Proposed Wedgefield K-8 School safe routes to school begin with school siting Board of County Commissioners meeting February 24, 2015 Heat map of development in East Orlando developed land undeveloped lands proposed school site Wedgefield Community in East Orange County The Wedgefield community is predominantly rural. Traditional Neighborhood Design (TND) ~1 square mile The Reserve gated community ~0.4 square mile Rural Estate section ~8.5 square miles proposed school location Development character 1 block from proposed school site (1 block = ~ mile) Proximity to school is a primary factor in mode choice Distance is one of the major factors in the shift in mode to private vehicle by schoolchildren. (US Department of Transportation, 2008) Travel time, and therefore distance, has the strongest effect on mode choice (McDonald, 2007) Parents sited long distances as a primary barrier to their children walking or biking to school. (Dellinger and Staunton, 2002) Less than 1 trip in 7 is made by walking or biking. (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002) Travel Mode to School Source: National Center for Safe Routes to School, 2011 Personal vehicle is the predominate means of travel to school Distance has a significant impact on mode choice Source: National Center for Safe Routes to School, 2011 Walking or biking to school is more likely when a home was within 1 mile of a school. (McMillan, 2002) 48% of students living less than 1 mile from their school walked compared with a walk rate of 3% for students living more than 1 mile from their school. (McDonald, 2007) Policies and programs that encourage walking and biking to school, especially for grade school children, need to account for the number of eligible walkers and bikers (living within a mile of the school) along with the barriers to walking and biking such as security concerns of parents. Source: National Household Travel Survey, 2008 Walking and biking will be much more prevalent at smaller neighborhood schools than at large schools that draw from larger areas. Source: US Environmental Protection Agency, Travel and Environmental Implications of School Siting, 2003 Approximately 70 students live within 1 mile of the proposed school site 1 mile proposed school student population Only 46% of residing student population lives within the Wedgefield development About 10% of the residing student population lives within 1 mile of the proposed school site Source: Orange County Public Schools Students driven less than 1 mile to bus stop Source: Orlando Sentinel School officials, parents, and students often choose or encourage the use of modes of travel for reasons other than maximizing safety or minimizing risk (e.g. convenience, flexibility, budget). Source: Transportation Research Board The Relative Risks of School Travel, 2011 Student cyclist/pedestrians have injury and fatality rates disproportionately greater than any other mode 22% of fatalities and 11% of injuries, the second largest mode category after personal vehicles less than 15% of all travel to school trips just over 1% of all miles traveled to school Source: Transportation Research Board The Relative Risks of School Travel, 2011 A single 5 wide sidewalk Wedgefield Rural Estates is two miles wide. Wedgefield Rural Estates extends off map to the south another 0.8 mile. Orange County proposes a single 5 wide sidewalk on east side Bancroft Blvd OCPS proposes no offsite bicycle/pedestrian improvements No bicycleway/pedestrian plan was completed as required by Orange County comprehensive plan and school siting ordinance proposed sidewalk TND The Reserve 41 street crossings unmarked, unsignalized intersections Four more major intersections south of Reynolds St street intersection 35 MPH 50 MPH proposed sidewalk The cost of necessary infrastructure ~55 miles of sidewalk needed Pavement markings (e.g. crosswalks, stop bars, rumble stripes) Traffic control devices (e.g. vehicle/pedestrian signalization) National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010 Desirable Attributes of Candidate Locations Source: US Environmental Protection Agency, School Siting Guidance, 2011 X X X Make schools the cornerstone of community planning and design. Orange County Comprehensive Plan, Goal PS2 Support and coordinate with School Board efforts to locate new elementary schools within reasonable walking distance of the dwelling units served by the school. Orange County Comprehensive Plan, PS2.2.5 Meadow Woods Elementary School The County shall coordinate its planning efforts with the School Board to provide better services to neighborhoods and residents. Orange County Comprehensive Plan, Object FLU8.7 Sunset Park Elementary School Provide safe and secure schools in healthy, well designed neighborhoods. Orange County Comprehensive Plan, Goal PS3 Ventura Elementary School Orange County shall promote safe and adequate school site locations. Orange County Comprehensive Plan, Object FLU8.7 Citrus Elementary School Proposed Wedgefield K-8 School safe routes to school begin with school siting While school districts should take the lead on school siting, it should not do so without input from the rest of the government. To do otherwise is often a recipe for a bad investment. (Torma, 2007)