WHARTON
Safe Routes to School 2
PLAN
submitted to
Morris County Division of Transportation
submitted by
The
Group, Inc.
in association with
National Center for Bicycling & Walking • Eng-Wong, Taub & Associates
AmerCom Corp. • Steve Spindler Cartography • Vertices, LLC
August 2006
Borough of Wharton
Safe Routes to School Program Plan 2006
CREDITS/ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The SRTS Plan for Wharton Borough was created throughout a planning process that involved several
players, without whom, the project would not have survived past a mere idea. Continued cooperation among
the following people will be essential in implementing a successful SRTS program in Wharton Borough.
Wharton SRTS Coordinators/Technical Advisory Committee
Jerry Bernotas, Sergeant – Wharton Police Karen Jean Feury, Coordinator – NJSafe Kids
Vince Binkoski, Member –Borough Council Chris Herdman, Principal – MacKinnon Middle
Joseph Birchenough, Local Aid – NJDOT Susana Matos Kruck, Principal – Duffy Elementary
Rick Bitondo, Superintendent – Wharton Borough Jon Rheinhardt, Administrator –Wharton Borough
Elise Bremer-Nei, NJ SRTS Coordinator – NJDOT Maira Rogers, President – Wharton PTA
Michelle Caulfield, President – Wharton BOE Leigh Ann Von Hagen, Project Manager – VTC
William J. Chegwidden, Mayor – Wharton Borough Don Watt, Project Manager – TransOptions
Suzanne Chodkiewicz, Nurse – Duffy/MacKinnon Peter Weigly, Administrator – Board of Education
Gladys Cifuentes, Board Member – Wharton BOE Dave Young, Member – Wharton Borough Council
Liz DeRuchie, Project Manager – NJTPA Bill Zimmerman, Traffic Officer – Wharton Police
Anthony Fernandez, Chief – Wharton Police
Wharton SRTS Visioning Workshop Attendees
Salwant K. Banga, Teacher/Parent Eileen Mitchell
Ann Marie Cuhna, Teacher Sage Mitchell, Student
Darlene Darling, Parent Carol Pillsbury, Teacher
Jessica Darling, Student Maira Rogers, PTA President
Brian Donovan, Parent Voula Serevis, Parent
Lisa Donovan, Parent Patrick Skelly, Student
Alyssa Ginder, Student Karen Skelly, Parent
Heather Ginder, Parent Stephen Skelly, Parent /Board of Education
Russel Krutissia, Student Virginia Vertetis, Teacher
Bernadette Lengyel, Parent Theresa Yeager, Parent
John Manna Tom Yeager, Parent
Morris County Division of Transportation Team
Deena Cybulski, Supervising Planner Gerald Rohsler, Director of Transportation
Patrick Franco, Senior Planner
Consultant Team
Bettina Zimny, AICP/PP – The RBA Group Susan O’Donnell – Eng-Wong Taub & Assoc.
Michael Dannemiller, PE – The RBA Group Mark Sheptock – AmerCom Corporation
Sarah Higgins – The RBA Group Wansoo Im, PhD – Vertices LLC
Sharon Roerty, AICP/PP – NCBW Steve Spindler – Steve Spindler Cartography
August 2006
(J376600 Wharton_SRTS_Plan-10-06/G)
Borough of Wharton
Safe Routes to School Program Plan 2006
TABLE of CONTENTS
Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................1
Purpose ......................................................................................................................................2
Methodology..............................................................................................................................2
Best Practices ............................................................................................................................5
Chapter 2: A SRTS Program for Wharton.........................................8
Wharton at a Glance ..................................................................................................................8
Existing Conditions Summary ................................................................................................ 10
Parent and Student Surveys..................................................................................................... 26
Vision for SRTS in Wharton .................................................................................................... 29
Chapter 3: Recommendations for the Five E‛s: .................................. 30
Education ................................................................................................................................ 30
Assemblies/Guest Speakers .............................................................................................................30
Neighborhood Working Groups .....................................................................................................31
Walk/Bike Across America ..............................................................................................................31
Walking Math......................................................................................................................................31
Classroom Activities ..........................................................................................................................31
Campus Walks ....................................................................................................................................32
Walkability/Bikeability Assessments ...............................................................................................32
Walking Education Programs...........................................................................................................32
Encouragement ....................................................................................................................... 32
Media Campaign.................................................................................................................................32
Walk and Roll Days/Walking Wednesdays ....................................................................................33
Frequent Walker Cards/Rider Miles ...............................................................................................33
Golden Sneaker Awards....................................................................................................................34
Activity at Family Picnic....................................................................................................................34
Walking School Bus or Cycle Train.................................................................................................34
Pace Cars .............................................................................................................................................35
Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Quiz Show.......................................................................................35
Walk to School Days/I-Walk ...........................................................................................................35
Proclamations/Resolutions...............................................................................................................36
Enforcement ............................................................................................................................ 36
Sidewalk/Building/Property Maintenance Laws...........................................................................36
Keep Kids Alive – Drive 25 Campaign ..........................................................................................36
Pedestrian Sting Operations .............................................................................................................37
School Safety Zones ..........................................................................................................................37
Neighborhood Watch Programs......................................................................................................37
Speed Trailers......................................................................................................................................38
Law Enforcement Presence..............................................................................................................38
Photo Enforcement ...........................................................................................................................38
August 2006
(J376600 Wharton_SRTS_Plan-10-06/G)
Borough of Wharton
Safe Routes to School Program Plan 2006
Engineering ............................................................................................................................. 39
General Recommendations...............................................................................................................39
Concept 1: Identify and Enhance the School Route Network...................................................41
Concept 2: School Gateway.............................................................................................................47
Concept 3: Main Street Crossing Improvements .........................................................................52
Off-Road Path Recommendations ..................................................................................................52
Evaluation................................................................................................................................ 54
Attitudinal and Travel Mode Surveys..............................................................................................54
Walkability/Bikeability Assessments ...............................................................................................54
Bicycle vs. Automobile Counts ........................................................................................................54
Number of Volunteers and/or Participants...................................................................................55
Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies ........................................... 56
Phasing and Costs ................................................................................................................... 56
Events ...................................................................................................................................... 58
Strategies.................................................................................................................................. 59
List of Figures
1. Attractors ......................................................................................................................................12
2. Existing Conditions.....................................................................................................................14
3. Areas where Vehicles Tend to Speed .......................................................................................15
4. Crash Data from 7:00 am to 8:30 am .......................................................................................16
5. Crash Data from 3:00 am to 4:00 pm.......................................................................................17
6. Areas with High Truck Traffic ..................................................................................................18
7. Sidewalk Inventory......................................................................................................................19
8. Walkability Assessment ..............................................................................................................21
9. Bikeability Assessment................................................................................................................22
10. Time Radius Map ........................................................................................................................23
11. Good/Bad/Ugly Student Exercise...........................................................................................24
12. Concept 1A: School Crossings ..................................................................................................43
13. Concept 1B: School Route Modifications ...............................................................................44
14. Baker Street Photo Simulation ..................................................................................................46
15. Concept 1C: Long Term Improvements .................................................................................48
16. Concept 2: School Gateway Area .............................................................................................49
17. Concept 2: School Gateway Details .........................................................................................50
18. Gateway Photo Simulation.........................................................................................................51
19. Concept 3: Main Street Crossings.............................................................................................53
20. Implementation Timeline...........................................................................................................61
August 2006
(J376600 Wharton_SRTS_Plan-10-06/G)
Borough of Wharton
Safe Routes to School Program Plan 2006
APPENDICES
I. Existing Conditions Analysis ........................................ I-1
II. Environmental Screening ...........................................II-1
III. Survey Results ................................................... III-1
IV. Wharton SRTS Strategy Meeting Minutes ...................... IV-1
V. Wharton SRTS Contact Information ..............................V-1
VI. Wharton Walk to School Day 2005 Data ....................... VI-1
VII. Wharton SRTS Media Coverage................................. VII-1
VIII. SRTS Funding Sources .......................................... VIII-1
IX. Design Reference Information ................................... IX-1
X. Additional Resources ............................................... X-1
August 2006
(J376600 Wharton_SRTS_Plan-10-06/G)