Area of focus: Your group should decide whether to focus observations only along proposed routes or throughout the entire neighborhood.

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Ashlynn Holmes
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1 Urban Neighborhood Walking / Biking Assessment Introduction: Here is an opportunity to walk around your neighborhood and see firsthand what is needed to provide a safe walking/biking environment for students. Thank you for your willingness to participate in this community effort! Your observations and ideas will contribute to making the school community a safer and healthier place for students to walk or bike to school. Neighborhood Map: This walking / biking assessment is intended to be completed while walking through your neighborhood with a map to mark your observations. Your Keystone Healthy Routes (KHR) coordinator will provide neighborhood maps that include the location of your school, a 1 or 2 mile radius boundary around the school, and your neighborhood s current or potential route for students to walk or bike to school. Area of focus: Your group should decide whether to focus observations only along proposed routes or throughout the entire neighborhood. Take a camera/camcorder: It may also be helpful to take a camera/camcorder along to photograph hazardous areas or areas that are particularly well designed for walkers or cyclists. These images can later be shared with the entire group or even other parents, school officials, and community members. 1

2 Neighborhood or Streets included in this assessment Participant s name and date Physical Environment Please look over each section below before you begin. These include: sidewalks, bike routes, trails, intersections, streets, environment, and land use/location Each section will ask you to locate physical environment features on your map. As you make those observations, decide whether you would give these neighborhood features a plus (+) or minus (-) and record it in the space provided at the end of each section. This will help the KHR team prioritize physical improvements. Sidewalks (if no sidewalks exist designate this area as minus, see last question below, and move to the next section of the survey) Where sidewalks end, leaving you with no place to safely walk. Where sidewalks are in disrepair. Where the sidewalk is not separated from the roadway by a planting strip. (ideal minimum is 4 feet wide). Where the sidewalks are not wide enough for two people to walk side-by-side. (ideal minimum is 5 feet wide) Places where sidewalks are blocked by overgrown shrubs, poles, vendor, and other obstacles. Construction sites. Did they provide a safe marked pedestrian detour? Location of numerous and closely placed sidewalks We have no problems with sidewalks, they are ideal for pedestrians (+) We have several concerns about the design and safety of sidewalks in the neighborhood (-) 2

3 Bike routes (if no bike routes exist designate this area as a minus, see last question below, and move to the next section of the survey) The route of an officially marked bike lane or bike route and any locations where the bike lane or route abruptly ends Where it is perceived that there is not enough space for bicyclists to ride with traffic Potholes Cracked or broken pavement Debris (broken glass, sand, gravel, etc) Dangerous drain grates, utility covers or metal plates Slippery surfaces when wet Rumble strips Railroad crossings We have no problems with bike routes, they are ideal for cyclists (+) We have several concerns about the design and safety of bike routes in the neighborhood (-) 3

4 Trails (if no trails exist designate this area as a minus, see question below, and move to the next section of the survey) Mark the route of any non-motorized recreation trails (including rail trails) Where trails are not wide enough (ideal minimum is 10 feet wide) Where trails are too close to the roadway (ideal minimum is 4 feet wide) Fallen trees Areas prone to flooding Secluded areas where safety may be a concern due to vegetation, lack of lighting, etc. Steep sections of trail Locations where the trail crosses a roadway. Was the crossing marked and were vehicles warned of the crossing by signs? Note the trail material (gravel, asphalt, dirt) and if appropriate for cyclists We have no problems with neighborhood trails, they are ideal for cyclists and pedestrians (+) We have several concerns about the design and safety of trails in the neighborhood (-) Intersections Where cars are parked too close to an intersection, thus blocking the sight distance of pedestrians and the presence of pedestrians from motorists. Location of adult crossing guards Location of crosswalks marked on the pavement Additional pedestrian warning signs or signals. Did the time needed to wait for a pedestrian signal seem too long? Traffic signals. Is the crossing time sufficient for groups of school children? Where corner curb cuts for wheelchairs and strollers are missing. If curb cuts exist, is their placement in line with the crosswalk or direction of travel? 4

5 Intersections with traffic lights Intersections with a stop sign. Note which direction must obey the stop sign, i.e. 4-way or 2-way, etc Intersection with a yield sign and note which direction(s) must obey Obstacles such as low hanging signs, mailboxes, and other objects obstructing a clear line of sight We have no problems with intersections, they are safe for cyclists and pedestrians (+) We have several concerns about the design and safety of intersections in the neighborhood (-) 5

6 Streets Roadways that are impassable for pedestrians due to congestion/speed Road appears too wide to cross Location of local bus stops Location of train/subway stations Bridges that do not provide a pedestrian walkway or bike lane One-way streets and their direction of flow Medians, pedestrian refuge islands or other pedestrian safety features Traffic calming. Is there a traffic calming element such as a speed hump, curb extensions, etc. Mark student pedestrian and bicycle accidents adjacent to school (this information can be found from local police department) Mark other locations where near misses have occurred (this information maybe anecdotal and can be investigated at a later date) We have no problems with streets, they are safe for cyclists and pedestrians (+) We have several concerns about the design and safety of streets in the neighborhood (-) Environment Where trees provided shade for walking / biking routes? Any high noise areas Section of road/location where drivers tend to speed or disobey traffic laws Locations of intimidating animals such as unsupervised dogs Locations where crime is known to be a problem Locations with lots of litter, trash or dog droppings. Is there a lack of trashcans in these locations? Is there a policy for shoveling sidewalks in the winter? 6

7 Does the public works department keep the bike lane clear in the winter? Is the sky often hazy with smog? Were exhaust fumes a problem along the route? We have no problems with our neighborhood s environment, it is safe and pleasant (+) We have several concerns about the neighborhood s environment (-) Please describe: 7

8 Land Use / Location This section will help you identify assets in a community as well as land uses that should be changed in the future. Different land uses can be a positive contribution to a neighborhood by providing a range of activities within walking or biking distance between schools and homes. Where can you walk to in your neighborhood? Indicate a plus (+) if the specific use can be accessed by walking or biking or a negative (-) if the specific use can not be accessed by walking or biking. Be sure to locate each feature on the neighborhood map. Park/Playground Grocery store Convenience store Restaurants Downtown / shopping street Swimming pool Schoolyard Place of worship (church, mosque, temple, etc.) Bus / Trolley / Subway Rail Trail or other non-motorized trail system Museum or other cultural center Identify areas with too many empty buildings or lots and mark them on your neighborhood map. Do zoning regulations prohibit commercial business or civic institutions from locating in your neighborhood or the school s neighborhood? Contact your city zoning official to find out more. Overall, we are content with the land uses in our neighborhood (+) There are one or more land uses that we have identified to be removed from or added to the neighborhood (-) 8

BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASH SURVERY

BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASH SURVERY This survey includes questions regarding biking activity, accidents, and injuries, as well as the answer options provided by the Nashville MPO. Introduction 1. Have you ridden a bicycle within the past