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.

FY 2020/2021 Measure X Safe Routes to School Program Activities

2020 was a challenging year for Safe Routes to School program.  Most schools in Monterey County closed their campuses in March 2020 and are just now beginning to re-open more than a year later in April 2021.  Despite the shift to remote learning, staff and program partners found new ways to provide traffic safety education, encourage active transportation, plan for safer streets and secure grant funding.    

Safe Routes to School Website

The Safe Routes to School website is now live at https://saferoutesmonterey.org and includes program information, informational safety videos, resources for parents and schools and more!  

Salinas Safe Routes to School Plan

The Salinas Safe Routes to School Plan kicked-off in Spring 2020 despite having to cancel the planned community workshops due to shelter-in-place restrictions.  The planning team comprised of TAMC, Monterey County Health Department, City of Salinas and Ecology Action staff conducted virtual parent and school outreach as well as half of the school site walking audits in 2020.  In Fall 2020 the planning team drafted and received community input on a list of infrastructure and non-infrastructure recommendations for 20 out of the 44 schools included in the Plan.  The planning team is currently conducting the second half of school site audits for schools in the Alisal and Salinas High School Districts through May 2021.  The team is still looking for community input to identify barriers to walking and bicycling around schools.  Community members can complete an online survey in English or Spanish to provide input at: https://ecoact.org/planningsalinas. This information will be used to develop the draft recommendations for the Plan. The next step of the planning process is to test some of the draft recommended improvements on the street through a series of "safe street" demonstrations.  The first round of street demonstrations will kick-off in Fall 2021 followed by a second round of demonstrations in Spring 2022.

 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 renewed the contract with Ecology Action to teach bicycle and pedestrian safety in all elementary schools in the Salinas Valley, Marina and Seaside over the next 1-3 years.  In Spring 2020 Ecology Action modified their programming so that it could be done remotely.  From 2019 - June 2020, Ecology Action served 21 5th grade classes with a total of 539 students and 24 2nd grade classes with a total of 504 students at 19 schools with comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian safety education.  Eight Bike Smart and seven Walk Smart classes were conducted remotely with positive feedback from students and teachers.

Every Child Grant Implementation

Much of the Every Child grant work is dependent upon school sites re-opening and in-person engagement.  Despite the challenges brought by the global pandemic, TAMC, Health Department and Ecology Action partners were able to continue implementing the grant in 2020.  The team provided bike and pedestrian safety education, drafted designs for traffic gardens, developed a walking school bus manual and materials and held a series of bicycle repair workshops in Greenfield.

Play to Learn Kits

In Fall 2020 TAMC partnered with MY Museum to develop 2,500 "Play to Learn Kits" containing engaging and educational activities for children and families to learn about safe routes to school, traffic safety, transportation design and more.  The Kits were developed as a way to continue providing traffic safety education to Monterey County youth while remote learning due to COVID-19 restrictions.  The kits include an Activity Book (designed by CSUMB students), car craft kit, sidewalk chalk, make your own road tape, Native Species Memory Card Game (designed by CSUMB students) and a child-size face mask.  The kits are being distributed across Monterey County and prioritizing students who lack an adequate nighttime shelter.  The Activity Book and Native Species cards are available for free download on the Safe Routes to School website: https://saferoutesmonterey.org for students who do not receive a physical kit.

Seaside & Marina Safe Routes to School Plan & Broadway Complete Street Project

Funded through a Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant, the Seaside & Marina Safe Routes to School Plan was adopted in February 2020 and includes safe routes to school recommendations for 15 public K-12 schools in the cities of Seaside and Marina.  The plan was developed through a partnership between TAMC, Monterey County Health Department, City of Seaside Public Works, City of Marina Public Works, and Ecology Action.  After the plan was adopted, the City of Marina immediately began implementing the recommendations on Carmel Avenue near Crumpton Elementary School.  The City of Seaside, with assistance from TAMC staff applied for and was awarded a $12.04M grant to continue the W. Broadway Avenue design all the way up to General Jim Moore Blvd.  The project includes converting most signalized intersections along Broadway Ave to roundabouts, adding bicycle facilities on both sides of the street and a protected path in front of MLK Jr. School of the Arts.  Additional safe routes to school improvements will be made to Yosemite Ave to improve active transportation access to four schools.

Grants

TAMC applied for two state grant programs to help deliver Measure X Safe Routes to School work:

The City of Seaside was awarded a $12.04 M Active Transportation Program Cycle 5 Broadway Ave Complete Street Corridor grant in March 2021.  TAMC is a sub-applicant and will partner with the Monterey County Health Department to help deliver the programming portion of the project.  Work will begin in August 2021. 

Caltrans Sustainable Transportation Planning awards will be released in April 2021 with work beginning in fiscal year 21/22.  If awarded, the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan will be a partnership between TAMC, Monterey County Health Department, and Ecology Action and serve all K-12 schools in the cities of Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield and King City.  

Goals for Fiscal Year 2021/22

• Kick-off contract with CSUMB Sustainable Cities Program;
• Kick-off the Broadway Ave Complete Streets Project;
• Kick-off the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to School Plan (if funded);
• Continue "Every Child: Community-Supported Safe Routes to School" grant work;
• MY Town Museum Exhibition in south county;
• Salinas Safe Routes to School Plan "Safe Street Demonstrations" in Fall 2021 & Spring 2022;
• Continue implementing the Education Program serving Salinas Valley, Seaside, Marina and North County;
• Continue to coordinate with stakeholders and form new partnerships especially with community-based organizations serving transportation disadvantaged populations;
• Support Safe Routes to School infrastructure projects in all cities and Monterey County;
• Apply for Active Transportation Program Cycle 6 in Spring 2022 and/or provide support to City/County applications; and
• Update the Safe Routes to School Website regularly with resources and information.