HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 8979To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
SUBJECT: TRAFFIC CONTROL NEAR SCHOOLS
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The information below is provided in response to Staff Action Tracking Item 164.
The City of Fort Worth's policies and practices for traffic control near schools are guided by our
School Safety Program Manual. This manual was developed based on regional and national traffic
engineering guidelines and with the input of local school districts and the Fort Worth Council of
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According to our School Safety Program Manual, and generally accepted traffic engineering
guidelines, reduced speed school zones are recommended when:
1) There is no controlled intersection (signalized or all-way stop) where school children can
cross a street to get to the campus.
2) A street that is crossed by school children to access a campus has limited sight distance for
-niotorists due to hills and/or curves.
A controlled intersection with a crossing guard, in conjunction with appropriate signage, is the most
effective traffic control tool at our disposal for protecting school children crossing roads to get to
school. Establishing a reduced speed school zone where a controlled intersection exists increases
the level of risk to school children by creating an expectation in pedestrians that traffic will be
moving very slowly in an area where motorists have a tendency to accelerate unexpectedly in
order to make it through a signalized intersection before the light turns red.
Staff believes that the current guidelines for protecting children walking to and from school are
optimal. Please contact Randy Burkett, P. E., at 8117-392-8712 wfth any questions,
Affmchment: Location Map
ISSUED BY THE CffY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS