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Shorewood Safe Routes to School PlanSAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL A plan to make walking, biking, and rolling to school a safe, fun activity JUNE 2022SHOREWOOD, MINNESOTA Excelsior Elementary 2 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Acknowledgments We gratefully acknowledge the participation of the following individuals and organizations in the development of this Safe Routes to School Plan. SRTS LOCAL PLANNING TEAM Greg Lerud City of Shorewood - Team Lead Mackenzie Turner Bargen MnDOT Andrew Budde City of Shorewood Nicholas Calder Shorewood Resident Morgan Dawley City of Excelsior Matthew Gallivan Shorewood Resident Nathaniel Gorham Shorewood City Council Mitchell Kiecker MnDOT Rebecca Monnens Excelsior Elementary Andrew Morrow Shorewood Resident Laura Nelson Excelsior Elementary, Vice Principal Mike Samuelson MnDOT David Sheen Hennepin County Jessica Scholla Minnetonka Public Schools Phong Vu Hennepin County SRTS STAFF / CONSULTANTS Dave Cowan MnDOT Colin Harris Alta Planning + Design Matthew Dyrdahl Alta Planning + Design Will Curran-Groome Alta Planning + Design Brigitte Bjorklund Zan Associates Tom Holmes Zan Associates | 3 Table of Contents ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT This report is designed to support and be accessible to multiple groups of people involved with Safe Routes to School in Shorewood, including students, caregivers, teachers, school administrators, public works staff, elected officials, and county and state employees. This Plan focuses on key information and recommendations, while the Appendices document additional participation, analysis, resources, and deliberation that shaped the development of the plan. 01. WHY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL? 6 02. INFRASTRUCTURE 12 03. PROGRAMS 26 04. WORKING FOR CHANGE 32 05. APPENDICES 36 4 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL THE VISION Walking, biking, and rolling to school is safe, comfortable, and fun for all students at Excelsior Elementary. 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. ENGINEERING Developing Equity-focused changes to the built environment, designed and prioritized through community Engagement. THE 6 Es Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs rely on six core strategies, called the “Six Es,” to work towards their vision. 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. 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. EQUITY – THE OVERARCHING E Prioritizing positive outcomes for students from lower-income households; Black, Indigenous, and other students of color; students with disabilities; and other students who face disproportionate barriers to walking, biking, and rolling to school because of their group membership. This Plan uses the term “priority equity populations” to refer to disproportionately-impacted groups of students and other community members. THE VISION | 5 WHY SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL? 01. THE VISION | 7 Better air quality and more pleasant bike and pedestrian environments Safer and easier routes to and from school Greater focus on policies, infrastructure, and programs to support walking and biking More students walking and biking to school KIDS WHO WALK OR BIKE TO SCHOOL: A REINFORCING CYCLE OF WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL *More information, including primary sources, can be found at http://guide.saferoutesinfo.org. SRTS initiatives are contributing to more students and families walking and biking to school. Most kids are not getting enough physical activity. Roads near schools are congested, decreasing safety and air quality for children. Arrive alert and able to focus on school Feel better about their physical health Are more likely to have good mental health Get most of their recommended daily physical activity just from traveling to and from school Have better school performance and test scores Why Safe Routes to School? 14% 2007 17%29% 40% 2014 2025 2035 Today, fewer than 20% of K-8 students walk or bike to school, but as recently as 1970, nearly 50% of students walked or biked to school. Where schools and housing are located, how roads are designed, and how automobiles are regulated have all contributed to this decline. Through policy changes, infrastructure improvements, and programs, Safe Routes to School helps create physical and social environments that empower students, their families, and their communities to walk and bike more often. Communities that participate in Safe Routes to School also beneﬁt from less air, noise, and water pollution; lower road maintenance costs; and more pleasant streetscapes for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers alike. 8 | SHOREWOOD 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, other 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 Shorewood Safe Routes to School team worked to develop recommendations that support equity in walking and biking to school. EqUITy IN SRTS | 9 Refer to Appendix H for a description of the methods used to produce this map. 10 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL School Entrance Vehicle Parking Bus Parking Vehicle Queuing Bus Queuing Shared Use Path Walk / Bike Route Bike / Ped Barrier SITE CIRCULATION: Pedestrians: While relatively few students walk to school from their homes, many walk to the building entrances from the northern parking lot or one of the nearby businesses’ parking lots along Water St. Paved paths connect from the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail through the northern parking lot to the rear entrance to the building. Some students approaching the building from parking lots along the northern side of Water St cross mid-block or at the signalized intersection at Oak St. There is continuous sidewalk once students have crossed to the southern side of Water St, though parking lot entrances and exits create potential vehicle- pedestrian conflicts. Some students walk to school from housing southeast of the campus on the other side of Hwy 55. These students have no designated crossing point from the sidewalk along Oak St through the parking lot to the main building entrance. Bicyclists: No students were observed biking to school, nor were staff aware of students biking to school with any frequency. School Buses: Buses approach the school along Oak St, circle through the southern parking lot, drop off students in front of the main (southern) building entrance, and then exit onto Oak St from the same location they entered. Transit: There is no public transit available. Vehicles: Vehicles either turn into the northern parking lot off of Water St and circle through, dropping their students off at the rear building entrance, or they enter Excelsior Elementary ExCELSIOR ELEMENTARy | 11 SCHOOL CONTEXT*: Excelsior Elementary off of Oak St and follow the same loops as buses before turning right (northward) and dropping off students at the western building entrance before exiting north of where they entered, along Oak St. STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS: •The Excelsior Elementary student population is predominantly white, with a significant number of Asian students and relatively small subsets of students who are Latinx, Black / African American, or American Indian / Alaska Native. Excelsior Elementary offers a Chinese immersion program, which may influence the school’s relatively large Asian student population. •The school serves households from both the City of Shorewood and the City of Excelsior. Some of the areas within the school’s catchment zone that rank the highest for equity considerations (e.g., concentrations of non-white and low-income residents; air pollution exposure) are located in the City of Excelsior. •The school’s population of free and reduced-price lunch-eligible students (n = 32; 4%) is very small relative to the total school enrollment, which may be due in part to the limited availability of affordable housing in the surrounding area. *Source: SY 2021 student enrollment data from the Minnesota Department of Education. ENROLLMENT: 800 GRADES SERVED: K-5 DEMOGRAPHICS American Indian / Alaska Native Asian Black / African American Hispanic / Latinx White 6 92 15 37 578 50% SOCIO-ECONOMIC Free and Reduced Price Lunch English Learner Experiencing Homelessness Receiving Special Education 32 26 0 105 INFRASTRUCTURE02. INTRODUCTION TO INFRASTRUCTURE | 13 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 walk audit and discussions with the Safe Routes to School Team, school and district staff, caregivers, students, community members, and city and county staff informed recommendations to address key barriers to walking and biking in Shorewood. Recommendations were prioritized on the basis of community and stakeholder input, traffic and roadway conditions, cost, number of students impacts, and benefit to equity priority populations. This planning process was designed to address historical and contemporary inequities in who benefits from and whom is burdened by transportation systems, and equity considerations accordingly played a central role in the prioritization of infrastructure recommendations. 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 to more significant changes to streets, intersections, and school infrastructure. Recommendations are planning-level concepts and will require additional study to confirm feasibility and to finalize project prioritization. Recommendations on the subsequent pages are grouped by color to reflect interrelated projects. L A K E M I N NETONKA LRT REGIONAL TRAIL 0 .5 M I L E - 10 MINUTE WALK A B C D E F G H I M J K O P Q L R N 7 7 7 7 LAKE LINDEN DR S M I T H T O W N R D OAK ST M ILL ST EXC E L S I O R BLVD GEORGE ST L A K E S T 2ND ST 3RD ST MINNET O N K A D R MINNETONKA BLVD D I V I S I O N S T ACADEMY AVE CENTER STCOURTLAND ST WATER ST W LA KE ST 1S T ST GALP IN LAKE RD CHASKA RD MURRAY ST APPLE RD MILL ST C A R DIN A L RD BRACKETTS RD GLENCOE RD MORSE AVE 2 N D A V E 3 R D A V E 3 R D AVE MAYFLOWER RD Y E L L O W S T O N E T R A I L Infrastructure Recommendations North Location/Zone Opportunity Corridor Opportunity Planned Corridor Project Shared Use Path Bicycle Parking Enhancement RELATED RECOMMENDATIONS GROUPED BY COLOR INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 15 RECOMMENDATION Explore installing a trail on the southern side of Hwy 7 from Galpin Lake Rd to Oak St; consider connection with Recommendation C. Evaluate options to improve crossing Hwy 7 at Oak St, including No Right Turn on Red signage, a recessed stop line for westbound traffic, and a curb extension with a mountable truck apron on the northeast corner. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Galpin Lake Rd is a potential route for students living south of Hwy 7 and to the west and south of Galpin Lake. There is no designated pedestrian crossing of Hwy 7 at Galpin Lake Rd; there is a signalized crossing at Oak St and Hwy 7, approximately 550 ft east northeast, though there is no dedicated way to access the intersection. Hwy 7 is a major crossing barrier with an AADT of more than 26,000. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. HWY 7 FROM GALPIN LAKE RD TO OAK ST B RECOMMENDATION Consider striping improvements, including an advisory bike lane/shoulder, in coordination with a planned mill and overlay in 2022. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Galpin Lake Rd is a potential route for students living south of Hwy 7 and to the west and south of Galpin Lake. Galpin Lake Rd has limited right-of-way and a narrow street without sidewalks. Opportunity to explore traffic calming treatments. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. GALPIN LAKE RD FROM HWY 7 TO MAYFLOWER RD A PRIORITY Low WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Shorewood WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Shorewood; MnDOT Many stakeholders and community members were very supportive of this project; it stands to provide significant safety and comfort benefits to users. It is unlikely, however, to benefit priority equity populations, it will serve relatively few students, and it will be costly to implement. While some stakeholders and community members supported this project, it is unlikely to benefit priority equity populations, will serve relatively few students, and will provide modest safety and comfort benefits. PRIORITY High 16 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION Explore connecting a future trail on the southern side of Hwy 7 from Galpin Lake Rd to Chaska Rd in tandem with pedestrian improvements along Chaska Rd between the senior housing complex and Hwy 7. Alternately, evaluate opportunities to encourage bike and pedestrian traffic on Chaska Rd onto Galpin Lake Rd via Mayflower Rd. Coordinate with Recommendation B. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Chaska Rd is a potential route for residents living south of Hwy 7 and west and south of Galpin Lake. There is no designated crossing of Hwy 7 at Chaska Rd; there is a signalized crossing at Oak St and Hwy 7, 1,200 ft northeast, though there is no way to access the intersection. Hwy 7 is a major crossing barrier with an AADT of 26,000+. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. CHASKA RD AND HWY 7 C RECOMMENDATION Consider high-visibility crosswalk markings, ADA upgrades, and extensions of existing sidewalks to reduce the number and width of crossings and create a direct, accessible path for students walking and biking to the front of the school. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? For students and other pedestrians approaching the Excelsior Elementary campus from the south, sidewalks run from the Hwy 7-Oak St intersection up to the entrance and exit lanes to the school parking lot. However, there is no designated crossing for students to access the school, and existing pedestrian facilities do not meet ADA standards. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Facilities that meet ADA standards ensure that students, caregivers, and other community members with disabilities can safely access key destinations such as the school campus. OAK ST IN FRONT OF EXCELSIOR ELEMENTARY D PRIORITY Low PRIORITY Medium WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Shorewood; MnDOT WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Minnetonka Public Schools; City of Excelsior While some stakeholders supported this project, it is unlikely to benefit priority equity populations, will serve very few students, and will be costly to implement. This project will serve a modest number of students, will address on-campus accessibility and safety concerns, and is likely to be relatively low-cost. INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 17 RECOMMENDATION Employ treatments such as roundabouts, curb radii reductions, curb extensions, lane reductions, and other designs that calm traffic, reduce crossing distances, increase pedestrian visibility, and reduce the total number of crossings. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Students who live to the north or east of this intersection must navigate multiple wide crossings to get to and from school and other destinations downtown via this intersection. A new multifamily development opposite Maynard’s will increase pedestrian traffic through this intersection. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? This intersection is a crossing barrier between a higher- equity-priority Census tract and downtown for students walking or biking to the campus from the north and east. MILL ST, LAKE ST, 2ND ST, EXCELSIOR BLVD, AND MORSE AVE F RECOMMENDATION Evaluate opportunities to reduce crossing distances for pedestrians, including reducing the number of lanes, adding curb extensions, and tightening curb radii to slow vehicle turning movements. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? This intersection abuts the Excelsior Elementary campus. Students and other community members coming from the south and west must navigate this intersection to reach the school and downtown Excelsior. The traffic signal includes leading pedestrian intervals; a blank-out sign prohibits Right Turn on Red during high-traffic periods; and crossing distances exceed 50 ft. High-visibility continental crosswalk markings connect to curb ramps and sidewalks on all legs of the intersection. Oak St has an AADT of more than 13,000. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. WATER ST AND OAK ST E PRIORITY Medium WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Hennepin County WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Excelsior Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve a large number of students, will provide significant safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. This project will serve a moderate number of students, will benefit priority equity populations, will provide moderate safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. PRIORITY Medium 18 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION Consider curb extensions where feasible, in coordination with Metro Transit bus stops, to calm traffic and reduce crossing distances. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? This intersection forms part of the Water St corridor that connects Excelsior Elementary to the library and downtown. Water St has one lane of traffic in each direction, two lanes of parking, and sidewalks along both sides of the street. When there are few parked vehicles, the street feels wide and speeding may be a concern. High-visibility crosswalks connect to curb ramps and sidewalks on all legs of the intersection. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? This segment of Water St is in a moderate-equity-priority Census tract and forms a key link for students walking or biking to the campus from the north and east. I WATER ST AND GEORGE ST G RECOMMENDATION Install improvements to bring these on-campus facilities up to ADA standards. Evaluate winter maintenance practices to ensure this crossing is accessible and free of snow and ice. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Many students approach the school campus from the east by walking across or along the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail, walking along the sidewalk to the north of the parking lot, and then crossing to the path that runs along the school fields and playground. The curb ramps do not meet ADA standards, and snow clearance issues may make this crossing challenging or impossible. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Facilities that meet ADA standards ensure that students, caregivers, and other community members with disabilities can safely access key destinations such as the school campus. EXCELSIOR ELEMENTARY REAR PARKING LOT H PRIORITY Low PRIORITY Low WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Excelsior WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Minnetonka Public Schools Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve a moderate number of students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. This project will serve many students, will address on- campus accessibility and safety concerns, and will be very low-cost. INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 19 RECOMMENDATION Consider curb extensions where feasible, in coordination with Metro Transit bus stops, to calm traffic and reduce crossing distances. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? This intersection forms part of the Water St corridor that connects Excelsior Elementary to the library and downtown. Water St has one lane of traffic in each direction, two lanes of parking, and sidewalks along both sides of the street. When there are few parked vehicles, the street feels wide and speeding may be a concern. High-visibility crosswalks connect to curb ramps and sidewalks on all legs of the intersection. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? This segment of Water St is in a moderate-equity-priority Census tract and forms a key link for students walking or biking to the campus from the north and east. WATER ST AND 2ND ST J RECOMMENDATION Consider curb extensions where feasible, in coordination with Metro Transit bus stops, to calm traffic and reduce crossing distances. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? This intersection forms part of the Water St corridor that connects Excelsior Elementary to the library and downtown. Water St has one lane of traffic in each direction, two lanes of parking, and sidewalks along both sides of the street. When there are few parked vehicles, the street feels wide and speeding may be a concern. High-visibility crosswalks connect to curb ramps and sidewalks on all legs of the intersection. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? This segment of Water St is in a moderate-equity-priority Census tract and forms a key link for students walking or biking to the campus from the north and east. WATER ST AND 3RD ST I PRIORITY Low PRIORITY Low WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Excelsior WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Excelsior Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve a moderate number of students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve a moderate number of students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. 20 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION Extend the planned shared use path along the eastern side of Mill St to align with the sidewalk on the north side of 3rd St. Consider curb extensions to calm traffic and reduce crossing distances. Evaluate high-visibility crosswalk markings to increase pedestrian visibility and vehicle yielding. Evaluate the fiscal feasibility of installing a connection to the trail below. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? The Mill St bridge is the only pedestrian- and bike-accessible crossing of Hwy 7 for students who live east of Galpin Lake. The sidewalk on the bridge ends abruptly on the northern side and transitions to an unprotected shoulder; there is no connection to the regional trail that runs below the bridge parallel to 3rd St. This section of Mill St has an AADT of 9,000+ and the intersection crossing is 40+ ft wide. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Mill St connects more affordable multi-family housing to downtown Excelsior; improvements to Mill St will mitigate safety disparities and make walking and biking more convenient and pleasant for these households. RECOMMENDATION Consider installing vertical separation between the planned shared use path and roadway to protect vulnerable road users and increase bicyclist and pedestrian comfort. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? The Mill St bridge is the only pedestrian- and bike-accessible north-south crossing of Hwy 7 for students who live east of Galpin Lake. Sidewalk is present only on the northern side and is roughly 6 ft from back-of-curb; there is no boulevard for additional separation from traffic. This section of Mill St has an AADT of more than 9,000. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Mill St connects more affordable multi-family housing to downtown Excelsior; improvements to Mill St will mitigate safety disparities and make walking and biking more convenient and pleasant for these households. MILL ST AND 3RD ST K MILL ST BRIDGE L PRIORITY High PRIORITY High WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Hennepin County; City of Excelsior WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Hennepin County; MnDOT While this project is likely to be moderately expensive, it was supported by stakeholders, will serve many students, will provide significant safety, accessibility, and comfort benefits, and will benefit equity priority populations. Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve many students, will provide significant safety, accessibility, and comfort benefits, will benefit equity priority populations, and is likely to be low-cost. INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 21 RECOMMENDATION Evaluate opportunities to reduce the number of crossings and conflict points and slow turning traffic. Design to minimize driver speed and maximize the visibility of the pedestrian crossings. Consider adding raised crossings between the pork chop island and the edge of the roadway to improve visibility of bicyclists and pedestrians and slow motor vehicle traffic. Ensure all features of this intersection meet ADA standards. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? A trunk highway on-ramp accessed from a free right/pork chop creates two crossings separated by a small pedestrian refuge island between 2nd Ave and the southern side of the Mill St bridge. High visibility crosswalks connect to sidewalks to the north and south. Curb ramps do not appear to meet ADA standards, and the total crossing is more than 60 ft wide. This section of Mill St has an AADT of 9,000+. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Mill St connects more affordable multi-family housing to downtown Excelsior; improvements to Mill St will mitigate safety disparities and make walking and biking more convenient and pleasant for these households. RECOMMENDATION Upgrade curb ramps to meet ADA standards. Consider curb extensions to calm traffic along Mill St and reduce crossing distances. Evaluate high-visibility crosswalk markings across Mill St. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Sidewalk is present on the northeastern and southwestern legs of this intersection; there are no sidewalks on 3rd Ave. There are no crosswalk markings at the intersection, and curb ramps are absent or do not meet ADA standards. The intersection crossings measure up to 45 ft. This section of Mill St has an AADT of more than 9,000. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Mill St connects more affordable multi-family housing to downtown Excelsior; improvements to Mill St will mitigate safety disparities and make walking and biking more convenient and pleasant for these households. I MILL ST AND HWY 7 ON-RAMP MILL ST AND 3RD AVE M N PRIORITY High PRIORITY Medium WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Hennepin County WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Hennepin County While this project is likely to be moderately expensive, it was supported by stakeholders, will serve many students, will provide significant safety, accessibility, and comfort benefits, and will benefit equity priority populations. Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve a moderate number of students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be relatively low- cost. 22 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION Consider providing dedicated space for pedestrians along 3rd Ave where it is one-way (from Mill St to Division St); alternately, consider facilities along 2nd Ave, possibly leveraging the striped shoulder. Explore curb extensions at 3rd Ave and Division St to reduce crossing distances and calm traffic; consider improvements such as speed cushions to reduce vehicle speeds along the rest of 3rd Ave. Longer term, provide dedicated pedestrian space to connect multi-family housing to the shared use path. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? 3rd Ave links student residences to the east of Division St to sidewalks along Mill St and over Hwy 7. 3rd Ave has limited right-of-way and a narrow street without sidewalks. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Mill St connects more affordable multi-family housing to downtown Excelsior; improvements to Mill St will mitigate safety disparities and make walking and biking more convenient and pleasant for these households. 3RD AVE FROM MILL ST TO HWY 7; 2ND AVE FROM DIVISION ST TO MILL ST O RECOMMENDATION Given the lack of adequate, continuous bicycle and pedestrian facilities along Mill St, design shared use paths to comfortably accommodate two-way pedestrian and bicycle traffic. Evaluate opportunities to improve crossings so that pedestrians and bicyclists can safely cross to and along the shared use path. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Hennepin County is planning a shared use trail along the eastern side of Mill St from Holly Lane to 2nd St that is programmed for 2024. While trail extent has been decided, plans for crossings to and along the trail have yet to be determined; opportunities for improvements along the trail have been identified as part of this plan. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? Mill St connects more affordable multi-family housing to downtown Excelsior; improvements to Mill St will mitigate safety disparities and make walking and biking more convenient and pleasant for these households. MILL ST FROM HOLLY LANE TO 2ND ST P PRIORITY High PRIORITY Medium WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Excelsior WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Hennepin County Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve relatively few students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. While this project is likely to be very expensive, it is already funded by the County, it was supported by stakeholders, it will serve many students, and will provide significant safety, accessibility, and comfort benefits. INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 23 RECOMMENDATION Explore opportunity to fill the shared use path gap along Lake Linden Dr to create continuous pedestrian facilities to and around Cub Foods. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? The path along Lake Linden Dr runs from the intersection with Yellowstone Trail to the driveway for Seidou Spa and South Lake Agency Insurance Brokers. The sidewalk does not continue until just north of the Hwy 7 intersection with Lake Linden Dr, creating a gap in pedestrian facilities. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. LAKE LINDEN DR AND HAZELTINE BLVD R RECOMMENDATION Consider traffic calming improvements, such as speed cushions, to reduce vehicle speeds. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? Academy Ave is a fairly direct route for students to access the school from the west via Water St, and it connects to the shopping center and Cub Foods on Lake Linden Dr to the east. Academy Ave has limited right-of-way and a narrow street without sidewalks. Opportunity to explore traffic calming treatments on Academy Ave. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. ACADEMY AVE, YELLOWSTONE TRAIL AND LAKE LINDEN DR Q WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Shorewood WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? City of Shorewood PRIORITY Low PRIORITY Low This project will serve very few students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and will be moderately expensive. This project will serve relatively few students, will provide modest safety and comfort benefits, and is likely to be moderately expensive. 24 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL RECOMMENDATION Install U-shaped bicycle parking adjacent to the main entrance to Excelsior Elementary. WHY IS THIS RELEVANT? The existing bike parking is located behind the building. Bike parking in front of the main entrance could facilitate bike trips to the school for students and other community members arriving from the south or west. Prominently sited bike parking could also help to signal the school’s support for biking and remind students and others that biking to school may be an option. HOW WILL THIS ADDRESS EQUITY? While this recommendation supports walking and biking, it does not address transportation equity goals. EXCELSIOR ELEMENTARY MAIN ENTRANCE PRIORITY High WHO WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN? Minnetonka Public Schools Stakeholders supported this project, which will serve many students, will provide significant convenience benefits, and will be very low-cost. INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 25 This page intentionally left blank. PROGRAMS03. INTRODUCTION TO PROGRAMS | 27 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. Programs also help to build 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. 28 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL EXISTING PROGRAMS The Cities of Shorewood and Excelsior and Excelsior Elementary have been actively working towards providing safe and inviting spaces around school for students. This work provides a valuable baseline for expanding programs to encourage more students to walk and bike. Active or previously implemented programs include: •Walk/Bike to School Day •Running Club •Crossing Guards 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 identified 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: •Walk and Bike to School Days •Drop & Walk •Inter-school Partnership (Mountain Biking Club) •Walk! Bike! Fun! Curriculum Program Recommendations PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS | 29 WALK/BIKE TO SCHOOL DAYS National Walk and Bike to School Days engage millions of students and families every October and May. Minnesota also celebrates Winter Walk to School Day in February. Additional education and encouragement programming can increase awareness, and expand participation. Events can also take place more frequently (e.g., Walking Wednesdays) if there’s interest and capacity. When, where, and how will this be implemented? In October, February, and May to start, with adults and/or secondary school students leading walking groups along pre-identified routes. Why is this relevant and recommended? These events have been held successfully in the past; a new coordinator, e.g., a teacher, school staff person, or caregiver, is needed to continue coordinating participation. How will this address transportation inequities? Coordinated events can make walking/biking accessible to students disproportionately impacted by unsafe crossings. How will this be evaluated? Student participation counts. Who needs to be involved to make this happen? Students, PTO, school staff. What is the timeline for implementation? Short-term (1 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? Coordinated drop-off points along the Lake Minnteonka LRT Regional Trail. Why is this relevant and recommended? Strategic drop-off locations can remove major crossing barriers (e.g., Hwy 7 and Mill St). How will this address transportation inequities? Coordinated events can make walking/biking accessible to students disproportionately impacted by unsafe crossings. How will this be evaluated? Annual caregiver survey about transportation patterns. Who needs to be involved to make this happen? Students, PTO, school staff. What is the timeline for implementation? Short-term (1 year). 30 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INTER-SCHOOL PARTNERSHIP (MOUNTAIN BIKING CLUB) Inter-school partnerships can support students at multiple schools by implementing mutually beneficial programming. For example, younger students can benefit from mentorship and relationships with older students while older students can practice teaching and leadership and can earn community volunteering hours. When, where, and how will this be implemented? Minnetonka High School mountain biking club members can co-lead group trail rides along the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail or can assist with Walk! Bike! Fun! classes. Why is this relevant and recommended? High school students can help build knowledge of and a culture around biking at Excelsior Elementary; volunteers could also earn community service credits for their time. How will this address transportation inequities? This will support student knowledge of and comfort with walking/biking; it will not benefit equity priority groups. How will this be evaluated? Participation counts; number of events held. Who needs to be involved to make this happen? Elementary and high school staff and students. What is the timeline for implementation? Medium-term (2-3 years) WALK! BIKE! FUN! (WBF) CURRICULUM WBF is a two-part curriculum designed specifically to meet Minnesota education standards. WBF 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? Physical education teachers can integrate WBF as a component in their annual curriculum for students of all ages Why is this relevant and recommended? WBF is tailored to meet education standards for students in Minnesota. Direct access to the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail provides a unique opportunity to extend the classroom beyond the school campus onto dedicated pedestrian and bicycle facilities. How will this address transportation inequities? This will support student knowledge of and comfort with walking/biking; it will not benefit equity priority groups. How will this be evaluated? Student travel tallies to measure modal change over time. Who needs to be involved to make this happen? School staff. What is the timeline for implementation? Medium-term (2-3 years). PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS | 31 This page intentionally left blank. 32 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL WORKING FOR CHANGE 04. ACTION STEPS | 33 Action Steps This plan and planning process provide two critical ingredients for creating a more equitable transportation system in Shorewood and Excelsior: 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 •Install crossing improvements at intersections along the planned shared use path on Mill St, and design the path to accommodate two-way bicycle and pedestrian traffic (Recommendations M, N, O, P, and R). •Coordinate Walk and Bike to School events on the nationwide dates in the fall and spring, and identify opportunities to conduct these events more frequently (e.g., monthly), including on the Minnesota-wide date during the winter. •Integrate Walk! Bike! Fun! into the Excelsior Elementary curriculum, possibly as a module within the existing physical education (PE) curriculum, building on the elementary school’s proximity to the Lake Minnetonka LRT Regional Trail and downtown destinations as natural assets. 34 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL ACTION STEPS | 35 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 the challenges and opportunities their students face around walking and biking, and by 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). 36 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL APPENDICES05. APPENDIx A: STUDENT RESIDENTIAL DENSITy | 37 Appendix A: Student Residential Density Refer to Appendix H for a description of the methods used to produce this map. 38 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Appendix B: Road Ownership Refer to Appendix H for a description of the methods used to produce this map. APPENDIx C: CRASHES By ROAD USER VULNERABILITy (2011 - 2021) | 39 Appendix C: Crashes by Road User Vulnerability (2011 - 2021) Refer to Appendix H for a description of the methods used to produce this map. 40 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Appendix D: Caregiver Survey Results APPENDIx D: CAREGIVER SURVEy RESULTS | 41 42 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL APPENDIx D: CAREGIVER SURVEy RESULTS | 43 44 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAy JUN INTRO CALL KICK-OFF MEETING ENGAGEMENT + DATA COLLECTION SUMMARY OF ISSUES +OPPORTUNITIES IMPLEMENTATION SUPPORT RAPID PLANNING WORKSHOP TECHNICAL MEETING ACTION PLANNING MEETING DRAFT PLAN FINAL PLAN Intro Call: SRTS staff and consultants meet with local SRTS team lead(s), review the timeline of the planning process, talk through the responsibilities of the different stakeholders, and identify short-term next steps, such as scheduling the kick-off meeting and finalizing stakeholders for the SRTS team, including local community members and staff from the school(s), city and county governments, and MnDOT. Kick-off Meeting: the SRTS team, including SRTS staff and local and county participants, reviews the planning process and talk about high-level goals. Engagement + Data Collection: SRTS staff and consultants work with the schools, non-profits, and the broader community to build awareness of the planning process, solicit input, and identify opportunities for programs and infrastructure improvements. Rapid Planning Workshop: the SRTS team discusses past efforts around walking and biking in the community, identifies areas of need, and brainstorms possible resources, collaborations, and opportunities to implement new programs and infrastructure improvements. Technical Meeting: SRTS staff speak with local, county, and MnDOT staff about existing studies, projects, and other opportunities and constraints relating to pedestrian and bicyclist infrastructure within the planning area. Summarize Issues + Opportunities: building on input from community engagement, data collection, the rapid planning workshop, and the technical meeting, SRTS staff and consultants compile identified program opportunities and locations where infrastructure improvements could support walking and biking to school. Action Planning Meeting: the SRTS team reviews the summary of issues and opportunities and discusses possible actions to take in response to issues/ opportunities. Draft Plan: the SRTS team reviews and provides feedback on a draft of the full plan. Implementation Support: SRTS staff and consultants assist the community with short-term actions, such as designing a concept for a demonstration project to test improvements at a problematic intersection near the school. Final Plan: the completed plan is published online and in print and is formally adopted to guide future SRTS efforts. Appendix E: Project Process and Timeline Appendix F: Equity Scorecard ExCELSIOR ELEMENTARy This Equity Scorecard works as a guide to ensure careful thought is put into planning an equitable SRTS Plan. Each community has different needs, experiences and challenges, so it is important to be intentional about including everyone in the decision-making process. This Equity Scorecard works as a guide to ensure careful thought is put into planning an equitable SRTS Plan. Each community has different needs, experiences and challenges, so it is important to be intentional about including everyone in the decision-making process. Each section of the scorecard targets a different area in the planning process. As you and your team research and answer each question, consider how that information will be helpful in meeting the equity commitments below. The responses gathered will help guide your/Each section of the scorecard targets a different area in the planning process. As you and your team research and answer each question, consider how that information will be helpful in meeting the equity commitments below. The responses gathered will help guide your/ the team’s decision-making and strategizing. This scorecard allows you to put your best foot forward in serving all residents of your community fairly and equitably.the team’s decision-making and strategizing. This scorecard allows you to put your best foot forward in serving all residents of your community fairly and equitably. SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL EQUITY COMMITMENTS* SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL EQUITY COMMITMENTS* 1. Everyone affected by a decision has a right to be involved, and we strive to engage all people.1. Everyone affected by a decision has a right to be involved, and we strive to engage all people. 2. Everyone has a valid opinion, and we actively listen to people and use their input in the decision-making process.2. Everyone has a valid opinion, and we actively listen to people and use their input in the decision-making process. 3. We go where the people are. We do not expect them to come to us.3. We go where the people are. We do not expect them to come to us. 4. People engage, learn and receive information in many ways, so we use a variety of strategies and tactics to gather information.4. People engage, learn and receive information in many ways, so we use a variety of strategies and tactics to gather information. 5. We seek out local knowledge and contacts (cultural, neighborhood and business) to collaborate and better serve our communities.5. We seek out local knowledge and contacts (cultural, neighborhood and business) to collaborate and better serve our communities. 6. We give and gather information in multiple ways to provide all invested people access.6. We give and gather information in multiple ways to provide all invested people access. 7. We learn from our experiences and hold ourselves accountable to our goals.7. We learn from our experiences and hold ourselves accountable to our goals. EQUITY GROUPS TO CONSIDEREQUITY GROUPS TO CONSIDER Remember, equity is not just about race or ethnicity, consider the following groups while working on your plan:Remember, equity is not just about race or ethnicity, consider the following groups while working on your plan: * Adapted from IAP2’s Core Values for the Practice of Public Participation: https://www.iap2.org/page/corevalues ••AgeAge ••AbilityAbility ••ReligionReligion ••Cultural CustomsCultural Customs ••Housing access and tenure Housing access and tenure ••Income Income ••Language and Linguistic DiversityLanguage and Linguistic Diversity ••Technology Access/SkillTechnology Access/Skill ••EducationEducation ••GeographyGeography ••Race/EthnicityRace/Ethnicity ••Gender/preferenceGender/preference CATEGORY QUESTION PROMPT RESPONSE SCORE ORIGINS What inspired your SRTS plan?Knowing what inspired the plan gives insight into motives, funding, expectations, decision makers, desired outcomes, etc. Safety issues for students walking and biking across Highway 7 and along Galpin Lake Road. The plan is being developed in concert with the Galpin Lake Road Trail Improvement project. 1 Who requested the plan?Same as question 1.City of Shorewood.1 How is the plan funded?Same as question 1. In addition, knowing about the funding source helps with planning and equitable access. Federal and state money set aside for SRTS planning assistance.1 What are some potential challenges?What are the obstacles to the success of the project? Gathering information? Reaching all stakeholders? Once these are known, strategies can be put in place. Engaging all communities virtually during COVID-19. Other school priorities taking attention away from the plan. No existing walking/biking champions identified at the school. 1 Have historically untapped groups (based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomics, language, religion, ability, etc.) been included in the process from the beginning? Historically, not all community members have been invited to the table in the decision-making process. Extra effort needs to be made to include people who have been historically ignored or unacknowledged, purposefully excluded, are distrustful of systems to engage, etc. in the process. In addition, these targeted groups need to be included from the beginning of the process, because their perspectives and ideas are valuable and will help shape the plan. Previous focus for Shorewood has been specifically Galpin Lake Rd pedestrian improvements. I am not sure if the larger area surrounding the school has been engaged previously. Mill Street corridor outreach and focus group in 2019 included residents along that corridor, but also in the area off Mill Street proper - but was more location specific. 1 What does success look like for the plan?Imagine what your SRTS plan looks like at completion if all goes as well. What do you see? How will people behave? What benefits will arise? Who will be pleased? Who will benefit? How will the community be left better than when the project started? Multi-agency, school, and government support and adoption. Momentum created by project or projects that arise out of implementation of the plan to build upon either with local or other/regional/state funds. Another success factor will be greater awareness outside of only parents of students on how gaps or deficiencies can be addressed, roles and responsibilities of different agencies, as well as collaborative effort and greater communication. The non-motorized traveler (adult) population is only increasing in and around the area, so there would be expected benefit, especially once improvements are made through plan implementation, to the general public through this effort, across political and demographic boundaries. 1 GOALS + OBJECTIVES What are the goals and objectives for the plan? What is this plan trying to accomplish or do? Will you gather important information? Solve a problem? Educate? Build awareness? Change behaviors? Create something? Create safe pathways for children to bike or walk. Unsafe conditions make it dangerous for children in certain areas to get to school safely, whereas others can safely do so. Education will also be key (benefits of biking/walk, where are safe paths, bike and pedestrian safety, rules of the road, safety gear, bike security, hydration, etc.) 1 SCORECARD Answer as many questions related to equity for your SRTS Plan as you can in the table below by researching online, asking colleagues, and talking to people in your community. Give yourself one point for each question you answer meaningfully. This self-scoring process is Answer as many questions related to equity for your SRTS Plan as you can in the table below by researching online, asking colleagues, and talking to people in your community. Give yourself one point for each question you answer meaningfully. This self-scoring process is to help you be authentic and accountable to yourself and those you serve. Your goal is to grow and do better each time. This is a living document and should be updated throughout the project and sometimes beyond.to help you be authentic and accountable to yourself and those you serve. Your goal is to grow and do better each time. This is a living document and should be updated throughout the project and sometimes beyond. Appendix F: Equity Scorecard CATEGORY QUESTION PROMPT RESPONSE SCORE How will the plan goals and objectives affect the community? If the goals are met, how will students be affected? Will some be more affected than others? If so, how? Will some benefit more? Will the community be left better or worse off (from varied perspectives) in the end? Students will be safer, healthier. Those with bikes and a safe route to school will be more likely to bike. Increase in biking culture (rise in trail usage perhaps). 1 How will you know if the goals and objectives have been met? For example, will all the biking/walking concerns be brought forth and addressed? Will there be a specific plan and momentum around increasing biking and walking in this area? Will there be a safe way to cross busy roads near school? Children and parents/caregivers will more frequently walk or bike to school. Programs to get student awareness of opportunities to walk/bike to school will be in place. More bike racks could/would be installed if necessary. More awareness of bike safety (helmets, storage, and security). Other programs would pop up - group excursions, etc. 1 Are all stakeholders aware of and have a clear understanding of the goals and objectives? How will you ensure all students and families, not just some or the easiest to reach, understand the objective of the project? How will it be communicated in a way that everyone can have access to the meaning? No, we intend to inform people in the fall/winter through outreach at the school. A number of people in the community have expressed support for the effort via a petition. 1 Have untapped groups given input to the goals and objectives? Have these groups been identified? And how have they been contacted/asked for their input? Not yet, we are working on connecting with leaders at the school to help us reach untapped groups. 1 How does the geography of the plan affect the goals and objectives? Are there physical geographical features or challenges that will affect the plan? Access? ADA compliance issues? Budget? For example: Does access to transportation limit someone’s ability to participate in the project or give feedback? Excelsior Elementary is located in the City of Excelsior on the border of Shorewood. Furthermore, the school is at the corner of Highway 7 (State Highway) and Oak St (County Road 19), both of which are unsafe for young students to cross on their own. 1 GOALS + OBJECTIVES Which goals and objectives are being influenced by the public? This question asks the planner to consider how the input from the public will be used in the decision-making process. For example: Once we gather information from meetings, surveys, etc., how will that data be used? Will their voice have an impact and how so? Or can we use ideas from the public to reach more community members or help educate our students? All of them are. There are so many ways the Excelsior Elementary community can publish, distribute, and exercise the goals and objectives of this plan. 1 What is the public’s level of concern? (Low, Medium, High) Is this a priority for families/residents? Depending on the response, how will that affect engagement or participation? Low for now. It is true there are few children walking this route to school, but I believe the interest will increase significantly once the public becomes aware of this effort to create a safe walking path, and interest will increase significantly because the driving alternative is so inconvenient that walking will become a viable option. Right now, they are trading inconvenience for safety, but if safety is improved, I believe that will be the primary motivation for the choice of mode of transportation. 1 Who are the primary decision makers for the plan?Who will be making the decisions about process, engagement, funding, construction plans? For this phase, the project team are the main decision makers and are made up of staff from the City of Shorewood, Excelsior Elementary, MnDOT, and the consultant team. As the project moves toward implementation, the local, county, and state governments become the decision makers. 1 Who are the communities that will be directly affected by the plan? If this project is completed as planned, who will be affected on a day-to-day basis? Caregivers who send kids to school each morning. School staff? Bus drivers? Etc. Students, parents, faculty, and staff at Excelsior Elementary, as well as others living in the neighborhood who desire a safe crossing into Excelsior. That interest extends into Carver County. 1 CATEGORY QUESTION PROMPT RESPONSE SCORE Who are the communities indirectly affected by the plan? For example, surrounding neighborhoods, assisted living communities who may use walkways, nearby daycares, local small businesses. The neighborhoods surrounding the school, and the Excelsior downtown area. 1 Who are the historically untapped communities at the school(s)? Include specific communities, e.g.: residents living in low-income housing, single- parent families, non-English speakers from neighborhood communities, farmers/ migrant workers, wheelchair users. Work with the schools and city to identify these groups.1 GOALS + OBJECTIVES Who will/will not benefit from the SRTS plan?Consider each group that will benefit via money, power, education, safety, access, health, etc. The primary stakeholders identified in Question 16. Students, staff, families, and the community will benefit. Primary Goal of the Scope would be to have ALL benefit from the SRTS plan. More engaged, attentive students mean other students, staff, and parents all benefit. 1 What strategies will be used to create the plan?Are your strategies dictated by the goals of the project and who you are serving?The Rapid Planning Workshop, community engagement, and data collection. Continuous collaboration of stakeholders. 1 How will potential challenges with the plan be handled? Being proactive with a plan for challenges will help prevent a delay in progress. For example: the pandemic limits in-person meetings, so we will make sure there are many virtual engagement opportunities to gather input. Through collaboration, problem-solving, and connecting with resources who can provide clarity. 1 Review the 7 Equity Commitments. How will these be embedded in the plan? 1. Everyone affected by a decision has a right to be involved, and we strive to engage all people. 2. Everyone has a valid opinion, and we respect and actively listen to people. 3. We go where the people are. We do not expect them to come to us. 4. People engage, learn, and receive information in many ways, so we use a variety of strategies and tactics. 5. We seek out local knowledge and contacts (cultural, neighborhood and business) to collaborate and better serve our communities. 6. We give and gather information in multiple ways to provide all invested people access. 7. We learn from our experiences and hold ourselves accountable to our goals. From planning to implementation to long-term support, these commitments should be revisited and shared among all (students/staff/families/community). We should be consistent in attracting multiple voices at each step in the process to ‘embed’ the results in the Excelsior Elementary community. 1 How will you partner with communities to increase engagement? The best information comes from the people you are planning for. Speak to students, families, and schools to collect input. We will work directly with the PTO to reach families at Excelsior Elementary. Excelsior Elementary PTO, Excelsior Elementary Facebook and Instagram pages, Events like Walk & Bike to School Day, ask students for input (Student Council) and ideas on ways to increase community engagement. 1 Appendix F: Equity Scorecard CATEGORY QUESTION PROMPT RESPONSE SCORE GOALS + OBJECTIVES What is the racial, social, economic make-up of the area? Use online demographic search tools, school census information, city facts, etc. to learn about the area. Be thorough; review the equity categories on page 1 for groups to consider. Shorewood and Excelsior have a combined population of 10,301 people. Of those people, 9% are people of color, 3% speak English less than “very well,” and 11% have low income (below 200% the census poverty level). 1 How do demographics influence the goals and objectives for the plan? How will the Equity Groups on page 1 influence your plan, strategy, communication and so on? For example: Excelsior Elementary community is 21% People of Color and 7% receive free-reduced lunch. A campaign focused on the health and academic benefits of walking and biking may provide impactful engagement opportunities for school staff (trying to reduce the gap), students and families. More demographic information needs to be gathered. We learned from the staff that there are Somali, Hispanic, and Chinese families at the school. We also identified students belonging to the backpack club who are experiencing food insecurities. Another focus was nearby families who rent their homes. 1 What is important to know about the communities invested in the plan? This question takes a bit of research. Search online, speak to various leaders in the community, places of worship, organizations, talk to school staff and colleagues. For example, are there any historical impacts, cultural norms, or other characteristics needed for planning context? Is there a group who prefers to drive students to school for cultural or religious reasons? A group that does not feel it is safe to send females out on their own. Or students with disabilities who may have trouble accessing safe routes? Everything they want to share! Currently this is a drive-heavy community due to safety issues. Making safe places to bike and walk to school will be critical to changing the culture. 1 Have you gathered information from community members about the geographic and cultural history of the communities involved in the plan? Similar to the question above, except the emphasis is on learning from the community. Not yet, but we intend to do so through our upcoming engagement events.1 GOALS + OBJECTIVES How will you communicate the key messages of the plan to your communities? It is important to use clear, plain language to communicate the plan, expectations, and results in a variety of ways to reach all stakeholders. You must be transparent and clear on your project. Through outreach events, surveys, website. 1 How will you learn from your communities?What strategies are being used to connect with liaisons in the community to gather information? At engagement events which are in the works and through the caregiver survey.1 How will you keep a consistent feedback loop with your communities (input in, information out)? People want to know they have been heard. Once you hear from them and make decisions, let them know how their voice mattered. Follow up and update the progress of the project- create check in plan 1 How are different communication strategies and languages being utilized to reach communities? Consider using translator services, technology, and non-technology tools, virtual and in-person, etc. Social media, Facebook, websites etc.1 How will the plan promote a positive quality of life for communities? How will the community be better off because of this project?Safety for all the users, health and wellness benefits of walking and biking, culture change (less driving), educational benefits of exercise 1 CATEGORY QUESTION PROMPT RESPONSE SCORE GOALS + OBJECTIVES What data will be collected?This is key. Consider what you want to know and how you will get it.Student travel data collected through the caregiver survey. Student, parent and staff ideas collected through engagement and the interactive map. Demographic data to help target families/communities. 1 How will data be collected?Typically, you will need to do this in multiple ways to get to various groups.Engagement events, student tallies, online map, caregiver survey.1 How will the data inform decision making? This is critical. Use the information you gather to make informed decisions. Collecting data is futile if it is not used to guide your strategies. Scorecard will be updated throughout to see if new engagement is needed. The responses listed here will be turned into action steps. Data was collected through the online survey and interactive maps, 1-1 interviews and meetings with school staff. 1 Who will review the data to ensure it tells an authentic story from multiple perspectives? This is an accountability piece that makes sure that data isn’t from just one group or one perspective. Opportunity for faculty (Laura and Rebecca??) review? How about families? Zan staff to review and prepare a report. 1 GOALS + OBJECTIVES Has the plan met its intended outcomes?The following questions are important to help you look back on what worked and didn’t, where changes need to be made for next time, and how you have grown. Yes, we were able to meet with some untapped groups and gather feedback. Most specifically the school’s EL families, Backpack club, PTO, and afterschool program students. 1 Was the engagement plan executed successfully?Refer back to the objectives section.We were able to get strong online survey feedback and comments. Speaking with staff also gave us a lot of insight. 1 What were the successes of the plan?Keep track for future use.School access to families, interactive map 1 Does the final plan include community-supported goals and objectives and has the plan been shared with your communities? Make sure to close the loop and report back to the communities you serve with final results. Yes- the plan is shared back with the Rapid Development team but follow up is needed with school staff. 1 TOTAL:40 Appendix F: Equity Scorecard RANGE PROGRESS SUGGESTIONS 36 - 40 Exemplary work on your equity-focused actions and efforts! You are well-prepared for successfully implementing an equitable SRTS Plan and have shown excellent initiative and thoughtful care for this work. You are moving toward true inclusion and awareness. Because of your commitment to equity, the communities you serve will have an important voice in the happenings in their schools. When you commit to engaging and empowering all, you are one step closer on the journey to social justice. Thank you! Continue to use your position to uplift those who have been historically untapped and give voice to those generally not asked to speak. Continue to gather information and resources from your communities. Take note of where you have been successful, and your work is supporting the communities you serve. Keep the scorecard handy throughout the plan so you are able to refer to it regularly. The more you refer to it and answer the questions, the more natural it will be to stay equity-focused in all of your SRTS work. 31- 35 Good effort on your equity focused SRTS Plan! You most likely made a positive impact on the communities you serve. Your plan is on track; however, you could use some additional information and effort in preparing your SRTS Plan. Consider returning to this document to add information as you go, it will be a benefit to your plan. Thank you for your dedication. Ask community representatives if they could help provide more information about the school(s). Do some investigating into the history, demographics, and culture of walking at biking at your school(s). As you gather information, update your scores. Continue to learn more about the communities and neighborhoods that you serve. Grow your contact list as well as your engagement strategy repertoire. Deepen your connections with contacts and reach out to those who can teach you more about the communities you serve. LESS THAN 31 You are beginning to see equity as a priority in your work. Using this scorecard will help you to consider the many ways you can make an impact on the communities you serve. You have identified some important information in your responses but there is still more work to do. Learning to be equity-focused is a journey and progress is made by small steps in the beginning. Thank you for your efforts around equity. Do more research or connect with additional people to gather information. Consider how you could talk to colleagues, community members and others to learn more about the area. Read up and research about different cultural groups in your area. Keep your scorecard front and center as you work. Research the answers to as many questions as possible. Don’t be afraid to ask for support. Focus on reviewing your actions through a lens of empathy and interest as you move forward to ensure you are promoting the voices of all. SCORING RUBRIC Use the rubric to see where your score falls. The rubric is meant to be an encouragement and offer suggestions to improve your score and equity focus.Use the rubric to see where your score falls. The rubric is meant to be an encouragement and offer suggestions to improve your score and equity focus. This page intentionally left blank. 54 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Appendix G: Engagement Summary INTRODUCTION Safe Routes to School (SRTS) staff provided community engagement support to collect ideas on walking and biking from the Excelsior Elementary community. SRTS staff assisted local Excelsior Elementary staff by using multiple strategies such as: hosting an interactive engagement website, requesting feedback through caregiver and student surveys, teaching lessons with the student council and afterschool program, and coordinating with a parent liaison to gather feedback from other families on the opportunities and barriers of walking and biking to school. The purpose of the engagement strategies were to identify walking and biking challenges, to understand where people would like to go, to provide information about walking and biking safety, and to build excitement for the Excelsior Elementary Safe Routes to School Plan. These engagement strategies were chosen to make it easy for the Excelsior Elementary communities to TABLE 1: ENGAGEMENT STRATEGIES DATE STRATEGY DESCRIPTION COUNT Oct 2021 – Spring 2022 Interactive engagement website Engagement website available in both English and Spanish. -- Oct 2021 – Spring 2022 Interactive map Interactive online map provided for residents to leave comments and match them to the exact locations. 21 comments Oct 2021 – Spring 2022 Caregiver survey Survey to identify why families walk and bike and what would help make it safer to walk and bike. The survey was available online as well as in paper-pencil upon request and available in English, Spanish, Somali, and Chinese. 70 Jan 2022 – Spring 2022 Student survey Survey using student-friendly language to help identify why they walk and bike and what would help make it safer to walk and bike. Surveys were distributed during school lessons. 10 Dec 2021 – Mar 2022 Equity scorecard An equity analysis was completed with the project team during the Rapid Planning Workshop and used to guide engagement strategies. 13 55 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL talk to staff and participate while also adhering to social distancing guidelines during the Coronavirus pandemic. ENGAGEMENT HIGHLIGHTS OPPORTUNITIES While many families choose to walk and bike for recreation and some live in walking/biking distance to school, most don’t feel comfortable allowing their children to walk or bike to school alone. The main reason is the lack of safe routes over busy roads. One Excelsior parent mentioned in an interview that a walking school bus program from Kowalski’s or another location would be a great option to get kids to bike and walk to school. BARRIERS There are several roads that appear to be dangerous due to traffic speed, lack of safe crossings, and unsafe/ no sidewalks or pathways. The two most commonly mentioned are Highway 7 and Oak Street. EQUITY FINDINGS The students living at the apartments on the south side of Highway 7 would like to walk or bike to school but many do not have bikes or families feel it is not safe to cross this busy road at Mill Street. A bike fleet or rehab program might be a way to supply students with bikes if there were a safe way to cross. PROGRAM FINDINGS Building skills for later in life using programs like the Bike Rehab program or the walking school bus were seen as favorable to families. INFRASTRUCTURE FINDINGS Families shared that additional ways safely cross Highway 7 would encourage more biking and walking to school. More school zone and speed limit signs on roads adjacent to Excelsior Elementary could encourage drivers to slow down and watch for kids walking and biking to school. Repaired and added sidewalks/bike paths would be an important improvement as well. DATE STRATEGY DESCRIPTION COUNT Dec 2021 – Mar 2022 Regular check- in meetings with school leadership Brainstorming and planning sessions to gather feedback from families. 3 Dec 2021 – Mar 2022 Collaborate with PTO President Meeting and commitment to put surveys in weekly newsletters. 3+ committee and school families Jan 2022 – Mar 2022 Student collaboration Taught lessons to students about walking and biking benefits. Developed a plan to gather more feedback from kids with the student survey. Families were asked to complete surveys afterward. 15 56 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL EXISTING CONDITIONS OPPORTUNITIES Many families said they enjoy walking and biking and would like their student to be able to walk and bike to Excelsior Elementary. Many parents say they live less than a mile away but do not allow their children to walk/ bike because the routes are unsafe (see Figure 1). The most requested improvement was a safe way to cross Highway 7, specifically at Oak Street, Galpin Lake Road and Mill Street. People also said access to safe ways across Highway 7 would bring more people to Downtown Excelsior, increase business, and lessen the traffic at each stop. One resident noted, “We cross this highway monthly on bikes or on walks with very young children. There is so much to offer in downtown Excelsior and we would love to be able to head there more often and spend more money!. From the students who completed the online survey or spoke one-on-one with staff during lessons, they shared that more sidewalks and paths would encourage them to walk or bike to school. They also thought more Figure 1: What would help your child walk or bike to/from/at school more often? Figure 2: Which of the following issues prevent your child from walking or biking to/from school? 57 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL crosswalks, stop signs, flashing lights and signals would benefit the area. Several students mentioned bike racks near school as a possible opportunity to encourage biking to school. BARRIERS Many parents said their primary concerns for their children walking and biking to school are dangerous intersections near school (see Figure 2). The specific areas to consider for improvement are below. Highway 7 Throughout engagement, people shared that crossing Highway 7 is dangerous for multiple reasons. First, the speed limit is high along the Highway and there is a lack of shoulder space to walk between the high speed vehicles. Next, there are a lack of safe crossings that require safety improvements, for example at Linden Avenue, Mill Street and Galpin Lake Road. Finally, westbound right-turns- on-red are dangerous for pedestrians since drivers are not coming to a full stop at Oak Street. As a result, most families prefer to drive their students. Oak Street/Highway 19 Families said that there are no stop lights at some crossings and roads need to be updated for safety, including sidewalks. One parent noted that they have seen students almost run down by drivers at the Water Street intersection. Galpin Lake Road It’s reported that cars move too fast on Galpin Lake Road and there are a lack of sidewalks, shoulder space and bike paths. It also does not lead to any safe places to cross Highway 7. Mill Street People said that Mill Street has no sidewalks and the traffic moves too quickly. A few people mentioned 3rd Street as a dangerous intersection to cross for families. One person said “We’d love to see pedestrian crosswalks at the intersection of Mill Street and 3rd Street. Many families cross there to access the bike trail, but it’s currently extremely dangerous as there’s no signage to alert cars to watch that intersection.” One resident noted that the Mill Street. bridge is the only feasible way to cross Highway 7 in that area, but is not safe for walkers. Mill Street is high traffic and lacks dedicated paths. Mill has a stretch of sidewalk on its east side near the bridge, the rest of Mill does not. The east side is poor for school access as it requires crossing an entrance ramp to Highway 7 and then crossing the west side of a very busy Mill at an uncontrolled intersection. A dedicated path along Mill Street. with a connection to the Lake Minnetonka Regional Trail is needed for safe school access. Another resident noted that there is a Hennepin County plan for Mill Street for 2024 to build a trail that ends at 3rd Street, but there is no plan to connect the Screenshot from the SRTS website 58 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL like students to walk or ride to school when the weather is nice if it is safe. PROGRAMS Walking School Bus Several people said they would allow their child to walk to school with the walking school bus program. Some said that parents and older students informally act as walking leaders for students living near them, and a formal program could help connect them with more students. Crossing Guard Parents frequently said that they are concerned about the personal safety of their kids walking and biking to school, and said they would feel a better sense of security if there were trained supervisors or volunteers to assist students near the school. Some suggested temporarily closing roads from 7:45-8:15 and 2:45-3:05 with the help of crossing guards. Safety Resource Officers’ presence has also been a strategy implemented in the past with success. Drop-off Student Valet Several families said parent pick-up and drop-off in front of the school causes back up and delays. A valet program of trained teachers, parents, or volunteers to assist with the drop-off and pick-up process could create a more organized and safer environment. The library behind the school could be a good place to start. A variation on this, suggested by a resident, is a remote drop-off between the elementary and middle/high school campuses. This would allow older children to walk with younger children to school then be shuttled back to middle or high school. Bike Fleet and Bike Rehab Stakeholders commented that having a bike program instituted to repair donated bikes could eventually turn into a full fleet of available bikes. These bikes could be given to or earned by students to bike to school. Walk/Bike to School Day trail to the school via the lake Minnetonka Regional Trail. A connection would make it way more likely to be used to walk/bike to school. Lake Street A few people said traffic moves very quickly on Lake Street and sidewalks are inadequate for safe travel. One resident mentioned online, “Nobody is going to cross Oak/Hwy 19 until there are stop lights at all intersections and Lake Street is FULLY updated. Cars drive too fast on Lake street and the City of Excelsior chose not to put sidewalks in the correct locations. It is too dangerous on Lake Street. And William is super unsafe for small kids alone.” FINDINGS EQUITY While a majority of Excelsior Elementary families fall in the sociodemographic identities of white, upper-middle class, homeowners, and English speakers, there are some families who do not claim those identities. There are families who make less income (below poverty level), rent apartments, speak English less than very well and 9% self-identify as not white. Many of these students live on the southside of Highway 7 in the Christmas Lake Manor Apartments and the Estates at Excelsior. While they are within walking distance of the school, there is not a safe way for them to cross Highway 7. The families who live here speak many primary languages such as Somali, Spanish and Chinese. Working with their English language teacher, the SRTS team was able to teach lessons on the benefits of walking/biking to school. The team learned that many of these students do not have bikes to use. Additionally, there is an afterschool program at the nearby United Methodist Church that serves English language learners and “backpack” kids. These are students with food insecurities who take home backpacks of food as needed. The food shelf program and the afterschool tutoring program are on the same days. Working with these families, we learned that many would 59 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Providing training and resources to encourage students to come on a specially appointed day may work as an incentive for biking/walking to school. INFRASTRUCTURE Families and residents have clearly stated that creating a safe way to cross Highway 7 is a must if students south of the highway want to walk or bike to school. Additional safety measures need to be in place for parents to feel comfortable allowing their students to cross Highway 7. In addition, several parents said that there should be more school zone and speed limit signs, particularly on Highway 7, Oak Street, and Galpin Lake Road. Some people recommended flashing lights and radar speed signs for greater visibility. 60 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL INFRASTRUCTURE RECOMMENDATIONS | 60 Appendix H: Methods and Data Sources CRASHES By ROAD USER VULNERABILITy Visualized crashes are taken from a MnDOT crash database that spans the years 2011-2021. Pedestrian- and bike-involved crashes were those events with “Crash Type Description” values of either “Pedalcycle (bike)” or “Pedestrian”. STUDENT RESIDENTIAL DENSITy A kernel density estimate (KDE) was produced from student addresses to show the relative spatial distribution of students across the planning area while protecting the privacy of students and their households. ROAD OWNERSHIP Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS) data from 2021 were visualized on the basis of each road segment’s “Ownership” value. These values were consolidated from 26 categories down to six for visualization purposes; these six categories were: “Federal,” “Tribal,” “State,” “County,” “Local,” and “Other”. PRIORITy EqUITy AREAS Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC)’s Social Vulnerability Index and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s EJScreen- Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool were combined at the block group level to create a composite equity priority score for each block group in the planning area. Decile scores for each component measure were calculated, weighted, and then aggregated to produce the composite score. Component measures included deciles for racial/ethnic minority population, low income population, traffic proximity, particulate matter (PM) 2.5 levels, population with a disability, and households without a vehicle. A component measure was also calculated to identify block groups with high concentrations of white residents, which we considered to be the top 20% of block groups with the greatest share of white, non- Hispanic residents. SCHOOL ENROLLMENT CHARACTERISTICS School year 2020-2021 enrollment data were downloaded from the Minnesota Department of Education Data Center. 61 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Bicycle parking at schools does more than just provide space for storage during the school day. Depending on design, bicycle parking can actually encourage students and staff to choose to ride their bikes to school. Here are some things to think about when planning bicycle parking at school. HOW MUCH PARKING SHOULD BE PROVIDED? The amount of bike parking needed will depend on the capacity of your school, the ages of students, and the number of staff. But remember: be aspirational! Provide parking for the number of students and staff you’d like to see biking! The following are some guidelines: •Aim for 25 percent of the maximum student capacity of the school. •Provide additional parking to encourage staff and faculty to bike to school WHERE SHOULD PARKING BE LOCATED? Well-located bike parking will be: •visible to students, staff, and visitors •near the primary school entrance/exit •easily accessed without dismounting •clear of obstructions which might limit the circulation of users and their bikes •easily accessed without making a rider cross bus and car circulation •installed on a hard, stable surface that is unaffected by weather •often found near kindergarten and daycare entrance, which allows caregivers to conveniently pick up their children on their bikes CAN MY SCHOOL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL AMENITIES? Bike parking shelters and lockers provide extra comfort and security for those choosing to ride to school. They’re also a great project for a shop class. Both can be very simple in construction and go a long way towards making biking attractive and prioritized! Sheltered Secure Enclosure RECOMMENDED RACKS These racks provide two points of contact with the bicycle, accommodate varying styles of bike, al-low for at least one wheel to be U-locked, and are intuitive to use! For example , i f e a c h c l a s s - room has a m a x c a p a c i t y o f 20 students a n d t h e r e a r e 1 0 classrooms, s p a c e f o r 5 0 b i c y - cles should b e p r o v i d e d . D o n ’ t forget to ad d s o m e f o r f a c u l t y and staff! INVERTED U POST & RING WAVE COMB SPIRAL Appendix I. Bike Parking for Schools RACKS TO AVOID WHEELWELL SECURE WHEELWELL 62 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Graphics courtesy of Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals Essentials of Bike Parking report (2015). SPACE REQUIREMENTS 36”36” 72” 72” 84” 36” Space required for a single hitch 84”84”60” 30”30”42”42”42”42” 72 ” 36” 36” 72” Aisle Circulation 36” 114” Space required for a single hitch The space re q u i r e m e n t s shown here a s s u m e a person park i n g t h e i r bike would h a v e o p e n access forw a r d a n d from behind. The space requirements shown here assume the area is confined on either side (left and right). Access is located at the top and bottom of the image, requiring a center aisle for circu- lation. RESOURCES FOR EQUIPMENT Dero Sportworks Urban Racks MORE INFORMATION APBP Essentials of Bike Parking Bike Shelter Development Guide - Portland Public Schools 63 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL Appendix J: Maintenance Planning ANNUAL MAINTENANCE School routes and crosswalks should be prioritized for maintenance. To ensure high visibility crosswalks maintain their effectiveness, review all crosswalks within one block of the school each year. If there is notable deterioration, crosswalks should be repainted. Crosswalks on key school walking routes should be evaluated annually and repainted as needed. SEASONAL MAINTENANCE Poorly maintained infrastructure and unpleasant weather conditions during the winter create barriers and decrease walking and bicycling. Winter maintenance can facilitate walking, biking, and rolling and provide new opportunities to encourage students to spend more time outside. RESOURCES Safe Routes Partnership - Let It Snow: Ways to Help Walking in the Winter Months https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/blog/let-it-snow-ways-help-walking-winter-months Winter Design Guidelines: Transforming Edmonton into a Great Winter City https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/PDF/WinterCityDesignGuidelines_draft.pdf 64 | SHOREWOOD SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL