School Profiles 190
HARDEN MIDDLE
Harden Middle is located in north Salinas and draws
students from neighborhoods throughout north
Salinas (see map on the following page).
PARENT SURVEY
Harden parents were asked to complete a bilingual
survey about their attitudes toward walking and
biking to school in March 2021, and 31 surveys were
received. The full survey report is in Appendix B.
The survey asked parents to select the most important
factors in whether they allow their children to walk or bike to school. The top issues for parents are listed in Figure 26, below.
Figure 26. Parents’ top concerns about letting
children walk or bike to and from school.
Parents park in the bike lane after school, blocking
the bus stop
GRADE LEVELS
7-8
NUMBER OF STUDENTS
1279
STUDENTS QUALIFYING FOR
FREE OR REDUCED MEALS
75%
STUDENTS RESIDING WITHIN
1 MILE OF SCHOOL
42%
STUDENTS USING ACTIVE
TRANSPORTATION
(BASED ON 31 SURVEY RESPONSES)
26%
CHILD’S
BEFORE OR
AFTER-SCHOOL
ACTIVITIES
AMOUNT OF
TRAFFIC
ALONG
ROUTE
TIME
CONVENIENCE
OF DRIVING
DISTANCE
School Profiles 191
Salinas
Safe Routes
to School Plan
Espinosa
Lake
RodgersRd
Rodgers
Rd
San
Jon
Rd
San
Jon
Rd
Castroville Rd
Castroville
Rd
Espinosa
Rd
Espinosa
Rd
BorondaRd
ElCaminoReal
183
BorondaRd
M
adison
Ln
Fontes
Ln
ElRancho
W
ay
W
RossiStSloatDr
P ost Dr
Che rokee Dr
Adams St
VictorSt
NDavisRd Larkin
St
Colton
Dr
NDavisRd
El Camino Real
Rossi-Rico
Parkway
Boronda
Vil la St
ClarkSt
W
RossiSt
NacionalSt
West St
ViaMaria
W
M
arketSt
Castroville
Rd
Davis Rd
Harrison Rd
101
PaulAve
VanBurenAve
E
B
olivarSt
Louise St
Sw
anerAve
ArthurSt
RoundtreeDr
Outlook
Ln
LennySt
Harrison Rd
SanJuanGradeRd
RussellRd
NMainSt
E
Boronda
Rd
Espinosa
Rd ElCaminoReal
Santa Rita
Pueblo
Dr
Cherokee
D
r
Osage
Dr
Navajo
Dr
ChaparralSt
Harden
Pkw
y
McKinnon St
E
Alvin
Dr
AdamsSt
N 1st St
N Main St
E
Boronda
Rd
ElCaminoReal
Harden Ranch
Plaza
Northridge Mall
Heald
College-Salinas
M
ain
Canal
Tyler St
RainierDr
Iris
Dr
Noice Dr
RicoSt
Boeing
Ave
CrescentWay
LinwoodDr
HydeSt
PolkSt
ChaparralSt
NavajoDr
Monroe St
Tapadero St
Reata
St RosaritaDr
Larkin
St
Tulane
St
LupinDr
Parkside St
Granada
Ave
StFrancisWay
LomaDr
W
LaurelDr
NMainSt
SherwoodDr
E
LaurelDr
El CaminoReal
Sherwood Park
M
ain
Canal
MartellaSt
W
RossiSt
RicoSt
Riker St
W
Lake
St
BridgeSt
Sun St
E
M
arketSt
W
M
arketSt
NMainSt
SherwoodDr
Exposition
Grounds
Amtrak-Salinas
KeltonDr
Penzance
St
RoggeRd
PaulAve
JadeDr
NatividadRd
Bolsa Knolls
EmeraldDr
Arcadia
W
ay
Calaveras
Dr
CoventrySt
GlendoraWay
Inglewood
St
PescaderoDr
IndependenceBlvd
Victoria
Ave
Los
CochesAve
CambrianDr
SutterSt
KlamathDr
E
Alvin
Dr
HumboldtDr
NatividadRd
NatividadRd
E
Boronda
Rd
El Dorado
Community Park
Gabilan
Creek
Natividad
Creek
RamonaAve
TampicoAveRainierDr
MarinAve
TrazadoAve
Constitution
Blvd
NatividadRd
Chinese Garden
Cemetery The First Tee of
Monterey
County
Constitution
Soccer Fields
Natividad
Medical Center
Oregon St
StEdwards
Ave
Kern St
Acosta P lz
NSanbornRd
E Laurel Dr
Cesar E Chavez
Community Park
Old
N
atividad
Rd
Natividad
Rd
Old Stage Rd
NatividadCreek
Gabilan Creek
BradburySt NantucketBlvd
E
Boronda
Rd
Creekbridge
Neighborhood
Park
Steinbeck
Neighborhood
Park
Pacific
Ave
Antigua Ave
AtlanticSt
Eagle Dr
RiderAve
N
SanbornRd
Alam
o
W
ayBeaconHillDr
TowtSt
Garner Ave
Las Casitas Dr
E Boronda Rd
Sunrise
St
N
Sanborn
Rd
N Sanborn
Rd
Freedom Pkwy
Natividad Creek
Park
Del Monte Ave
Second
Ave
Kimmel St
Green
St
Mae
Ave
MonteBellaBlvd
Dallas
Ave
E Laurel Dr
W
illiams
Rd
Closter Park
Alisal
Nativ idad Creek
Natividad Creek Old Stage Rd
Natividad
Old Stage Rd
W
illiam
s
Rd
Williams Ranch
Park Palermo Dr
Freedom Pkwy
Source: Esri, Maxar, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community, Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Students
Harden Middle School
Public Libraries
Community Centers
Parks
Salinas Boundary
Existing Bike Infrastructure
Bike Path
Bike Lane
Bike Route
0 1 20.5 Miles
≤ 1/2 miles: 103 students
1/2 ≥ 1 miles: 429 students
1 ≥ 2 miles: 429 students
School Profiles 192
CURRENT INFRASTRUCTURE
CONDITIONS
Motorist Conditions
• Harden is located on McKinnon Street, a two-
lane roadway with no parking on either side.
McKinnon Street is very congested before and
after school.
• There are two drop-off areas and parking lots on
the school campus. The smaller loop is reserved
for bus drop-off, and the smaller parking lot is
reserved for staff and visitors. The larger loop is
designated for student drop-off. Left turns are
prohibited out of the larger parking lot.
• As of the writing of this plan, the speed limit in
front of the school is 35 miles per hour.
Pedestrian Conditions
• There are complete sidewalks on both sides of
McKinnon Street near the school.
• There is a high-visibility crosswalk across
McKinnon Street at Westminster Drive.
• There are yellow high-visibility crosswalks on all
legs of the intersection of McKinnon Street and
East Alvin Drive.
• There are standard crosswalks on all legs of
the intersection of McKinnon Street and
Harden Parkway.
• There are curb ramps at most of the
intersections surrounding the school.
Bicycling Conditions
• There are Class II bicycle lanes on McKinnon
Street and Harden Parkway. There are also Class
II buffered bicycle lanes on East Alvin Drive.
• There are no bicycle facilities on Westminster
Drive or other residential roadways near
the school.
The crosswalk at McKinnon St and Westminster Dr was the top safety concern for school staff School Profiles 193
RECOMMENDED INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AROUND
HARDEN MIDDLE
The following table lists recommendations for Harden Middle, and the map below shows their locations in relation to the school.
School Profiles 194
NO. STREET ISSUE RECOMMENDATION COST EST . IMPLEMENTING AGENCY
HM001 E Alvin Dr at
McKinnon St
High volumes of
pedestrians and vehicles.
Conflicts between
students crossing and
drivers turning left.
Evaluate intersection for leading
pedestrian interval or split signal
phasing.
$200,000 City
HM002
Harden Parkway
from Main St to El
Dorado Dr
Four-lane roadway with
low traffic volumes.
Evaluate for possible road
reconfiguration (road diet) and
Class IV bike lanes.
$4,903,560 City
HM003 Harden Parkway
at McKinnon St
Students crossing, long
pedestrian crossing
distances.
Conduct intersection control
evaluation for possible traffic
signal or roundabout. Upgrade to
high-visibility crosswalks, and add
a marked crosswalk to the fourth
leg of the intersection.
$215,000 City
HM004
McKinnon St from
Harden Parkway
to E Alvin Dr
Drivers parked in the bike
lane before and after
school.
Install Class IV bikeway or Class
I shared-use path and conflict
striping at intersections and
driveways.
$1,080,000 City
HM005
McKinnon St from
Harden Parkway
to E Alvin Dr
Reports of speeding. Install speed feedback signs north and south of school campus. $1,700 City
HM006
McKinnon St from
Boronda Rd to
Harden Parkway
Standard Class II bike
lanes provide less
separation from cars
than buffered bike lanes.
Install Class II buffered bike lane. $255,420 City
HM007
McKinnon St from
Harden Parkway
to E Alvin Dr
Broken sidewalk. Repair broken sidewalk. $125,000 City HM008 McKinnon St at
Westminster Dr
Key pedestrian route
to school. Reports of
speeding traffic and
drivers not yielding to
pedestrians, especially
when students are
crossing outside of drop-
off and pick-up times.
Install rectangular rapid flashing
beacon for McKinnon St crossing
and assembly B signage to
complement existing assembly
A. Upgrade to high-visibility
crosswalk and curb extensions
across Westminster Dr. Include
bikeway conflict striping through
the intersection.
$149,480 City
HM009
School Driveway
exit on McKinnon
St
Drivers trying to turn left
out of school parking lot
create traffic back-up in
school loop.
Redesign school driveway exit to
discourage left turns, and install
right-turn-only signage.
$2,850 School
School Profiles 195
NO. STREET ISSUE RECOMMENDATION COST EST . IMPLEMENTING AGENCY
HM010
Westminster Dr
from McKinnon St
to Cambridge Ct
Key pedestrian route to
Harden Middle, North
Salinas High, and El
Dorado Park.
Install curb extensions and high-
visibility crosswalks on all side
streets.
$728,000 City
HM011
Westminster Dr
from McKinnon St
to Cambridge Ct
Key pedestrian route to
Harden Middle, North
Salinas High, and El
Dorado Park.
a Install traffic calming if
requested and supported by
neighborhood residents, and
bicycle route sharrows and
signage.
$612,000 City