Title
Review and Comment on School Street Safety (Discussion Item)
Body
Transportation Commission
11/17/2021
Item 6A
(INFORMATION)
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
All children should be safe traveling to school, whether they walk, use a wheelchair, bike, scoot, ride in a car, or drive. With over 20 K-12 schools in Alameda, a number of them are on or near the High Injury Corridors that the City prioritizes for safety investments. Alameda crash data from 2009-2018 found that 63% of crashes involving younger victims (ages 18 or younger) occurred within a quarter mile of a school, while only 38% of Alameda's roadways are within a quarter mile of a school. In addition, young people ages 10-24 were disproportionately vulnerable to fatal and severe injury crashes.
The City of Alameda (City) improves street safety around schools as part of its broader street improvement efforts. In addition, the Safe Routes to School Infrastructure project is utilizing $368,000 of 2021-2023 Capital Budget funds to implement improvements around schools.
The Street Safety Improvements at Alameda Schools report (Exhibit 1) outlines the infrastructure improvements the City has completed, planned, or proposed near 22 individual K-12 schools in Alameda. It also reviews the school street safety programming the City supports and leads, as well as eight actions in the proposed Vision Zero Action Plan that aim to improve school street safety.
BACKGROUND
On October 27, 2021, City and Alameda Unified School District (AUSD) staff gave presentations about school street safety to the City Council/School Board Subcommittee. The AUSD presentation included discussion of using the old Lum School drop-off zone for Wood Middle School students in order to reduce crowding at the Grand Street entrance. Public comment included requests for the following: more traffic and parking enforcement at schools; crossing guards at middle schools; and street design changes at school sites. The City Council/School Board Subc...
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