FUNDED BY: IN PARTNERSHIP WITH:
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 2
Acknowledgements
Gonzales City Council
Jose Rios, Mayor
Scott Funk, Mayor Pro Tempore
Liz Silva, Councilmember
Lorraine Worthy, Councilmember
Maria Orozco, Councilmember
City of Gonzales
Patrick M. Dobbins -
Public Works Director/City Engineer
Greenfield City Council
Robert White, Mayor
Ariana Rodriguez, Mayor Pro Tempore
Yanely Martinez, Councilmember
Rachel Ortiz, Councilmember
Drew Tipton, Councilmember
City of Greenfield
Jamie Tugel - Public Works Director
King City Council
Mike Le Barre, Mayor
Carlos Victoria, Mayor Pro Tempore
Robert Cullen, Councilmember
Oscar Avalos, Councilmember
Carlos DeLeon, Councilmember
King City
Octavio Hurtado, PE, QSD -
Public Works Director/City Engineer
Soledad City Council
Anna Velazquez, Mayor
Maria Corralejo, Mayor Pro Tempore
Fernando Cabrera, Councilmember
Fernando Ansaldo-Sánchez, Councilmember
Evarista Bañuelos, Councilmember
City of Soledad
Donald Wilcox, PE -
Public Works Director/City Engineer
Alex C. Ramos, EIT - Assistant Engineer
Leon D. Gomez, PE, QSD -
Sr. Project Manager, Harris & Associates
Acknowledgements 3
Project Funding Partner
California Department of Transportation
Orchid Monroy-Ochoa -
Caltrans District 5 Division of Planning
Tyler LeSage, Regional Planning Liaison
Monterey County - Caltrans District 5
Project Stakeholders
Transportation Agency for Monterey County
(TAMC)
Gonzales Unified School District
Greenfield Union School District
King City Union School District
Soledad Unified School District
South Monterey County High School District
Partner Agencies
Transportation Agency for
Monterey County
Todd Muck, Executive Director
Ariana Green, Principal Transportation Planner
Amelia Conlen, Senior Transportation Planner
Janneke Strause,
Associate Transportation Planner
Aaron Hernandez, Transportation Planner
Ariadne Sambrano, Transportation Planner
Monterey County Health Department
Vicente Lara, Program Manager II
Angelica Chavez,
Chronic Disease Prevention Coordinator
Christina Santana,
Chronic Disease Prevention Coordinator
Elvira Ramirez Molina, Community Service Aid III
Jeff Domalanta,
Chronic Disease Prevention Specialist II
Ecology Action
Shelby Cramton, Senior Planner
Gino Garcia, Senior Program Specialist - Planning
Chloe Ortiz, Program Coordinator II
Ahtziri Carranza, Program Coordinator I
Alta Planning + Design Consultant Team
Ashley Haire, PE, Principal
Devan Gelle, Planner
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 4
Executive Summary
The Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan describes communityidentified needs and recommendations for infrastructure projects and programs that support walking, bicycling, and carpooling to 22 schools in Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, and King City. The plan also identifies possible funding sources and implementation priorities. The recommendations in this plan are aimed at supporting healthy communities, improving affordable transportation options for low-income and vulnerable residents, and helping the four cities improve safety and meet statewide goals to address climate change by reducing vehicle miles traveled.
This plan was funded with a Sustainable Communities Transportation Planning Grant from the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and local matching funds, and it is aligned with the regional and statewide plans and concepts included in the Caltrans District 5 Active Transportation Plan.
The vision for all students and families following the implementation of the Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan is as follows:
• I can walk or bike to school safely.
• My trip to school helps our environment, builds healthy habits, and saves my family money.
• I am more connected to my neighborhood and community through my trip to school.
• I have the skills and confidence I need to travel to school safely without using a car.
I CAN
walk or bike to
school safely.
I KNOW
that my trip to school
helps our environment,
builds healthy habits, and
saves my family money.
I HAVE
the skills and confidence
I need to travel to school
safely without using a car.
I AM
more connected to my
neighborhood and
community through my
trip to school.
OUR
VISION
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 6
Plan Contents
The introduction and outreach chapters include an overall introduction and a summary of outreach for the project. The remainder of the plan is divided into four sections, one for each of the four cities.
Chapter 1: Introduction. The first chapter describes the purpose of the plan, the benefits of walking and biking to school, and the plan’s relationship to other local planning efforts.
Chapter 2: Outreach. This chapter describes the outreach goals for the project and summarizes the various outreach methods used to involve community members in the planning process.
Chapter 3: Gonzales.
• 3A. Existing Conditions. This section describes the demographics and commute patterns of Gonzales residents, and existing bike, pedestrian, and transit facilities. It also includes an analysis of bicycle and pedestrian collisions and a description of the existing bicycle and pedestrian programs that are currently available to residents.
• 3B. Outreach. This section describes the public outreach that took place in Gonzales, including community survey data from the temporary pilot project that was installed as part of the planning process. • 3C. Recommendations. This section contains profiles of each of the three school sites, with information on the existing conditions at each school and infrastructure recommendations for making it easier and safer to walk and bike to school. It also includes a guide to the types of infrastructure that are recommended in this plan.
• 3D. Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance. The final section discusses opportunities to fund and complete the recommended projects and programs and provides a list of high-priority corridors. It also includes a list of funding sources that can be used to finance these projects and programs, and the methods the City will use to maintain current and future pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Executive Summary 7
Chapter 4: Greenfield.
• 4A. Existing Conditions. This section
describes the demographics and commute
patterns of Greenfield residents, and
existing bike, pedestrian, and transit
facilities. It also includes an analysis of
bicycle and pedestrian collisions and a
description of the bicycle and pedestrian
programs that are currently available
to residents.
• 4B. Outreach. This section describes
the public outreach that took place in
Greenfield, including community survey
data from the temporary pilot project that
was installed as part of the
planning process.
• 4C. Recommendations. This section
contains profiles of each of the six school
sites, with information on the existing
conditions at each school and infrastructure
recommendations for making it easier
and safer to walk and bike to school.
It also includes a guide to the types of
infrastructure that are recommended in
this plan.
• 4D. Implementation, Reporting, and
Maintenance. The final section discusses
opportunities to fund and construct the
recommended projects and programs and
provides a list of high-priority corridors.
It also includes a list of funding sources
that can be used to finance these projects
and programs, and the methods the City
will use to maintain current and future
pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Chapter 5: King City.
• 5A. Existing Conditions. This section
describes the demographics and commute
patterns of King City residents, and existing
bike, pedestrian, and transit facilities. It
also includes an analysis of bicycle and
pedestrian collisions and a description of
the bicycle and pedestrian programs that
are currently available to residents.
• 5B. Outreach. This section describes the
public outreach that took place in King City,
including community survey data from the
temporary pilot project that was installed as
part of the planning process.
• 5C. Recommendations. This section
contains profiles of each of the five school
sites, with information on the conditions
at each school and infrastructure
recommendations for making it easier
and safer to walk and bike to school.
It also includes a guide to the types of
infrastructure that are recommended in
this plan.
• 5D. Implementation, Reporting, and
Maintenance. The final section discusses
opportunities to fund and construct the
recommended projects and programs and
provides a list of high-priority corridors.
It also includes a list of funding sources
that can be used to finance these projects
and programs, and the methods the City
will use to maintain current and future
pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 8
Chapter 6: Soledad.
• 6A. Existing Conditions. This section describes the demographics and commute patterns of Soledad residents, and existing bike, pedestrian, and transit facilities. It also includes an analysis of bicycle and pedestrian collisions and a description of the bicycle and pedestrian programs that are currently available to residents.
• 6B. Outreach. This section describes the public outreach that took place in Soledad, including community survey data from the temporary pilot project that was installed as part of the planning process. • 6C. Recommendations. This section contains profiles of each of the eight school sites, with information on the conditions at each school and infrastructure recommendations for making it easier and safer to walk and bike to school. It also includes a guide to the types of infrastructure that are recommended in this plan.
• 6D. Implementation, Reporting, and Maintenance. The final section discusses opportunities to fund and construct the recommended projects and programs and provides a list of high-priority corridors. It also includes a list of funding sources that can be used to finance these projects and programs, and the methods the City will use to maintain current and future pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
Appendices: The appendices include outreach materials, survey data from the parent survey and the temporary installations, the complete project list for all 22 schools, and public comments received for all school sites.
Installation of the Soledad pilot project
Executive Summary 9
Goals and Objectives
The cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, King City, and Soledad and partner agencies have set the following goals and objectives for the future of Safe Routes to Schools, to be accomplished through the projects and programs in this plan.
Goal 1. Encouragement: The majority of children will arrive at school by foot, bicycle, scooter, skateboard, bus, or carpool.
• Objective 1.1: Identify and promote a broad spectrum of projects to provide a connected network of active transportation options along Safe Routes to Schools corridors and connections.
• Objective 1.2: Design and construct street improvements that are accessible and comfortable for all ages and abilities. Incorporate tree planting into active transportation projects to provide shade for people who are walking and bicycling.
• Objective 1.3: Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC), schools, and the cities will support events that encourage active transportation to school, such as “Walk & Roll to School,” at least twice a year.
• Objective 1.4: Work with schools and Safe Routes to Schools partners to provide walking school buses at all elementary schools. • Objective 1.5: Work with schools and Safe Routes to Schools partners to promote Safe Routes to Schools corridors as the preferred routes to school.
Goal 2. Safety: Zero collisions involving bikes or pedestrians that result in injury or death.
• Objective 2.1: Prioritize Safe Routes to Schools projects that address fatal and severe-injury crashes.
• Objective 2.2: Prioritize projects on school routes that reduce traffic speeds to 25 mph or less and increase the separations between pedestrians and bicyclists and motor vehicle traffic.
• Objective 2.3: Enhance low-stress alternative routes to high-stress corridors.
• Objective 2.4: Prioritize safety over travel speed, convenience, and congestion reduction in project design.
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 10
• Objective 2.5: Crossing guards will be present at all elementary schools. • Objective 2.6: Provide annual updates on safety projects and traffic collisions to governing bodies.
Goal 3. Education: All children in the Salinas Valley will receive traffic safety education.
• Objective 3.1: Incorporate bicycle and pedestrian safety education into the curriculum in all elementary schools.
• Objective 3.2: By second grade, all children will receive pedestrian safety training in school; by fifth grade, all children will receive bike safety training in school.
• Objective 3.3: By high school, students will know the basics of bike maintenance and have opportunities to practice these skills at school or in the community.
Goal 4. Engagement: Engage the greater community to create safe environments around schools.
• Objective 4.1: Run annual community-wide campaigns that encourage neighbors to keep eyes on the streets and drivers to slow down around schools.
• Objective 4.2: Enforce traffic laws in school zones without overburdening offenders. An example would be a diversion program that requires school-zone traffic offenders to assist with crossing guard duties (Austin, TX program model).
• Objective 4.3: Recruit volunteers from the community to assist with Safe Routes to Schools programs such as walking school buses and crossing guards.
Goal 5. Equity: Ensure that all community members have equitable access to schools and Safe Routes to Schools programming.
• Objective 5.1: Prioritize infrastructure projects that serve transportationdisadvantaged and special-needs populations. • Objective 5.2: Provide opportunities for a diverse group of community members to take leadership roles in the development and implementation of Safe Routes to Schools projects and programs. An example would be positions on a Safe Routes to Schools steering committee. • Objective 5.3: Provide access to active transportation and safety equipment such as bicycles, scooters, helmets, and lights.
Executive Summary 11
Outreach Summary
Public input was the foundation of the Safe Routes to Schools Plan.
The planning team developed an outreach plan and sought input from community members to understand school transportation needs and barriers and to refine their draft recommendations. Parent and student surveys, presentations at parent meetings, and walking audits with school staff all contributed to the team’s understanding of barriers to walking and biking to school in Salinas Valley cities and the types of improvements community members would like to see.
In addition, Steering Committees were formed in each of the four cities to lead a participatory budgeting process. This is a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. The Steering Committees were made up of representatives from each city, including students, parents, school staff, advocates, and residents. Each Steering Committee met monthly for nine months to review project recommendations and design an election process for learning from the community about the highest priority projects in the Safe Routes to Schools Plan. TAMC allocated $250,000 per city to construct the highest-priority projects. to online parent survey
STEERING
COMMITTEES
OUTREACH SUMMARY
42 PRESENTATIONS
RESPONSES
1,109
4 formed, in Gonzales,
Soledad, Greenfield,
and King City
4 26
RESPONSES
15,000+
PARENTS REACHED
to draft
recommendations survey
at virtual parent meetings
through Parentsquare or
social media
PROJECTS AWARDED FUNDING
through participatory budgeting process
21 $1M
IN PROJECT FUNDING
awarded from TAMC
SCHOOL ZONE
to student survey
1,824
RESPONSES
DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS
in Gonzales, Soledad,
Greenfield, and King City
Executive Summary 13
Project Prioritization
Key routes to school in each of the four cities were ranked to help decision makers and City staff prioritize projects and identify the most competitive projects for various grant funding opportunities.
Grant programs often prioritize larger-scale, corridor-wide improvements, and future grant applications will likely focus on improvements to one or more streets in each city.
The corridors below were evaluated on four criteria aligned with the vision and goals of this plan and with common grant criteria. Equity scores are based on two sources: free or reduced-price meal data, which is an indicator of family income, and the Healthy Places Index map, which shows data on health indicators such as education, job opportunities, and clean air and water. Each corridor was assigned a number from 0 to 100 based on the criteria in Table 1.
Table 1: Criteria for Project Prioritization
Criterion Description Max Points
Safety
The following points are awarded for bicycle and pedestrian collisions in the last 10 years within 150 ft of the corridor, for a maximum of 30 points:
• 5 points per fatal or severe-injury collision.
• 1 point per other-visible-injury or complaint-of-pain collision. 30 Access to Key
Destinations
10 points for every school within 500 ft of the corridor and 5 points for every park, library, and recreation center, for a max of 25 points.
25 Equity 20 points if the project is located within an area designated as disadvantaged. 20
CommunityIdentified
Need
15 points if the project or location was identified by 10+ members of the community during project outreach.
10 points if the project or location was identified in one or more community planning documents.
25 TOTAL 100
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 14
Street Cross Street 1 Cross Street 2 Score
5th Street Alta Street Fanoe Road 100
Elko Street 5th Street 1st Street 70
Center Street 10th Street A Street 60
7th Street / Cielo Vista Alta Street Del Monte Drive 45 Belden Street 10th Street C Street 40
Longhorn Drive Hereford Drive Devon Way 25
Street Cross Street 1 Cross Street 2 Score
Apple Avenue 13th Street 2nd Street 100
Oak Avenue 13th Street 2nd Street 100
Walnut Avenue 12th Street 2nd Street 100
Elm Avenue 13th Street 3rd Street 95
El Camino Real Cherry Avenue Hwy 101 off-ramp 95
9th Street Elm Avenue Apple Avenue 55
12th Street Harvest Way Elm Avenue 50
7th Street / Moreno Avenue Tyler Avenue End of street 40 Table 2: Prioritized Corridors, Gonzales
Table 3: Prioritized Corridors, Greenfield
Prioritized Corridor Lists
The tables below show the highest-priority corridors for Safe Routes to Schools improvements in each of the four cities.
Executive Summary 15
Street Cross Street 1 Cross Street 2 Score
Broadway Street River Drive 1st Street 100
Mildred Avenue San Antonio Drive Broadway Street 95
San Antonio Drive Broadway Street Metz Road 80
Russ Street King Street Pearl Street 80
Pearl Street San Lorenzo Avenue 1st Street 60
King Street Sandringham Street Beech Street 60
Ellis Street Mildred Avenue 1st Street 55
Collins Street Mildred Avenue 3rd Street 55
Division Street Canal Street 1st Street 50
Street Cross Street 1 Cross Street 2 Score
Main Street Gabilan Drive Front Street 95
Orchard Lane/3rd Street Palm Avenue Terraza Street 80
Gabilan Drive San Vicente Road Bryant Canyon Road 80
Metz Road East Street Tiburon Place 80
Market Street San Vicente Road Dixi Street 75
Monterey Street West Street 8th Street 70
West Street Front Street Cuesta Court 65
Front Street East Street Nestles Street 50
Table 4: Prioritized Corridors, King City
Table 5: Prioritized Corridors, Soledad
Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 16
School Location Project Description
All 5th Street at Hwy 101
North Entrance
Study options to install roundabout, study quick-build curb extensions, and install high-visibility crosswalks and signage.
All 5th Street at Hwy 101
South Entrance
Study options to install roundabout, study quick-build curb extensions, and install high-visibility crosswalks and signage.
All 5th Street at Rincon
Road
Install curb extensions to move the existing crosswalk
closer to the center line on 5th Street. Install high-visibility crosswalks on north and south legs of intersection. Relocate stop bar to prevent cars from encroaching on crosswalk.
School Location Project Description
Vista Verde Middle,
Oak Avenue
Elementary
12th Street between
Oak and Elm Avenues
Install 0.24 miles of sidewalk, high-visibility
crosswalks, curb ramps, and flashing stop
signs.
All schools Citywide Upgrade signs around all school
campuses.
Arroyo Seco Academy
12th Street between
Cherry Avenue and
Harvest Way
Install 0.12 miles of sidewalk on 12th
Street.
Vista Verde Middle,
Greenfield High Heidi Drive Install high-visibility crosswalk and school crossing signage.
Table 6: Participatory Budgeting Funded Projects, Gonzales Table 7: Participatory Budgeting Funded Projects, Greenfield Participatory Budgeting
Approved Projects
Participatory budgeting is a democratic process in which community members decide how to spend part of a public budget. TAMC allocated $250,000 per city to construct the highest-priority projects, and Steering Committees were formed in each of the four cities to lead a participatory budgeting process to determine the highest priority projects. The following projects were awarded funding through this process.
Executive Summary 17
School Location Project Description
Chalone
Peaks Middle
Intersection of San Antonio
Drive and Spreckels Road
Install stop bars and high-visibility crosswalks
on each leg of intersection.
King City High Intersection of Canal Street
and Division Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks and ADAcompliant curb ramps on each corner of the intersection.
Del Rey
Elementary
Intersection of King Street
and Russ Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks and station a
crossing guard at this intersection.
Del Rey
Elementary
Intersection of King Street
and 3rd Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks and ADAcompliant curb ramps on each corner of the intersection.
Santa Lucia
Elementary
Intersection of Russ Street
and Ulrey Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks on the south
and east legs of the intersection, and install
advance yield markings.
Santa Lucia
Elementary
Intersection of 3rd Street
and Ulrey Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks on the north,
south, and west legs of the intersection.
Santa Lucia
Elementary
Intersection of Collins
Street and Mildred Avenue
Install high-visibility crosswalks on the north and
east legs of the intersection and ADA-compliant
curb ramps on the northeast, northwest, and
southeast corners.
Santa Lucia
Elementary
Intersection of Collins
Street and Patterson Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks on the north
and south legs of the intersection.
All schools Ellis Street between
Mildred Ave and 2nd Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks on the north
and south legs of each intersection.
All schools Intersection of Russ Street
and Bassett Street
Install high-visibility crosswalks on the east and
west legs of intersection and ADA-compliant
curb ramps on each corner.
Table 8: Participatory Budgeting Funded Projects, King City Salinas Valley Safe Routes to Schools Plan 18
School Location Project Description
Jack Franscioni Intersection of Orchard
Lane and Gabilan Drive
Conduct a roundabout study. Station a second
crossing guard at the intersection. Install
ADA-compliant curb ramps on the northeast,
northwest, and southwest corners, install stop
bars and flashing stop signs on all legs, and
install high-visibility crosswalk on the south leg
of the intersection.
Pinnacles High Intersection of Main
Street and Gabilan Drive
Conduct a roundabout study. Dedicate two
parking spaces on Main Street to a white curb
loading zone for school drop-off and pick-up.
Install curb extensions on the southeast and
southwest corners of the intersection, and
station crossing guards at the intersection,
ideally one at the east and one at the west
crosswalk.
Soledad High Intersection of Benito
and Gabilan Street
Install stop bars on the south leg of the
intersection, install ADA-compliant curb ramps
on the southwest corner, and install schoolcrossing pavement markings approaching the midblock crosswalk.
San Vincente
Elementary
Orchard Lane, Metz
Road
Install high-visibility crosswalks across side
streets at Aromas Place, Cadena Drive, and
Cambria Drive. Remove the current loading
zone on the north side of Metz Road between
Almond Acres and the midblock crosswalk, and
make this a red curb. Move the loading zone to
be west of the school driveway, and formalize
the dirt parking lot and stripe the parking
spaces.
Table 9: Participatory Budgeting Funded Projects, Soledad