Car Parking and Traffic Management around Public Schools

Car Parking and Traffic Management around Public Schools Images courtesy of clip art This project, commissioned by the LGA of SA, focuses on developing a decision making framework for managing car and traffic management around public schools. It has been supported by a project Working Group and prepared by Strategic Matters. (Final version) DME 49766 0

Table of Contents Preamble 2 About the document 3 1. Part 1 - Overview 4 2. Part 2 Who to involve 6 3. Part 3 Decision Making Framework 8 4. Part 4 - Examples 10 DME 49766 1

Preamble This document provides a guideline for resolving traffic management issues around public schools. It was initiated following discussion between the LGA and the Minister for Education, Hon Jane Lomax Smith. The development of the guideline was supported by the LGA and the Minister for Education and has been prepared collaboratively by the Local Association of SA and the Department of Education and Children s Services (DECS) and represents an indication of the goodwill and intent to resolve issues in a meaningful and constructive process. Funding for the project has been provided by the Local Research and Development Scheme DECS can be contacted regarding traffic management issues. In the first instance Councils should refer any issues directly to the school Principals, if the matter then needs to be referred to DECS then the Principal can contact Asset Services in DECS through the Asset Support Centre on: Phone - 1800 810 076 Email - asc@saugov.sa.gov.au. DME 49766 2

About the Document Project Aim The project s aim was to develop a good practice decision making framework to assist Councils in managing car and traffic management around public schools The document has been designed to offer Councils four layers of information: Part 1 Provides an overview - General information about the project including context, aim, key items and values that underpin the decision making framework; Part 2 Presents information on how Councils, can determine WHO to involve when addressing a traffic management and / or car issue relating to public schools: Part 3 Provides a decision making framework with a range of questions that Councils can ask to ensure that the nature of the issue is fully understood, the stakeholders appropriately identified, the solution that is developed is robust, and that resource implications are identified; and Part 4 Offers a detailed series of examples that provides Councils with a range of likely scenarios that may be encountered when dealing with traffic management and around public schools. DME 49766 3

Part 1 - Overview 1.1 Project Context Councils and the Department of Education and Children s Services (DECS) are faced with increased community pressure to address both traffic congestion and safety around public school grounds. All public schools are subject to the DECS policy that ensures that school pick-up and drop-off areas occur on public roads. However, State developments such as public schools are exempt from Councils planning requirements (development planning process). Where schools have arterial road frontage issues, and or the need for regulatory devices, and the approval of non-standard traffic management devices, input from the Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure (DTEI) is also required. To date many Councils have addressed the issue of traffic management around schools in one of three ways: introducing controls around school zones that may involve and speed controls as well as Local Area Traffic Management (LATM) measures; developing land adjacent to the schools for drop-off and pick-ups; or purchasing DECS land for the construction of additional car parks. The current methods employed by Councils to address traffic management around public schools are ad-hoc and piecemeal. In many instances the solutions rely on the Councils ability to have both finances and adjacent land available to them which is often not available. Further to this, research undertaken by the Local Association of South Australia (LGA) indicates that in situations where Councils have adopted tighter controls (in an effort to restrict movement of both vehicles and pedestrians) the results have generally proven to be inadequate. The LGA is seeking to establish a more robust decision making process for determining cost sharing arrangement between spheres of and safe and sustainable traffic management outcomes around public schools. A joint LGA/DECS Working Party was established to inform the process and outcomes. The Working Party met three times and undertook some out-of-session work. Membership of the Working Party including two personnel from Councils (one metropolitan, one rural), two personnel from DECS and two personnel from the Local Association of South Australia. DME 49766 4

1.2 Key Items The framework has adopted the approach that all issues can be addressed as one of four broad problems: 1. Internal (on site - within school grounds) traffic management; 2. Internal (on site within school grounds) ; 3. External traffic management; and 4. External 1.3 Values of the Decision Making Framework The decision making tool / framework promotes: outcomes that are flexible, responsive and durable; the best service delivery outcomes for the community; sound cost benefit outcomes; politically acceptable solutions (both at a policy and local level); decisions that address the Triple Bottom Line (TBL) (including changing demographics, and infrastructure needs); solutions that are amenable to councils social, financial and ecological constraints / circumstances; and collaborative input to, and ownership of outcomes. DME 49766 5

Part 2 Who to Involve When faced with a traffic or car issues around or within a public school there are a range of bodies and individuals who might need or wish to be involved in the decision making process. The table below highlights who might raise an issue, who the likely stakeholder is, who needs to be involved if the road is under the care and control of Local or State Control and what might be used to guide the involvement of the broader community. The table will also assist Local in determining cost sharing arrangement between spheres of and safe and sustainable traffic management outcomes around public schools. Figure 1 Who to involve in the decision making Who might initiate an issue? School, Local, Resident(s), Local Member, Minister, DECS Identifying the scope of the issue Likely key stakeholders Road under care & control of LOCAL Internal traffic issue? DECS, school n/a n/a Road under care & control of STATE Internal issue? DECS, school, n/a n/a DME 49766 6

Identifying the scope of the issue Likely key stakeholders Road under care & control of LOCAL Road under care & control of STATE External traffic issue? - School, Local - Department for Transport, Energy & Infrastructure (DTEI) - relevant Local authority - Public Transport Division - Department for Transport, Energy & Infrastructure 1 - Office for Cycling and Walking External issue? - School, Local, DTEI - relevant Local authority - Public Transport Division - Department for Transport, Energy & Infrastructure 2 - relevant Local authority - Office for Cycling and Walking Community Consultation with community as per Local s & School s Consultation Policy 1 Involvement from DTEI is required when issues relate to arterial road frontage, regulatory devices, and /or the approval of non-standard traffic management devices. In some instances DTEI may get involved through their Safe Routes to School program (soon to be the Way2Go program) that focuses on the development of safe practices in the vicinity of schools both in terms of engineering interventions and behavioural change 2 As notation for reference note #1 DME 49766 7

Part 3 Decision Making Framework When faced with a traffic or car issues around or within a public school there are a range of items that need to be considered in the decision making process. Figure 2 has been developed to provide Councils with a guide on that types of questions that can be asked to ensure that the nature of the issue is fully understood, the stakeholders appropriately identified, the solution that is developed is robust and that resource implications are identified. Councils are also encouraged to measure success of the solution through both the Outcomes i.e. those things (& attitudes and practices) that have been achieved or changed to achieve our desired result; and the Outputs i.e. those things that have been done or resources (on-ground activities and plans/documents) that lead to change. DME 49766 8

Figure 2 Framework for Decision Making - With whom is it occurring (who is it impacting on)? - When is it occurring? - How long has it been occurring for? - What does it involve? - What is the political interface? - What are the safety issues? - What are the options to address the issue? - How do the options address: safety, the stakeholders, short and long term outcomes? - Who else needs to be involved? - How and when will they be involved? - How will external expectations be managed? - What resources are required? - Are the resources available? - Is there enough time to implement the outcomes? - Has whole of life been factored into the solution? - What will be put in place / achieved to address the issue? - How have the outcomes been tailored to address: The local conditions? Best practice and / or legal requirements? DME 49766 9

Part 4 Examples Section four provides Councils with a range of likely scenarios that may be encountered when dealing with traffic management and around public schools. The table below has been divided into both an Internal (within school grounds) and External (outside the school grounds) split. It then offers a range of example issues, example strategies, example primary contact / stakeholder, other example stakeholders and the nomination of possible resources and tools that might be required to resolve the issue. The table has been designed to assist Councils with determining who the ultimate responsibly lies with, who needs to be involved, what resource what might required), and what tools might be used to advance / resolve the issue. Please note that where schools have arterial road frontage issues the Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure (DTEI) should be referred to in the first instance. Approval of non-standard traffic management devices and regulatory devices (such as speed limit approvals) also presides with DTEI. Example Issues (matters for consideration) Example strategies (What s required to fix the issues?) Primary contact / stakeholder Other (secondary) stakeholders Resources required Tools Internal Traffic Management (within school grounds) Flow of traffic within school grounds DECS, school Internal Parking (within school grounds) Number of staff who require spots DECS school SG Land for External Traffic management (outside school grounds) AS 2890 Traffic volume Traffic calming and traffic management devices Local Residents, DTEI (Transport Time and $ from Local / Traffic Management DME 49766 10

Example Issues (matters for consideration) Example strategies (What s required to fix the issues?) Primary contact / stakeholder Other (secondary) stakeholders Resources required Tools section and Safety & Regulation division) State Plan for the site AS 1742.13 Planning and local government Traffic flow Traffic calming and traffic management devices Local Residents, DTEI (Transport section and Safety & Regulation division) Planning and local government Time and $ from Local / State Traffic Management Plan for the site AS 1742.13 Accessibility to Public transport Explore feasibility of additional services and routes DTEI (Passenger Transport Division) LG (location of bus stop routes etc) DTEI ( Way2Go program) Interface with School Crossings Investigate need for and placement of crossing(s). Consider interface with other land uses School Local State DTEI DTEI ( Way2Go program) Time and $ from Local / State site analysis etc AS 1742.10 Bicycle Lanes and movement Investigate need for and placement of dedicated bicycle lane(s). Including need to link lanes with surrounding bicycle lanes and routes Local Office for Cycling and Walking DTEI ( Way2Go program) Width of road to add bicycle lanes localized bicycle study including costings AS 1742.9 Pedestrian safety and movement Investigate need for and placement safe crossing points Local Schools DTEI ( Way2Go program) Time and $ from Local / State pedestrian safety study including costings AS 1742.10 DME 49766 11

Example Issues (matters for consideration) Example strategies (What s required to fix the issues?) Primary contact / stakeholder Other (secondary) stakeholders Resources required Tools Explore alternative transport modes t/ f schools e.g.: walking Bus Refer - DTEI active travel ideas booklet Local School DTEI ( Way2Go program) Time and $ from Local / State pedestrian safety study including costings Examine signage needs including design and placement Local Schools Time and $ from Local / State pedestrian safety study including costings Interface with external land owners and operators Develop and promote a Road user s protocol / education process /awareness raising program (To focus on issues such as Drop and pick up, consideration of residents needs (e.g. clear driveways)) School DECS Local Other State Time and $ from schools Lack of road frontage for kiss n drop (collection & delivery points) Land transfer DECS School Local Local / DECS agreement & Site Management Plan External Parking (outside school grounds) Provision of on street Explore and assess the provision of adequate # of spaces Local Local Land for Purchase and / or alteration of existing land for Local Local DME 49766 12

Example Issues (matters for consideration) Example strategies (What s required to fix the issues?) Primary contact / stakeholder Other (secondary) stakeholders Resources required Tools Land for Explore shared use of land (e.g. with another institution / business such as a church) Redesign the road reserve Local DTEI Control conditions Local DTEI (regulatory issues) Alternate class times at the school (e.g. offset older student s class times and school hours from 10:30am -4:30pm) Schools, Regional Directors (DECS) Increase public transport to / from the school DTEI (Passenger Transport Division) DTEI ( Way2Go program) Provision of for students Explore and assess the provision of adequate # of spaces in a safe location with adequate lighting and passive surveillance Local Passenger Transport Division to provide buses / bus routes to reduce need for cars to access school Local Land for Purchase and / or alteration of existing land for School Local Local Land for DME 49766 13