Armatage Travel Plan: Goal 1

Armatage Travel Plan: Goal 1

Goal 1:

Armatage will address safety concerns at arrival and dismissal and strengthen school patrols. (SEE ADDITIONAL ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL SAFETY DOCUMENTS, October 2011 & 12-2011) /

Safe Routes Focus

Education
Engineering
Enforcement
Encouragement
Evaluation

Background/Purpose:

Armatage has many parents who drive children to school. With collaboration among MPS SRTS, public works, SRO and the school community, Armatage has established a morning car drop off routine in a park parking lot behind the school with two staff members placing cones and opening car doors. Problems surrounding speed on Penn Avenue, parents not following the morning procedures, and consistent school patrol continue to be concerns (SEE ARRIVAL/DISMISSAL DOCUMENTS). /

Action Steps/Timeline

/ What
Observe arrival and dismissal. Gather partners and share observations and consider solutions.
Regular communication of arrival/dismissal procedures through website, e-news and print.
Recruit parent volunteers to help with intersections of 56th and Penn and 57th and Russell.
Observe Patrols at strong sites such as Waite Park, Hale Field and Burroughs.
Offer incentives for patrols /

Who/When

MPS Safe Routes. MPS EMSS, SRO, Armatage staff, Armatage parents—Fall 2011. (see arrival/dismissal documents).
Principal; MPS Safe Routes documents
SRTS Champions direct ask of individuals. Patrol lead recruits parents of patrols. MPS patrol trainer train parents on site. No group is too small.
School Patrol lead; MPS Safe Routes help connect, December 2011
Patrol Lead/School/MPS Safe Routes

Additional Resources and Materials

School Pedestrian Safety Program (Kuhnau, April 23, 2008).
SEE Arrival/Dismissal Safety Documents dated 12-2011 and October 2011
Evaluation:
Patrols regularly show up for shifts. One additional parent volunteer is gained. Parents mostly comply with drop off and pick up procedures implemented by school. / Inclusion Efforts

ArmatageTravel Plan: Goal 2

Goal 2:

Armatage will build the network of Safe Routes partners within the school and community. /

Safe Routes Focus

Education
Engineering
Enforcement
Encouragement
Evaluation

Background/Purpose:

Strong Safe Routes efforts need a network of support. Armatage is fortunate to have some passionate parents and staff committed to the health and safety of the children in the community and could use a network of support to strengthen and expand their efforts. Broader community support could help address safety and traffic issues. /

Action Steps/Timeline

/ What
Attend a site council meeting and describe future and potential Safe Routes efforts. Consider adding Safe Routes Link to the school’s website.
Attend Armatage Neighborhood meeting and describe Safe Routes efforts.
Add one additional parent to the team. Perhaps target the morning cars as the school seeks to address traffic issues on Penn and at 57th and Russell.
Connect with local business and/or organizations . Describe Safe Routes and Safety Patrol efforts. Seek support and add name to Travel Plan and other (website?) recognition. (Lake Harriet Pizza has been suggested: 5009 Penn Ave. S 612- 920-7717)
Add additional staff to team. Tall ELL staff has been suggested. Art, music and PE teachers often help with walk to school events.
Find a parent to attend District parents’ safe routes workshop.
Add the names of the staff people who bike or walk to school to the Travel Plan Background & Network document. /

Who/When

SRTS Champion—fall
SRTS Champion
SRTS Champion—December
SRTS Champion/Patrol Lead—January
SRTS Champion/Patrol Lead
SRTS Champion—January
SRTS Champion--spring

Additional Resources and Materials

Travel Plan Network and Background Document.
Safe Routes to school toolkit. http://sss.mpls.k12.mn.us/uploads/final_saferoutestoolkit_2.pdf
MPS Safe Routes Efforts: http://www.wilder.org/download.0.html?report=2446
Evaluation
Champion will add names and businesses to the Travel Plan document. The school will have a network to support other Travel Plan Goals. / Inclusion Efforts

Armatage Travel Plan: Goal 3

Goal 3:

Armatage will participate in one or more school-wide walk to school days every year. /

Safe Routes Focus

Education
Engineering
Enforcement
Encouragement
Evaluation

Background/Purpose:

Walk to school events are a great way to grow walk-to-school efforts, conduct pedestrian education and create enthusiasm for walking and biking to school and more. Walking to School one time is so much more than zero. Students feel proud of their efforts. A walk to school event could be coordinated with the fall walking fundraiser or the spring walking buses. /

Action Steps/Timeline

/ What
Identify dates through the Site Council and/or PTA and secure principal’s support.
Identify park and walk sites for families who usually drive children to school.
Connect with school staff to support the event. Possible ideas: music teacher helps find musicians to greet walkers, art teacher helps create banners or visuals to promote or reflect on event. Connect with staff who help with the cars or a parent driver.
Promote event on website/newsletter. Invite guest walkers.
Promote event through flyer. Add walk to school safety tips to back of flyer. Consider separate flyer targeted and given to cars at arrival.
Promote event through school intercom.
Celebrate the arrival to school with banners, coffee for parents, raffles, music or other recognition.
Reflect on event—and use reflections to address pedestrian safety concern and improve the next walk to school event. /

Who/When

Starting one month before event.
One week before event.
Each day three days leading to the event
Day of the event.
Right after the event.

Additional Resources and Materials

1st Wednesday in October is International walk to School Day.
District Parent Walk-to-School Workshop January 14th.
Top Ten Walk to School Activities:
http://www.saferoutestoschool.ca/oldsite/topactivities.html
Toolkit: Tip Sheets
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/program-tools/education-tip-sheets
Flyers, press releases, and more. http://www.walktoschool.org/resources/index.cfm
Evaluation
Armatage will participate in at least one walk to school event. Walk-to-School events will become part of the school culture and children/families will look forward to them year after year. / Inclusion Efforts
Allow all students participate in raffles. Park and walk emphasized.

Armatage Travel Plan: Goal 4

Goal 4:

Armatage will create a primary walk routes map. /

Safe Routes Focus

Education
Engineering
Enforcement
Encouragement
Evaluation

Background/Purpose:

A primary route map is a Safe Routes to School tool. The map communicates the ways in which a community walks and bikes to school. MPS Safe Routes shares these maps with MPS transportation, Safety and Security, City of Minneapolis Public Works, and the Minneapolis police department. The map also shows the public works infrastructure and can be useful for families in mapping other routes in the neighborhood. /

Action Steps/Timeline

/ What
Obtain walk zone and infrastructure maps for Armatage Montessori School.
Identify primary routes for the Armatage Community. Share initial draft and gain input from the larger community electronically and/or through the PTA and/or Site Council.
Share primary routes with MPS Transportation, Safety and Security, City of Minneapolis Public Works and City of Minneapolis Police. Add routes to map.
Share map with community and perhaps add to website.
Revise map /

Who/When

MPS Safe Routes/ September
Safe Routes Parent Champion/ Armatage School Community/January
MPS Safe Routes/ February
SRTS Champion, Principal/ Spring. Then at least yearly.
Contact with revisions to your map: .http://sss.mpls.k12.mn.us/hkfs.html

Additional Resources and Materials

Armatage map.
Other great maps from the City of Minneapolis http://www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us/bicycles/bikemap2/
Bike Route Mapping:
http://cyclopath.org/
http://www.ridethecity.com/
Walk tab feature: http://maps.google.com/ (estimate times)
Evaluation
Shell map and primary routes map are included in the Armatage Montessori School Travel Plan. The map is shared with the community and revised as needed. / Inclusion Efforts
Include park & walk location.

Armatage Travel Plan: Goal 5

Goal 5:

Armatage will establish a walking bus route. /

Safe Routes Focus

Education
Engineering
Enforcement
Encouragement
Evaluation

Background/Purpose:

Armatage has a committed parent interested in establishing a walking bus. She eloquently articulates the personal and community benefits of walking to school. She seeks to establish community-based routes, where parents and children enjoy connections made on the walk to school. She seeks to grow other routes and mentor other leaders /

Action Steps/Timeline

/ What
Identify Route. Walk route—making sure it is a good choice and identifying appropriate days and times
Obtain safety vests and stop paddles.
Communicate route to school through the Kanga News. Create enthusiasm for walking to school and share pedestrian safety information. Walk route, seek assistance, and reflect for growing routes in spring.
Attend parent workshop and gain tools for walking buses, training in pedestrian safety, and more.
Meet with those who were interested in spring routes, plan and coordinate efforts (e.g. walking Wednesdays.)
Consider paper flyer/newsletter to promote efforts initially/Kanga e-news after that. Consider small incentives such as stickers, recognition, MOA tickets. Consider coffee or celebration of kick off.
Walk routes on established days. Reflect. Modify, add partners and communicate with school community. /

Who/When

MPS Safe Routes, SRTS Champion, November
MPS Safe Routes, November
MPS Safe Routes, Safe Routes Champion, winter
SRTS Champion, MPS Patrol Trainer, MPS Safe Routes, January
SRTS Champion, MPS Safe Routes, parents, March
MPS Safe Routes, Champion, and School, April
Champions, walk leaders, students,--all spring

Additional Resources and Materials

Walking Bus Flyer:
http://www.walkingschoolbus.org/
Walking Bus Interview: http://bikewalkmove.org/2011/all-aboard-the-lyndale-walking-school-bus
Walking Bus Examples described: http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/media/file/LowIncomeGuide.pdf
Evaluation:
Armatage has at least one walking bus route and more families join the it. School community is aware of the walking bus routes and how to join it. / Inclusion Efforts
Welcome park & walkers. All receive newsletter.

MPS Safe Routes to School, 2011-2012, http://sss.mpls.k12.mn.us/hkfs.html