Identifying Safety Hot Spots in Close Proximity to K-12 Schools

Details

• Creators:
  Burbidge, Shaunna K. ; Runyan, Samuel L ; Gee, Collin
• Corporate Creators:
  Avenue Consultants, Inc
• Corporate Contributors:
  Utah Department of Transportation ; United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  High Risk Locations Highway Safety Nonmotorized Transportation Safety Analysis School Children Schools Vulnerable Road Users
• Publication/ Report Number:
  UT-25.16
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  United States ; Utah
• Edition:
  Final October 2024 to September 2025
• Corporate Publisher:
  Utah Department of Transportation
• Abstract:
  This study was conducted to help the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) identify and prioritize schools which have seen higher numbers of pedestrian- or bicyclist-involved crashes of school-age individuals. While UDOT’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Program (which is called Safe Routes Utah within the state) supports safety planning and infrastructure funding, there has not been a standardized method to determine which schools are most in need of support. To address this, researchers conducted a geospatial analysis of pedestrian and bicyclist crashes involving school-age children (ages 5–17) within a 0.25-mile radius of public K–12 schools across Utah, during school travel hours. The analysis included crash records from a five-year period and incorporated school location data, infrastructure features, and whether a school had an existing SRTS plan. The results identified schools with the highest number of applicable crashes, both statewide and by UDOT region. The top two schools in each Region were selected for detailed review of crash conditions and contributing factors. Common trends included crashes at intersections involving turning vehicles and low-light visibility concerns during morning travel. Findings also revealed that many high-crash schools lack an SRTS plan, particularly high schools which are not currently required to have one. Numerous recommendations for infrastructure which can be implemented are discussed in this report. Overall crash data can effectively support school safety prioritization and offers UDOT a replicable method for identifying high-need areas, enhancing SRTS planning, and informing infrastructure investments that promote safer walking and biking routes for Utah students.
• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  25-8503
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:5fe809b816b811854c97d658b427f79b7805b68e6ea0f69a1cfea31f7501266854561d68f274943ed22a3c6251a79b3c3af2d14214aee7303ee189b96fa2fb44
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/88348/dot_88348_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 15.00 MB ]