Traffic Safety Guidelines

Building for Excellence Program

INTRODUCTION

The following Traffic Safety Guidelines will guide our planning process across the District in partnership with the City of Palo Alto where appropriate and within our available resources.

TRAFFIC SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR DESIGN PLANNING

• Develop plans that promote safe bicycle and pedestrian ingress/egress to the school site;
• Review design of loading zones, auto circulation and parking to ensure safe drop off and pick up of students;
• Provide safe and appropriate access for alternative forms of transportation to encourage and support traffic reduction at the school;
• Provide for neighbor and community involvement, including the school's traffic safety committee, in the early planning process of the safety and traffic planning for the renovation of each site; and
• Work with the City of Palo Alto Traffic Department to jointly promote traffic safety adjacent to our schools.

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  Design Principles:

  • Minimize the number and severity of conflicts among motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians.
  • Design for proper vehicular traffic movements, including right-way bicycle riding.
  • Provide easy, safe and conflict-free access from the street to the on-site bike racks so as to encourage biking to school. Separate bike storage facilities may be needed for different access points.
    Specific Considerations:
    • Strive for designs where students do not have to cross parking lot or driveway entrances and exits and designated loading zones to get to their classrooms or the school office.
    • Designate separate staff and visitor parking sections wherever possible to create stable areas that minimize or eliminate vehicle movements that would otherwise conflict with pedestrian/bicyclist movements during school commute time.
    • Provide for adequate signage and striping so that traffic and people are self- guided.
    • Locate bike racks with student bicycle safety as the primary consideration and safe keeping as important but secondary. Separate bike storage facilities may be needed for different access points.
    • Use bicyclist-friendly road bumps, rather than speed bumps, for reducing speed on-site.
    • Channelize pedestrians and bicyclists only when necessary for safety.
    • Provide adequate loading zone space for vehicles and buses (PAUSD and private day care). Benefits of combining or separating vehicles and buses should be weighed, as well as on-site vs. on-street loading areas for buses.
    • Provide adequate exterior lighting at night.
    Suggestions:
    • Consider designating preferential parking spaces for carpools.
    • Consider multiple loading zones for different areas of campus where doing so is practical and would result in increased student safety.

TRAFFIC SAFETY GUIDELINES DURING CONSTRUCTION

Address safety issues for students and adults during construction including:
• Plan student ingress/egress to the campus for walking, biking, or drop off;
• Designate access, circulation and parking for staff, buses, parents, and visitors;
• Provide limited entrance and parking for construction workers;
• Limit hours and access for delivery of materials to periods when students will not be coming or leaving school;
• Provide a fenced construction area including materials storage; and
• Include safety instructions and expectations in the construction contract.