Operations and safety around schools : review of existing guidelines.

The state of Texas, particularly in the large urban areas, has experienced considerable population growth in recent years. This growth has produced new schools in areas near highways originally designed for low volumes and relatively high speeds. Another trend is the higher proportion of children being transported to and from schools in private vehicles. These realities, and many of the other issues associated with traffic around schools, make it important to aggressively consider the design of roadways within and around schools to ensure the safest possible traffic environment. Equally important is the consideration of the location and design of the school site, preferably during the planning stages, in order to establish safe and efficient operations. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently focusing attention on these issues through its Precious Cargo Program. Precious Cargo allows TxDOT staff to review school site plans and make recommendations before the schools are built. Since the program's inception, more than 180 schools in 70 various school districts statewide have seen traffic safety improvements around their schools or future school sites. This research will develop guidelines and good examples for the design and operation of roadway facilities within and around schools in order to improve safety and reduce local congestion. This report documents the first-year project activities including (a) a state-of-the-practice literature review; (b) interviews and surveys with architects, school district personnel, and consulting engineers with considerable experience in school site planning and design; (c) surveys of site review practices of TxDOT and municipal engineers; (d) findings and observations from case studies of 14 school campuses; and (e) a review of existing guidelines. The second-year project activities will basically consist of intensive field studies at school sites throughout the state of Texas. Researchers will use these data and the review of existing guidelines to develop a final document containing design and operations guidelines for school transportation-related elements such as bus and parent drop-off/pick-up zones, pedestrian/bicycle facilities, parking lots, driveways, traffic control devices, signs, and markings.