School Traffic Safety
Developing a plan
1. Collect data to identify traffic safety problems:
- Make parent drop off/pick up observations (using parent drop-off checklist).
- Contact Lisa Bullard-Cawthorne at Public Health - Madison & Dane County (608-243-0322 or lbullardcawthorne@publichealthmdc.com) for adapting checklist and instructions for your school.
- Determine locations, times and days for observations
- Enlist individuals for making observations, e.g. parents, staff, neighborhood association representatives.
- Examples of concerns typically observed.
- Request Madison Police TEST to do speed study (if speeding is an issue).
2. Arrange a meeting with stakeholders:
- Contact the Madison School Traffic Safety Committee and invite relevant members to your school traffic safety meeting:
- Madison Police: Traffic Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Crossing Guard Supervisor
- Madison Traffic Engineering: Pedestrian/Bike Coordinator o Madison Public Health: Health Educator o Madison Metropolitan School District: Transportation
- Invite others from school community:
- Principal
- Other interested school staff
- PTO/PTA representative
- Neighborhood Association representative
- Alder (at least keep informed)
- Contact Arthur Ross at Madison Traffic Engineering (aross@cityofmadison.com) to obtain school vicinity map.
- Compile and present observation and speed study data to group and use to identify traffic problems around school (see example of school problem identification).
- Pinpoint identified problems on map.
- Discuss potential solutions.
- Identify which individual/agency will take on task of resolving issues.
- Set timeline for action to be taken.
3. Develop school traffic safety brochure for parents
- Identify individuals who are willing to draft brochure.
- Provide examples of school traffic safety brochures.
- Use map obtained from Madison Traffic Engineering (MTE):
- Hand draw details (sign locations, crossing guards, etc.)
- Scan into “Photoshop” and add details
- Apply to MTE for map development
- Focus on problems identified and solutions recommended at school traffic safety meeting.
- Be sure to include the following in brochure:
- If you drive… (suggested drop-off locations)
- If you walk… (suggested places to cross)
- If you take the bus…
- What the signs mean…
- Circulate draft brochure to school traffic safety team for comment.
4. Determine educational strategy
A. Parents
- Determine timeline and method of distribution - at an already existing school event, e.g. registration, PTO meeting, etc.
- Arrange for brochure to be handed out by police officers in morning and afternoon on a particular day/week, e.g. first week of school, Walk Our Children to School Week.
- Send home brochure to parents via backpacks.
B. Students:
- Contact Safety Educator, Steve Meiers at Madison Traffic Engineering (smeiers@cityofmadison.com) for conducting classes on pedestrian safety.
5. Evaluate effectiveness of School Traffic Safety Plan
- Repeat observations of parent drop-off / pick-up behavior during week of increased enforcement.
- Repeat observations 3-6 months later.
- If problems are beginning to arise again, plan to reinforce educational and enforcement efforts to parents.
Examples of Traffic Safety Concerns Observed
1. Unlawful Parking:
- Violation of signs – No Parking; No Stopping, Standing or Parking; Loading Zone, Handicapped Parking, etc.
2. Unsafe Loading/Unloading:
- Blocking driveway or fire lane
- At T-intersection
- In teacher’s parking lot
- Buses dropping off at crosswalk or allowing too large of a gap between buses
3. Speeding or Not Stopping:
- Too fast for conditions – parents, neighborhood residents, delivery trucks, buses
- Not stopping at stop sign or red light
- Not stopping for adult crossing guard 4. Unsafe Pedestrian Behaviors:
- Allowing child or parent walking child mid-block, instead of crossing at crosswalk and/or with adult crossing guard, especially between parked cars or buses.
Madison School Traffic Safety Committee
In Madison, the School Traffic Safety Committee (STSC) has been formed to receive and evaluate traffic related concerns in and around our schools. The goal of this committee is to centralize and standardize the complaint/request process, conduct evaluations of the concerns and formulate short-term and long-term solutions. The School Traffic Safety Committee consists of representatives from the agencies deemed viable for ensuring the traffic safety related issues are dealt with. The Madison Police Department handles the enforcement and some education related issues. Traffic Engineering handles the infrastructure - roadways, sidewalks, signage, traffic calming, pedestrian islands, adult crossing guards. Public Health is involved with evaluation, safe and unsafe student drop-off and pick-up behaviors, and educational efforts. MMSD handle the school facilities, bus transportation, and school parking lots. Each of the committee members are committed to the goal of addressing the issues and eliminating duplicated efforts in relation to traffic safety around the school.
The School Traffic Safety Committee members and contact information is listed below:
- Renee Bremer - MMSD, Transportation Services, 608-663-5287, rbremer@madison.k12.wi.us
- Jeff Fedler - MMSD, Transportation Services, jfedler@madison.k12.wi.us
- Officer Rhonda Russell - Madison Police, Traffic Enforcement Safety Team, 261-9687, rrussell@cityofmadison.com
- Arthur Ross - Madison Traffic Engineering, 608-267-6225, aross@cityofmadison.com
- Lisa Bullard-Cawthorne - Madison Public Health (also representing the Safe Community Coalition and SAFE-KIDS Coalition), 608-294-5303, lbullardcawthorne@cityofmadison.com
- Alder Robbie Webber, 608-233-1390, rwebber@cityofmadison.com
For all Madison schools, if wishing to make a formal complaint to the STSC about a traffic-related concern around your school, have the school principal complete and submit a complaint/request (C&R) form to Renee Bremer at MMSD.
Example of School Problem Identification - Pedestrian Safety at Midvale School
Perceived problem
According to school staff, crossing guard, parents and neighborhood residents, the following concerns have been voiced:
- congestion in front of the school
- cars driving past the school too fast when children are present * unsafe parent drop-off behavior – especially parents parking across the street and having kids walk across mid-block
Observed problem
Observations took place in front of the school, using a standardized checklist, by school staff, neighborhood residents and city health department staff. Observations were made for 60 minutes in the morning (just before and at the start of school) and in the afternoon (just before and at the end of school). The unsafe behavior found in June of 2002 included the following:
A. Parking violations:
- cars parking in no parking area across street
B. Unsafe drop off and pick up
- parents stopping in front of school where busses park to drop off kids * parents stopping in T-intersection in front of school to drop off kids
C. Unsafe pedestrian behavior
- children walking mid-block, with parents or alone, often in between parked ars or buses
- children not crossing at crosswalk or with crossing guard
D. Moving violations
- vehicles not stopping for pedestrians in crosswalk
- vehicles making U-turns in front of school, worst offenders were cab drivers
Speed studies
Speed studies were done in May of 2002 for 24 hours. The results showed that 43% of the 577 vehicles that drove by the school on Caromar Dr. were driving above 25MPH.