RECEIVE update on the Measure X Safe Routes to School Program

The Measure X Safe Routes to School program funds projects and programs that improve children's health by making walking and bicycling safer and easier.  The program will result in projects that provide the following benefits: improved safety for children walking and biking to school; better connections between schools, residential areas and vocational training programs; enhanced air quality; reduced traffic congestion around schools, and healthier transportation choices for school children and parents.

The Program is consistent with local, State and Federal goals to provide safe access to and from school and applies the 6 E's to ensure programs and projects funded are comprehensive and inclusive.  

The 6 E's are:

• Evaluation (& Planning)
• Engineering
• Education
• Encouragement
• Enforcement
• Equity

FYs 18/19 & 19/20 Measure X Safe Routes to School Program Activities

Fiscal Years 2018 - 2019 and 2019 - 2020 were busy for safe routes to school work in Monterey County. Among the program highlights is the ongoing development of the Seaside & Marina Safe Routes to School Plan, expansion of the Safe Routes to School Education Program, creation and launch of the MY Town Exhibit and securing and kicking-off over $3 Million in grant funding to deliver safe routes to school planning and programming in Monterey County over the next three years.

Seaside & Marina Safe Routes to School Plan

Funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant, the Seaside & Marina Safe Routes to School Plan will develop safe routes to school recommendations for 15 public K-12 schools in the cities of Seaside and Marina.  The planning effort launched in late August with two community workshops (one in Seaside and one in Marina).  In the Fall of 2018, the planning team comprised of staff from TAMC, Monterey County Health Department, City of Seaside Public Works, City of Marina Public Works, and Ecology Action invited school staff and community members to participate in walking audits at each of the 15 schools.  The walking audits allowed the team and school community to observe morning drop-off issues as well as opportunities for infrastructure improvements.  The list of recommended infrastructure and non-infrastructure improvements resulting from the walking audits and community input were included in the draft Plan and reviewed by the public.  The Plan is scheduled to be adopted by the City of Marina, City of Seaside, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District and Transportation Agency Board in February 2020.  Once adopted, the cities can apply for grant funding to design and build the recommended improvements. 

Safe Routes to School Education Program

The Measure X Safe Routes to School Program has set a goal of providing pedestrian safety classes to all 2nd graders and bicycle safety classes to all 5th graders in Monterey County.  these bicycle and pedestrian safety education programs will take place at elementary schools across the county.  TAMC has contracted with Ecology Action to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety in all elementary schools in the Salinas Valley, Marina and Seaside over the next 2-5 years.  In the 2018 - 2019 school year Ecology Action served a total of 41 5th grade classes and 50 2nd grade classes at eleven schools with comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian safety education.  2,155 students were trained and 156 students learned how to ride a bicycle for the first time using Measure X funding.

MY Town Exhibit

MY Town is a traveling children's exhibit design to teach traffic safety and other healthy life skills to young children and their guardians.  The exhibit was created through a partnership between TAMC, MY Museum, CSUMB, First 5, Monterey County Libraries, and Hijos del Sol as a creative way to engage the community and create a fun space for learning.  The initial site for the exhibit is at the Steinbeck Center in downtown Salinas.  The grand opening was held on June 7 and was a great success with 750 people visiting the MY Town Exhibit.  Since its opening, MY Town has between 100 - 300 visitors per day and is open Thursday through Sunday.  Staff is actively looking for the next locations for the exhibit.   

Grants

TAMC staff sucessfully secured two state grants in 2019 to deliver Measure X Safe Routes to School work:

TAMC was awarded the Active Transportation Program Cycle 4 grant in January 2019.  Monterey County Health Department is a grant partner and will help to deliver the project. The project kicked-off in Fall 2019 and will pilot Safe Routes to School Programs at 11 schools across Monterey County. 

TAMC was awarded the Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning grant in May 2019 with work also beginning in Fall 2019.  The Salinas Safe Routes to School Plan will be a partnership between TAMC, Monterey County Health Department, City of Salinas and Ecology Action and will cover all 44 K-12 public schools in the City of Salinas.  The first community workshops are being scheduled for March and April 2020.  

Goals for Fiscal Year 2019/20

• Launch a comprehensive Measure X Safe Routes to School Website;
• Implement "Every Child: Community-Supported Safe Routes to School" grant work;
• Develop Salinas Safe Routes to School Plan;
• Continue implementing the Education Program serving Salinas Valley, Seaside, Marina and North County;
• Continue to coordinate with stakeholders through Safe Routes to School task force meetings;
• Support Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects in all cities and Monterey County;
• Adopt the Seaside & Marina Safe Routes to School Plan in February 2020;
• Apply for Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 and/or provide support to City/County applications.