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City, Wisconsin Bike Fed and MMSD outline Safe Routes to School planning work; Southside first
Summary
Traffic engineering and partners described a TAP‑funded Safe Routes to School planning program that will produce school‑level safety plans, outreach and equity‑focused engagement; Southside Elementary is the first school plan completed as a draft.
The City of Madison Traffic Engineering Division and partners on Jan. 8 presented an update on a Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP)‑funded Safe Routes to School planning project.
Renee Callaway, assistant director in traffic engineering, said the presentation was informational; staff are not asking the commission to vote. The planning team includes the city, the Wisconsin Bike Federation, Madison Metropolitan School District representatives and consultant Toole Design.
Toole Design has developed a draft school traffic safety plan template; the first draft plan is for Southside Elementary. Colleen Hayes, pedestrian/bicycle outreach specialist and project manager, said the project will produce individualized school plans (Southside, Leopold and Hawthorne are the initial three), a prioritization framework for future schools, equity‑focused engagement with Hmong, Hispanic and Black families, and a review of crossing‑guard locations. The team said it expects to be able to support up to about 25 schools over the life of the grant.
Why it matters: The Safe Routes work seeks to update and standardize school drop‑off and pick‑up plans, improve signage and enforcement coordination, and identify infrastructure needs that support walking and biking for students. Staff said plans also aim to make school plans durable amid staff turnover and inconsistent, school‑level procedures.
Details and next steps - The team has observed existing drop‑off/pick‑up at Southside and drafted a succinct, graphic plan intended for families and school staff. - Toole Design and EQT by Design will conduct surveys and focus groups and coordinate youth and equity engagement tools; the project includes high‑school outreach via a Safe Routes educator. - The city will work with parking enforcement and school staff to combine education and targeted enforcement; some enforcement is already done as complaints arise. - Staff said the walking‑school‑bus approach can be effective but often relies on volunteers; the team is exploring ways to make programs sustainable, such as paid walking‑bus leaders.
Outcome This item was informational; no commission action was requested or taken.
Ending Staff said they will continue working with schools and the consultant team and return updates as plans and implementation steps are developed.
