Flagstaff staff outline Safe Routes to School infrastructure study, urge neighborhood input

City staff on Monday presented an infrastructure-centered Safe Routes to School study focused on a cluster of schools in Flagstaff's northeast neighborhood and urged residents to complete a public survey by Nov. 21 to document safety concerns and priorities.

The presentation, delivered during a joint meeting of the Pedestrian Advisory Committee and Bicycle Advisory Committee, explained that the project separates programmatic work from infrastructure work and that the city has secured a grant to pursue physical improvements, including crossings, medians and striping. "We got a grant for that, and we'll look at implementing specific stuff," the presenting staff member said.

Staff showed maps indicating high percentages of student residents, low-vehicle households and roadway classifications that include minor arterials and major collectors. Presenter comments singled out Cedar, Fourth and Sixth streets and an area around Coconino High School and MEMS as focal points for multimodal access improvements.

A recent roundabout and beacons were cited as existing infrastructure; staff noted many other crossing locations remain ideas in planning documents such as the Active Transportation Master Plan. One presenter described a nearby cluster of serious crashes and noted a pedestrian fatality in 2018 that the team could not conclusively locate during the meeting but said reinforced the need for targeted safety work.

Short-term paving on Cedar presents an early opportunity: staff said a mill-and-overlay will be followed by temporary striping this winter and permanent stripe installation in spring. The proposed interim configuration includes narrowed travel lanes, a 3-foot buffer and a 5-foot bike lane, and shared areas at bus stops to allow buses to pull fully out of the travel lane.

Committee members pressed staff on transit coordination. Staff said Mountain Line operations tested the proposed bus-stop relocations and provided width guidance; the westbound stop was moved closer to the intersection with the intention of bringing bus users nearer to crossings. A Mountain Line representative was present during the meeting.

Public commenters and committee members urged more visible crossing treatments, including green paint for bike crossings, more frequent crosswalks near schools and leading pedestrian intervals to manage large student groups during peak times. "Any bike lane that crosses anywhere, make it green," one commenter said, urging visibility measures.

Staff encouraged written input through the survey, saying it will create a filterable record used to prioritize designs and funding. The study timeline calls for a deeper discussion at the next meeting and further work as part of the city's capital planning season.

Next steps: staff will continue public outreach through the posted survey, refine priorities for potential capital projects and present more detailed infrastructure proposals at a future meeting. The survey deadline is Nov. 21.