Community Toolkit > Transportation > Transportation Reduction > Safe Routes to School

Safe Routes to School

Nashua, NH

Community Profile:
Nashua is a medium-sized city located in Hillsborough County in southern New Hampshire. As of the 2000 census, Nashua had a total population of 86,605, making it the second largest city in the state after Manchester. The government is run by a mayor and fifteen elected aldermen. 

Project Outline:

The goal of the Safe Routes to School program is to encourage a greater number of children to either walk or ride their bikes to school. The program encourages children to walk or ride their bike through education and incentives that remind them how much fun it can be. Parents' safety concerns are also addressed by encouraging greater enforcement of traffic laws, exploring ways to create safer streets and educating the public about safe walking, biking and driving habits.

In the Fall of 2004, the Nashua Regional Planning Commission (NRPC) conducted the Safe Routes to School Pilot Study at Ledge Street Elementary School in Nashua. The purpose of the study was to identify current attitudes about biking and walking to school and issues and concerns that are deterring these modes of travel. The process involved gathering information from students and their parents regarding the trip to and from school, using both in-class and take-home surveys and map exercises.

A physical inventory of the surrounding roads and sidewalks was also conducted. Included in the final study are findings from the various surveys conducted at Ledge Street.

Individual field sheets were completed for each road. Several parameters normally used for sidewalk inventory were left out due to the consistent conditions in the school zone. Sight distance was considered good overall. Off street parking entrances are problematic due to the quantity and overall condition. Sidewalk maintenance is the responsibility of the property owner. The overall “condition” of each sidewalk segment was determined using the following parameters:

• Width of the sidewalk (visual estimate of the segment, wheelchair friendly)
• Obstructions (utility poles, vegetation, signs)
• Ramps at intersections (smooth wheelchair transition from sidewalk to road   pavement)
• Sidewalk surface (surface cracking, drainage, roots)
• Crosswalks (presence of crosswalk, condition of paint, signalized pedestrian  crossings)

A sample survey and map are available for download, as well as the complete study from the Nashua Regional Planning Office website.

The City of Nashua measured the speed of traffic on Ledge Street from Thursday, October 28 th , through Thursday, November 4 th , 2004. The speed limit for this segment of roadway is 25 mph. The total number of vehicles counted at this location for the entire week was 15,133. Findings showed that 92.5% (13,991) of all the vehicles exceeded the speed limit, and only 7.5% (1,142) did not exceed the speed limit at this area.

Preliminary findings were presented to the Ledge Street School Parent Teacher Organization, and the NRPC staff met with Nashua Public Works staff to identify realistic improvements to road surface, sidewalks, and crosswalks. NRPC staff then met with City of Nashua Community Development Division staff in order to coordinate goals and objectives of the Safe Routes project with those of the Community Development Division.

The recommendations were then complied into an Action Plan which divides the actions into implementation phases. The recommendations build on one another to bring about the changes that are necessary to increase the level of bicycling and walking to the school.  The final draft version of the Ledge Street Elementary School Safe Routes to Schools Program can be downloaded from the NRPC website.

For additional information about the Nashua Safe Routes to Schools Program, e-mail Matt Waitkins or call 603-883-0366 ext.18.

Process:

• To implement a Safe Routes to Schools Program in your community, the Marin County Bicycle Coalition, creators of Safe Routes to Schools, offers many resources on their website, including links for training and technical assistance to aid in the development of your unique plan, model press releases and letters of support, and the Safe Routes to Schools Toolkit!
• For potential funding, look to the the federal governemnt's SAFETEA program.

Cost and Savings:

• The program, which has been running for six years, was originally funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to develop a national model Safe Routes to Schools programs. The Marin Community Foundation supplemented the program with a $25,000 grant. The City of Fairfax also received a $25,000 grant as one of ten pilot programs sponsored by the California Department of Health Services.
• On August 10, 2005, SAFETEA-LU, the new federal transportation bill that provides $286.5 billion in funding through September 2009, became law. It includes a $612 million appropriation for a new national Safe Routes to School program that will provide benefits in all 50 states. Communities will use this funding to construct new bike lanes, pathways, and sidewalks, as well as to launch Safe Routes education and promotion campaigns in elementary and middle schools. Each state is required to hire a full time Safe Routes to Schools coordinator. Many states have already issued requests for projects.

National Info:

• Additional information can also be found by visiting the National Center for Safe Routes to Schools.

Maine:

• In Maine, contact state coordinator Dan Stewart or visit the Maine Department of Transportation website for detailed information on the Maine Safe Routes to Schools Program.

New Hampshire:

• In New Hampshire, the state coordinator is yet to be determined, so contact a national  Safe Routes to Schools representative.

Downloads:

Safe Routes to School Toolkit

Parent Survey

Student Survey

Show of Hand Survey