CHILDREN, TRAFFIC AND SAFETY: RESPONDING TO THE SCHOOL COMMUTE

In an effort to break the cycle of incident management, the City of Palo Alto is pursuing a 'Citywide School Commute Safety Study' to address ways of (a) encouraging children to walk or bike to school, (b) evaluate, classify, and prioritize existing safety deficiencies along commute corridors, and (c) recommend physical and program/education improvements. Rather than respond to each problem as it arises, the study uses a systems approach to classifying school commute corridors and intersections according to measurable criteria. This helps the City avoid simply responding to spot problems and allows a rational implementation of improvements.