasing the length of time in intersections and improving visibility. This gives all users the ability to cross safely.

H: Park Street and Cleveland Avenue

PRIORITY: High RECOMMENDATION

Enhance pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Park Street and Cleveland Avenue to include painted crosswalk, signage, and pedestrian activated crosswalk sign.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

There were several children observed crossing this intersection to the school before and after school. There is also a park and playground north of the intersection where young children play.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Pedestrian infrastructure at this intersection would make crossing safer for people of all ages and abilities.

I: Centennial Avenue

PRIORITY: Low RECOMMENDATION

Improve bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to create a more accessible connection from Lein Street to Park Street on Centennial Avenue

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

There is currently an unimproved bike path that could be converted into a more accessible path that connects the Centennial and Woodland neighborhoods to the Main Street.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Expanding accessible connectivity will create more equitable access for the residents of the neighborhood and provide a recreational area that can be used by anyone no matter their choice of transportation or mobility access

J: Intersections on East Street

PRIORITY: Medium RECOMMENDATION

Explore crossing improvements at the intersections along East Street, in conjunction with recommended sidewalk improvements.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

There is currently a lack of accessible crossing infrastructure at the intersections that run along East Street.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

City and county leadership, using Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Creating safe and accessible infrastructure along East Street would allow all residents who live along it the opportunity to walk, bike, or use other forms of active transportation throughout the community.

K: Intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 35

PRIORITY: High RECOMMENDATION

Explore shared use path connections between the intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 35 to link active transportation users to the corner store.

WHY IS THIS RELEVANT?

There have been observations of students crossing at and near the intersection to reach the corner store.

WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN?

County, city, state, and school leadership, with funding from Safe Routes to School funding, and/or other local, state, or federal funding.

HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY?

Adding a shared use path from the intersection would give all students safe access to the corner store.

SRTS Ordinance Change

ADOPT SUBDIVSION INFRASTRUCTURE ORDINANCE

A recently implemented Minnesota State Statute (174.40) requires local jurisdictions to adopt a SRTS infrastructure ordinance in order to qualify for state and federal SRTS funds. This ordinance requires all new subdivisions built within city limits to install infrastructure focused on the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists. This is commonly executed by installing sidewalks. An example city ordinance for reference is in Appendix N.

The Underwood Safe Routes to School committee recommends that the City of Underwood adopt a city ordinance requiring all new subdivisions built in Underwood city limits plan for and install pedestrian and bicycle safety infrastructure.

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 National Association of City Planning Officials.

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). Image courtesy Federal Highway Administration.

A

Rapid Flashing

an option

improve safety and visibility for students crossing the street.

Justine.

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.

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.

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

A 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 bikes to school. The City of Underwood can partner with the Underwood School District to determine the possible placement and installation of a bicycle repair station on the school or city grounds.

Sidewalks should be a minimum of 5’ wide, and potentially wider closer to Underwood Public School. Whenever possible, sidewalks should be set back from the street with boulevards. This is a good example from Cleveland Avenue near the school.

Curb ramps should be compliant with the Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG). PROWAG compliant curb ramps such as those pictured here near the Underwood Public School to improve safety for young children, people with disabilities, or mobility issues to navigate the sidewalk network.

Programs

Introduction to Programs

Programs are opportunities to increase awareness, understanding, and excitement around walking, biking, and rolling to school.

Programs are focused on educating students, families, and the broader community about walking and biking, as well as on building a culture that supports and normalizes walking and biking to school and other destinations. Because programs are low cost and can often be implemented quickly by an individual school or the school district, they represent an important Safe Routes to School strategy that complements longer term strategies, including infrastructure improvements and policy changes

EXISTING PROGRAMS

Underwood and the Underwood School District have been actively working towards providing safe and inviting spaces around school campuses for students. This foundation of encouraging student travel safety provides a valuable baseline for expanding programs to encourage more students to walk and bike.

PROGRAMS ALREADY ACTIVE AT UNDERWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS:

• Bike Fleet

• Crossing Guards

• Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum

• Bicycle Field Trip

• Bicycle Rodeo PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS

Conversations with school and district staff, caregivers, students, community members, and city and county staff led to the following program recommendations. Programs were tailored to meet the needs, capacities, and interests of the community and were prioritized based on existing programs, input from local stakeholders, the extent to which the program would serve priority equity populations, and the readiness of the school to launch the program.

RECOMMENDED PROGRAMS INCLUDE:

• Bike Mechanic Classes

• Cocoa for Carpools

• Educational Videos

• In School Curriculum & Activities

• Inter School Partnership

• School Communications

• Ongoing Evaluation

• School Streets

• Park & Walk

• Positive Ticket Program

• School Curriculum

• Student Clubs

• SRTS Campaign

• Suggested Route Map

• Walk & Bike Field Trips

• Walk! Bike! Fun!

• Walk and Bike to School Days

• Walking School Bus and Bike Train

WALK/BIKE TO SCHOOL DAYS

National Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day attracts millions of students and families to try walking, biking, and rolling to school every October and May. In addition, Minnesota celebrates Winter Walk to School Day in February. Additional education, encouragement, and enforcement programming can be used to promote the event, increase awareness, and expand participation. Walk/bike to school days can also take place more frequently (e.g., Walking Wednesdays) if there’s interest and capacity.

When, where, and how will this be implemented?

Underwood School District leadership will promote and support Fall and Winter Walk to School Day, and May Bike to School Day.

Why is this relevant and recommended? To show students and families that the Underwood school district encourages students to walk and bike to school.

How will this address transportation inequities?

All children will be supported by the school district to participate in walk and bike to school day.

How will this be evaluated? School will tally how many students participate in the walk and bike to school days.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen? Students, school leadership, and parents.

What is the timeline for implementation?

Beginning in the 2022/2023 school year.

DROP & WALK

During a drop and walk event (also called park and walk or remote drop off) bus drivers and caregivers drop students at a designated off campus location and students walk the rest of the way to school. Remote drop off events can help reduce drop off congestion on campus and provide students who live further from school with an opportunity to walk to school.

When, where, and how will this be implemented? The Underwood School District will hold drop and walk events in conjunction with bike and walk to school days.

Why is this relevant and recommended? Around 84.6% of the students attending Underwood Public Schools live more than two miles from school. This would give all students the opportunity to walk to school.

How will this address transportation inequities?

Not all students have the ability to walk and bike to school due to distance. A drop and walk allows all students to walk and bike to school as a group.

How will this be evaluated? This will be evaluated by a tally of students who participate.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen? School district leadership, city staff and leadership, and parents.

What is the timeline for implementation?

Beginning in the 2022/2023 school year.

WALK! BIKE! FUN!

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Curriculum is a two part curriculum designed specifically for Minnesota’s schools. It is structured to meet Minnesota education standards and is an important part of the Safe Routes to School Program in Minnesota. Walk! Bike! Fun! helps students ages five to thirteen learn traffic rules and regulations, the potential hazards to traveling, and handling skills needed to bike and walk effectively, appropriately and safely through their community.

When, where, and how will this be implemented?

Underwood School District leadership will implement Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum in the school after teacher’s have attended training sessions.

Why is this relevant and recommended? Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum can increase ridership in students by raising their confidence and teaching them how to bike in town safely.

How will this address transportation inequities?

Not all students have access to bicycles at home or were taught how by their caregivers. By teaching kids in school this ensures all students are given the same opportunities to learn how to ride a bike and walk safely on roadways.

How will this be evaluated? This will be evaluated by the number of students who pass the Walk! Bike! Fun! unit in their physical education class.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen? Physical Ed staff, school leadership

What is the timeline for implementation? Beginning in the 2022/2023 school year.

RAINBOW FRIENDS TOOLKIT

The Rainbow Friends Toolkit was developed by a team at West Central initiative along with artist Naomi Schliesman to encourage kids to walk and bike to school through the use of colorful animal footprints, art projects, and games. When, where, and how will this be implemented?

Underwood School District leadership will work with West Central Initiative to deploy the Rainbow Friends Toolkit on specific walk and bike oriented days, such as walk/bike to school days or in conjunction with a bike rodeo.

Why is this relevant and recommended? The Rainbow Friends Toolkit makes active transportation more fun and interactive for younger students.

How will this address transportation inequities? The artwork with the toolkit is inclusive with a variety of methods for active transportation such as a wheelchair, scooter, or bicycle.

How will this be evaluated? The use of the Rainbow Friends Toolkit will be evaluated qualitatively by leadership who help with the implementation of the toolkit to see how students and families interact with the games, chalk footprints, and artwork.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen?

School and city leadership, WCI staff, parents, students

What is the timeline for implementation?

Beginning in the 2022/2023 school year.

BICYCLE RODEO

Bicycle Rodeos are events where bicycle skills and safety stations are offered for children and sometimes parents. Examples are obstacle courses, bicycle safety checks, helmet fittings, and rules of the road instructions. Events can be held during or after school, can be administered by adult volunteers or through the local police and/or fire department.

When, where, and how will this be implemented?

The Underwood School District will collaborate with a local partner to host a bicycle rodeo in the City of Underwood

Why is this relevant and recommended?

Caregivers often feel uncomfortable with their children walking alone given safety concerns.

How will this address transportation inequities?

A bike rodeo will give all children access to bicycle education and a proper helmet fitting.

How will this be evaluated? This will be evaluated by a tally of attendees.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen?

School district leadership, city staff and leadership, local health organization, and local volunteer organization.

What is the timeline for implementation?

Beginning in the spring/summer of 2023.

BICYCLE PLAYGROUND

A bicycle playground, also called a traffic garden or safety village, is a park where children can learn the rules of the road and bicycle handling skills. Traffic gardens include a miniature street network where students can learn about traffic safety and practice walking, bicycling, and “driving” along roadways and through intersections and crossings in an environment that is free of motorized traffic.

When, where, and how will this be implemented?

Underwood School District along with the City of Underwood will partner together to create a plan for a traffic garden that includes location, funding sources, and implementation process.

Why is this relevant and recommended? There currently is not a designated paved area within Underwood designed for bicyclists to practice road skills away from traffic.

How will this address transportation inequities?

Traffic gardens provide a space for all ages and abilities to practice how to ride a bike and learn how to safely ride a bike on roadways.

How will this be evaluated? This will be evaluated by the successful installation of the traffic garden, and tally of people using it.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen?

School leadership, city staff and leadership, local health partners, and West Central Initiative.

What is the timeline for implementation? Begin planning process in next 5 years.

WALK AND BIKE FIELD TRIP

Schools that have the opportunity for every child to have access to a bicycle, such as having a school bike fleet, can take their students on a bicycle field trip. A bicycle field trip involves taking a group of students to a planned location where they can practice their cycling skills on the way. This is a great way to learn hands on how to ride a bike safely in public and in a group for support.

When, where, and how will this be implemented?

Underwood School District leadership would hold a bicycle field trip either from the school or drive to a destination where students can then ride their bikes in a bike friendly location. Underwood can reach out to local partners for resources and hands on support during the bicycle field trips.

Why is this relevant and recommended? Some kids do not have access to bikes at home and this gives students the ability to take an enjoyable bike ride while practicing their cycling skills.

How will this address transportation inequities?

Underwood School District would provide standard and adaptive bicycles to all students who may not have access to bicycles at home.

How will this be evaluated? This will be evaluated by the number of students who participate in the bicycle field trip.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen? School District Leadership, physical education staff, parents.

What is the timeline for implementation?

Beginning in the 2022/2023 school year.

WALKING SCHOOL BUS

A Walking School Bus is a group of students walking to school, often with one or more adults. Caregivers can take turns leading the bus, which follows the same route each time and picks up students from their homes or designated bus stops at specified times. Ideally, buses run every day or on a regular schedule so families can count on it, but they often begin as a one time pilot event. Older students or “walking buddies” could also be used once a safe route has been established with the help of a trusted adult.

When, where, and how will this be implemented?

Underwood School District leadership along with local parents would partner to create a walking school bus in the community.

Why is this relevant and recommended? In the caregiver survey around 5.6% of parents commented that having a group of students would increase the likelihood their child walked or biked to school.

How will this address transportation inequities? This would make walking and biking more accessible for students who may not have a support network to travel with them, and safer for younger students to travel in a group.

How will this be evaluated? This will be evaluated by the number of walking school buses are at the school and the number of students who participate.

Who needs to be involved to make this happen? School district leadership, students, and parents.

What is the timeline for implementation? Immediately

Working for Change

Action Steps

This plan and planning process provide two critical ingredients for creating a more equitable transportation system in Underwood: a prioritized set of infrastructure and program recommendations, and a network of caregivers, school staff, local government employees, and community members committed to improving walking and biking.

PRIORITY SRTS INITIATIVES

• Design and install pedestrian and bicycle friendly infrastructure at the intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 35.

• Implement Walk! Bike! Fun! curriculum in physical education classes

• Participate in Walk/Bike to School Days in the Fall, Winter, and/or Spring.

• Strengthen SRTS outreach to students’ families by sharing information on school webpage, at back to school day, and parent/teacher conferences.

FOR ALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS

A more equitable transportation system that prioritizes safe, comfortable, and fun opportunities to walk, bike, and roll benefits everyone. While this plan is focused on addressing connections to schools, many improvements will benefit people with no relationship to the schools because we all share the same streets, sidewalks, and trails. Likewise, many needed changes, such as reducing speed limits and normalizing walking and biking, extend far beyond the school system.

Your number one role as a community member is to advocate for changes that make walking, biking, and rolling safer, more comfortable, and more fun. Speak to elected officials, show up to community meetings, talk about walking and biking at school events and with school administrators, and organize and vote for candidates who support walking, biking, and public transit.

I AM A STUDENT OR CAREGIVER

Students and their families can have incredible influence when advocating for change in their school and broader community. For example, students and caregivers can support and lead SRTS initiatives including:

• Advocating for policy change and funding at City Hall.

• Developing campaigns to generate enthusiasm and improve social conditions for SRTS.

• Volunteering time to lead a Walking School Bus or organize a bike drive.

• Fundraising for SRTS programs and small infrastructure projects.

I AM A SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEE

School district staff bring an important perspective and voice to advocating for a more equitable

transportation system. By describing challenges and opportunities they see confronting their students and petitioning local elected officials for improvements, school district employees can support policy and infrastructure improvements that benefit their students and the broader community. Staff are also ideally positioned to implement the recommendations in this plan, whether it be a classroom level curriculum or school district wide policy around walking and biking.

I WORK FOR THE CITY OR COUNTY

As members of the governments that own, regulate, and maintain the roads, city and county staff can be instrumental in re orienting transportation policies and infrastructure around walking and biking to schools and other destinations. City and county staff can leverage their expertise to identify, advocate for, and implement changes that contribute toward a more equitable transportation system. Key policies that staff can support include:

• Reducing lane widths and vehicular speed limits.

• Eliminating minimum parking requirements.

• Revising land use regulations to promote denser and more integrated land uses that promote walkable and bikeable trips.

• Prioritizing municipal maintenance and snow clearing of all pedestrian and bike facilities

• Requiring complete streets infrastructure as part of all road resurfacing and reconstruction projects.

City staff can also use this report to support Safe Routes to School funding applications to programs such as MnDOT SRTS grants, Federal SRTS grants, and the Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP)

Appendices

RESPONSES TO Q22:

OTHER RESPONSES TO Q36:

What? nothing changed

None because social distancing and masks are stupid.

Checking out all state parks

None

Comments from Caregiver Survey:

There are almost no sidewalks on the side streets of Underwood, forcing children to walk ON the road. Many intersections (both on main road through downtown and side streets) have multiple blind spots, or hard to look for incoming traffic areas. The lighting in town on the side streets of town is horrible! It's actually scary how DARK it is, even with the new LED street lamps. Many of the street lights are NOT located at intersections- but farther down from intersection- others have trees and branches inhibiting the source of light.

I believe it is very important to have safe biking/walking routes. Not only for school purposes, but for a community as a whole. The more we can get our kids/community out being active, the better we are as a whole. If kids/community feel safe while doing it, we will see more individuals being active.

I would like to see more lighting for the winter months and lights for pedestrian traffic where there is the most traffic (Hwy 35 and Hwy 122). Underwood Quik Stop is in the city limits and the highway 210 intersection is especially dangerous for kids running and biking across the highway.

The intersection of Hwy 210 & Cty Hwy 35 is dangerous for cars & for kids crossing

something needs to be done at the 210 and 35 intersection

She started getting rides because it was way to early with the new bus schedule so my bf decided to drive her instead of her taking the bus. She gets sick being on the bus too long.

The intersection of 210 is very unsafe

Doesnt apply to my kids

N/A

None

Walking is great, except when the cold weather becomes dangerous.

The people standing outside the bars on mainstreet scare the kids. The other streets have fast speeding cars or too icy.

We live too far to bike or walk.

The amount of traffic, and the speeds around the school prevent me from ever allowing my child to walk/bike by themselves around the school area. I feel there needs to be either a stoplight or a 4 way stop signs added to the intersection of 210 and 35. The fact that there isn’t even a reduction in the speed limit near the school is terrible. 210 is a common road for Semi’s and other large vehicles to travel and they fly through the area which is concerning for a parent.

We live in the country about 7 miles from the school and children would not be able to walk. If we lived in town closer to school I think walking, depending on weather would be a good thing.

My child lives 19 miles from school. She drives daily.

Live too far to bike to school, but if we lived in underwood he would. With exception of the cross street of Hwy 210. Too dangerous-should be a 4 way stop

We live 16 miles away from school which prohibits walking or biking. There should be an initial question like that so that people who live far from school don’t have to answer all 19 questions.

APPENDIX B: STUDENT TRAVEL TALLY RESULTS

Student Travel Tally Report: One School in One Data Collection Period

School Name: Underwood Elementary School

School Group: West Central Minnesota / MnDOT D4

Date Report Generated: 06/09/2022

Set ID: 32085

Month and Year Collected: October 2021

Number of Classroom Included in Report: 12

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.

Student Travel Tally Report: One School in One Data Collection Period

School Name: Underwood Secondary Set ID: 32071

School Group: West Central Minnesota / MnDOT D4 Month and Year Collected: October 2021

Date Report Generated: 06/09/2022

Number of Classrooms Included in Report: 14

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.

A high quality and text readable version of this document can be found at Error! Hyperlink reference not valid. (https://saferoutesdata.org/downloads/Parent_Survey_English.pdf).

A high quality and text readable original version of the can be found at Safe Routes to School Student Travel Talley (https://saferoutesdata.org/downloads/SRTS_Two_Day_Tally.pdf).

APPENDIX D: UNDERWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL SMART GOALS

Education:

• Underwood School District will host a bike rodeo in the summer 2023.

• Underwood School District will send teachers and faculty to attend a WBF training opportunity in 2022/2023 school year.

• Underwood School District will adopt WBF curriculum in 2023/2024 school year.

• Underwood School District will design a walk and bike safe route to school in 2022/2023.

Engagement:

• Underwood School District will deploy WCI’s Rainbow Friends toolkit in 2022/2023 school year.

• Underwood School District will share SRTS information at parent/teacher conferences in the 2022/2023 school year.

• Underwood School District will share SRTS information on back to school day 2022/2023.

• Underwood School District will share SRTS information on school webpage/electronic message sign 2022/2023.

Encouragement:

• The City of Underwood will apply for bicycle friendly community designation in 2023.

• Underwood School District will participate in walk to school day in 2022/2023.

• Underwood School District will take students on a bike field trip to Glendalough in 2022/2023.

Enforcement:

• Otter Tail Sheriff’s Office will participate in positive tickets 2022/2023.

• Continue to maintain sheriff’s presence at arrival time at Underwood Public School.

Engineering:

• Make the 210/35 intersection safer, through a stop or slower speeds pedestrian diversion.

• Make lights brighter 210/35 intersection and downtown.

• Improve crosswalks at Park and Cleveland.

• The city and school district of Underwood will install a bike repair station by 2023.

• The City of Underwood with maintain bike/ped trail in winter.

• The city and school district of Underwood will apply for a SRTS demonstration project.

Evaluation:

• Underwood School District will conduct student travel tallies annually starting the 2022/2023 school year.

• Underwood School District will conduct Parent survey every two or three years starting in 2024.

• Underwood School District in partnership with West Central Initiative will deploy pyro pedestrian counter at same location on the bike path leading to Hwy 210 again.

Equity:

• Underwood School District will expand bike fleet to be more inclusive for younger students and disable students.

• Underwood School District will have language inclusive program options. Spanish/Russian.

E: UNDERWOOD SRTS TEAM MEETING NOTES

Underwood Safe Routes to School Kick off meeting 10/12/21

In attendance (in person): Anne Stenoien. Dave Kuehn. Evan Meece. Virginia Larsen. Patrick Hollister. Jakob Kramer, student. Jason Morris, OTC Sherriff’s Office, Wayne Hurley, Mallory Jarvi, Kallan Sandahl

(Over zoom): Beth Eidal, mayor. Jane Butzer, MNDOT. Mary Safgren, MNDOT.

6:11 Video introduction to SRTS

6:13 MNSRTS presentation

6:46 Planning Process & Scope of Work, Roles and expectations

For Thursday 10/14, meet in place at 7:15am for walking/biking audit 2:30pm in afternoon

7:09 Draft Vision Statement & Goals

Remove “s” from “schools”

This is more a mission statement, a vision statement should be shorter, wording makes it sound more like a mission statement

Take out and between schools

Intersection of Main St and County road is a difficult crossing. Main street is only street with sidewalk. Many children walk and bike in the alleys between old outdoor place. Many students park or get dropped off and walk to either gas station, could be trouble if students are crossing 210. Otter Tail County Engineer made a report. Hill on east street north, there is a stop sign at the top of the hill but not the bottom, people blast through. After football games, there are no lights for those walking. Seems like most of the town isn’t well lit anyways.

More lighting in town, safer walking areas could encourage people walking. Stripped bike lanes. Solar Lights? We need a safe route to bring kids to the side of the building that was the original entrance. Needs to be clearly marked for children. Designate a specific safe route to school to funnel children to the side of the school.

Implement Walk! Bike! Fun! Training. They want to but are a bit drained dealing with COVID. In the future this will be an achieved goal, just a lot of things going on to concentrate on this specifically.

Last bike rodeo was about 3 years ago, not stopped due to covid.

November 8 parent teacher conferences. Concerts are in December.

Send the safe routes to school video and the WCI video from battle lake. When the wikimap is ready we will include the videos in that message.

Bus typically don’t pick up kids in town

Any lights or signage would probably slow traffic down. There is a “your speed” sign north of town that slows down traffic

Underwood SRTS Team Meeting #2

January 13th, 2022

5:00PM Underwood Public School and Zoom

Mallory Jarvi, Patrick Hollister, Chuck Grotte, Jane Butzer, Kallan Sandahl, Wayne Hurley, Anne Stenoien, Jason Morris OTCSO

Mallory reviewed scope of work

• tasks completed

• Tasks to do

• Public input @ school

Mallory reviewed draft table of contents

Discussion on observation day / public input / travel tallies

• Mallory was near front entrance very busy; did see some kids walking and biking

• Wayne was on the north side of the school with Anne; busy there too. Weather was bad so numbers were down; no crossing guards in the AM but there are PM

• Patrick was a block north of the school; some kids on bikes, more walking; driver behavior was okay

• Jason wasn’t able to attend that day but does sit in the parking lot every morning; alley is very busy; driver behavior isn’t terrible; biggest safety issue is students walking to and from the gas station across the highway

• Anne one student who bikes from across the highway

Mallory reviewed the poster boards and maps from the public input session at the school

Mallory gave an overview of the wiki map and did a demonstration: https://wikimapping.com/underwoodmn.html

SMART goals Mallory led a discussion and took notes

• intersection safety @ main & 122, main & 35

Boost grant bikes and bike tools, cones for WBF, vests for safety patrol

Next meeting late April

Meeting adjourned at 6:30 PM

Underwood SRTS – June 14, 2022

Attendance in person at Underwood School:

Anne Stenoien

Karen Nitzkorski

Mallory Jarvi

1. Welcome and Introductions

Mallory opened the meeting at 4:17 p.m.

2. Review of SRTS Planning Guide

Mallory reviewed the SRTS plan

1. Overview of Infrastructure Recommendations

Attendance online via Zoom:

Chuck Grotte

Mary Safgren

Dave Kuehn

Patrick Hollister

Wayne Hurley

Mallory reviewed the infrastructure sections of the plan and maps.

Mary noted that a speed study would need to be conducted in order to change the speed limit on TH 210.

Mary also stated that she’ll get an update on the Intersection Control Evaluation (ICE) report that MnDOT is working on.

Mary said that other MnDOT districts have used additional techniques to provide advanced warning signs to drivers to alert them of pedestrians.

Committee members discussed the concept of a shared use path and crossing at the intersection of TH 210 and CSAH 35.

Mary suggested that Trudy Kordosky, MnDOT District 4 Traffic Engineer should review the plan before it is finalized.

2. Overview of Program Recommendations

Mallory reviewed program recommendations in the plan

The committee discussed the recommendations.

3. Discussion: SRTS Planning Guide

1. Main SRTS goals and initiatives

There was a conversation about staff parking along Southern Ave. near the intersection and crosswalk at Main Street.

2. Overall Planning Guide

Mallory gave a brief overview of the appendices in the plan

4. Action Items for Team

1. Respond with any suggestions or comments to mallory@wcif.org by Friday.

5. Other Topics/Questions

The committee discussed presenting the plan to the city council and school board. Dave asked if WCI could present the plan to the school board on July 11

6. Adjourn

Mallory adjourned the meeting at 5:53 p.m.

APPENDIX H: OTTER TAIL COUNTY ORDINANCES

Bicycling

It shall be unlawful for any person to:

a. Operate any type of bicycle, except on roadways, paved or aggregate surfaced trail and designated trails.

b. Ride or operate a bicycle, except in a prudent and careful manner and at speed faster than is reasonable and safe with regard to the safety of the operator and other persons in the immediate area. (from Otter Tail County Parks and Trails Ordinance)

APPENDIX I: UNDERWOOD PUBLIC SCHOOLS DISTRICT TRANSPORTATION POLICY

Transportation Safety Rules

● Underwood Student Transportation/Bus Discipline:

● Students who ride the school bus may do so as long as they display safe and reasonable behavior. Choosing and/or continuing to follow unacceptable behavior will result in loss of bus service.

● The bus driver is responsible for the safety of the students on the bus. The school administrator, in accordance with this policy, will determine consequences of misbehavior and the reinstatement of bus service for the offending students should a suspension become necessary.

● No animals, any other dangerous, or objectionable nature items will be transported in the school bus when children are being transported.

● Band instruments that will be allowed on the bus are those that are small enough to be held in the student’s lap. Instruments may not be in the aisle or take the space of a student if that space is needed to sit down. Damage to personal items is not covered by the school bus insurance coverage.

Bus Riding Rules

● Obey the bus driver at all times. Bus drivers are authorized to assign seats.

● Be courteous, no profanity.

● Eating or drinking on the bus is a privilege, Students need to clean up their mess

● Do not throw objects or litter on the bus.

● Cooperate with the driver.

● Stay in your seat, face front, and keep the aisle clear.

● Do not be destructive.

● The responsibility for student supervision by the school shall begin when the student boards the bus in the morning and is retained until the child leaves the bus at the end of the day.

● Riding the school bus is a privilege, not a right, and as such may be revoked for safety and discipline infractions.

● The school bus ride is an extension of the school day and is as such subject to all school policies and procedures. Bus conduct reports will be recorded in accordance with all other school record keeping procedures.

● Windows are to be opened only with driver’s permission.

● Keep head, hands, and feet inside the bus.

● Do not throw objects out the window.

● Talk quietly, no loud outbursts.

● Students will always cross in front of the bus when loading and unloading, after the bus driver’s signal.

● Students must have a bus pass from the school office/parent to ride a different bus or leave the bus at a different stop.

Bus Behavior Guidelines

Each infraction of Class I and II offenses shall be reported by the driver to the Dean of Students.

Class I Offenses

● Out of the seat while the bus is in motion.

● Loud noise (should be classroom voices).

● Horseplay.

● Possession of unacceptable material.

● Obscene gestures or profanity.

● Yelling out the bus window.

● Other offenses as reported by the driver: including using mirrors, lasers, flash cameras, or any other lights or reflective devices in a manner that might interfere with the school bus driver’s operation of the school bus.

Class I Consequences (Grades K 12)

● First Offense Warning (Call Parent).

● Second Offense 3 to 5 day suspension from bus

● Third Offense 5 to 10 day suspension from bus.

● Fourth Offense 10 day suspension from bus.

● Fifth Offense Loss of bus service (for one full grading period or remainder of year)

All assigned consequences subject to review of administration.

Class II Offenses

● Profanity (directed at driver), verbal abuse, and harassment (directed at student or driver).

● Body parts out of the window.

● Throwing / shooting of any objects.

● Physical aggression against any person.

● Use of tobacco and any controlled substance.

● Destruction of school property (vandalism suspended until restitution is made).

● Loading or unloading buses improperly.

● Lighting of matches, fireworks, or any flammable object or substance.

● Unauthorized entering or leaving the bus through the emergency door.

● Tampering with any portion of the bus or equipment on the bus.

● Riding of any bus after being suspended from one.

● Fighting (of any kind) treated as Class II 3rd offense.

● Other Offense committed on any bus outside regular transportation to and from school (shuttles, activity, field trip) will carry a minimum penalty of a Class II 1st offense

Class II Consequences (Grades K 12)

● First Offense 3 to 5 day suspension from bus.

● Second Offense 5 to 10 day suspension from the bus.

● Third Offense 10 day suspension from bus.

● Fourth Offense Loss of bus services.

All assigned consequences subject to review of administration.

*Severe Class II offenses are subject to In School Suspension, Home Suspension, Alternative Correctional Education Placement and/or Juvenile Complaint.

APPENDIX K: MAPS AND VISUALS

West Central Initiative has created online maps via Google My Maps for the use of the Underwood Safe Routes to School committee. Visit the Google My Maps website for first map (https://tinyurl.com/axndtvpy) and the second map (https://tinyurl.com/bdabzfxe).

West Central Initiative also created a WikiMap for the Underwood community that was open to the public for input. Visit here for the Underwood WikiMap (https://wikimapping.com/underwoodmn.html).

The maps contain multiple layers for easy viewing, some of which have been manipulated to produce figures C I. These maps were created in May of 2022, based on visual assessments and data obtained during community walk audits

Figure A: Sidewalk conditions report to show differences in how to categorize different types of sidewalks.

Figure B: Curb Conditions report to show differences in how to categorize different types of curbs.

Figure C: Map of the City of Underwood showing locations with existing sidewalks

Figure D: Map of the City of Underwood showing locations with no existing sidewalks

Figure E: Map of the intersection of Hwy 210 and CSAH 25 with recommended connections.

Figure F: Map of Centennial Ave showing a recommended connection.

Figure G: Wikimap of the City of Underwood showing locations were the public noted places of concern for walking and biking.

Figure H: WikiMap of the City of Underwood with a close up view near Underwood Public School.

Figure I: WikiMap of the City of Underwood with a close up view near the intersection of Hwy 210 and County Road 25.

Public Comments:

Kids often walk in the street along East St

The corner of Hwy 35 and Hwy 210 is a dangerous intersection for students bicycling from their homes south of Hwy 210. They are usually crossing by standing in the lane where cars are turning right from the highway.

The intersection light does not illuminate the area much. It seems like it is further back from the intersection than most lights at other intersections. Students cross 210 to get to the store all of the time. It would be safer to have stoplight & crosswalk.

Heavy vehicle and semi traffic, students walking, biking, young drivers. This intersection is very hard to see with the sun in the morning and at dusk. There have been many accidents some fatal. Speeds to high. There needs to be something to slow traffic down or stop them at this intersection for added safety.

Some sort of crosswalk, under or overpass

Lots of pedestrian traffic before and after school. Not safe with amount of traffic without cross the walks

Lots of pedestrian traffic before and after school this intersection desperately needs a 4 way stop. the Arco has been and will be a destination for school kids on foot, bicycle and in cars. When traveling north bound, looking east there are times the sun causes visibility issues, this intersection in the winter months has issues with ice making it difficult to quickly move thru the intersection. also it should be taken into consideration the CHS location with additional semi traffic. in the past few years we have witnessed accidents at this intersection. I have spoke with CHS management and I believe they are in agreement with the need for a stop sign at this intersection High traffic 60mph. This is the route numerous kids are taking. If there is some way to make the crossing of Cleveland safer for kids that would be best.

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

Figure J: A poster that public participant could mark what keeps children from walking or biking to school.

Figure K: A poster that public participants could mark what would help children walk or bike to school.

Figure L: A map of the City of Underwood with public input marked on it showing places of concern for their kids walking or biking to school.