Safe Routes review flags Marshfield and Sunset school areas; commissioners call for clearer pedestrian data

Staff and commissioners reviewing Safe Routes to School on Nov. 21 reported that Marshfield presented the largest congestion problems during school release and that a small or poorly placed sign at a nearby three-way stop contributes to drivers turning left when they should not. A presenter noted that Sunset School’s four-way stop at dismissal is a problem area where children cross all corners and where, in past years, the Coos Bay Police Department provided presence during peak times.

One presenter said of observations at several school sites, "I didn't see 1 pedestrian walk by," describing a morning observation during which buses and car drop-offs dominated arrivals. Commissioners and staff discussed that bus routing and higher bus-stop frequency have reduced walking; they also noted students increasingly use scooters and one-wheel devices that can complicate crossings.

Commissioners asked whether the Safe Routes grant application and planning included adjacent schools that feed the same neighborhoods (for example, junior high students who cross the same corridors as high-school students). Staff suggested Alta Planning should be asked to confirm whether enrollment counts and catchment radii used in the grant work included contiguous feeder schools.

No formal actions were taken; staff will request clarifications from the consultant and return recommendations for possible traffic-signage, signal or enforcement changes.