Summer '15 Internship

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Jamilah Cross

UPD 490

Internship- BikeWalkKC

5/12/16

BikeWalkKC: Safe Routes to School

Sign on street lacking sidewalks near Garfield Elementary. Photo by J. Cross

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Project Overview

From June to August of 2015, research and field work were carried out for BikeWalkKC’s Safe Routes

to School (SRTS) project, which focuses on making sure that elementary school students (mainly in

northeast Kansas City) can travel to and from school without hindrance due to unsafe neighborhood

conditions. There are streets that are risky for pedestrians in general to navigate, let alone pedestrians

that happen to be unsupervised children. The Kansas City Walkability Plan from 2003 outlines key points

that explain why the maturity level of a child pedestrian puts them at a much higher risk when

travelling:

Young children believe if they see a driver, a driver can see them.

They think cars can stop instantly

They don’t recognize danger or react to it quickly

But before delving into the physical conditions of the built environment, it was necessary to

compile demographics for the study areas, such as population density, the average household income,

and the unemployment rate. Using online databases made available by the U.S. Census, Social Explorer

and other sources, information was found that provided a base understanding of some of the main

factors that relate to and affect the overall layout of the neighborhoods.

The six elementary schools in the study are Crispus Attucks Elementary, Primitivo Garcia Elementary,

Garfield Elementary, Gladstone Elementary, James Elementary, and Whittier School. One of the first

factors focused on was the population and cultural makeup of the neighborhood around each school.

The census tracts that encompass these schools have a combined population of over 20,000, and

consists of mostly poor and working class families. In some of these areas, the ratio of White to minority

residents was less than half, compared to Kansas City as a whole, where Whites make up almost 60% of

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the entire population. And the neighborhoods have a higher concentration of immigrant and minority

families than I’ve seen in some of the more southern areas of Kansas City. Near Garfield Elementary,

there are a lot of African and Asian immigrants, and around Primitivo Garcia, there is a high percentage

of Latino residents. Also, the concentration of elementary and middle schoolers is higher in this

project’s study areas than it is in Kansas City as a whole, although just slightly.

Buddhist temple on the corner of Bales Ave and E 10th St, near Whittier School. Photo by J. Cross

Aside from the community demographics, knowing what the public transit system is like is also

important for a project that focuses on the activity of children travelling to and from school. Since the

Kansas City Public School system does not have a school bus system that serves all of its students, many

children ride Kansas City’s public buses. Between the six schools in the SRTS boundaries, there are 16

bus routes that are within short walking distance of the schools; however, some areas are more

underserved than others, such as Gladstone Elementary, which only has one bus line within a 5-block

radius of the school.

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Researching, compiling, and analyzing all of this information were among the first steps to

assessing the school zones, as well as reviewing past observations done during arrival and dismissal

times. These observations were helpful in seeing how human behavior affected students’ safety.

Patterns observed included carelessness of drivers, including parents picking up and dropping off

students, which was a great hindrance to the order of operations. Cars parked in spaces that are

reserved for school buses, speeding cars ignoring ‘Yield’ signs, and drivers idling for students in the

middle of the street were some of the activities seen at the sites. Some parents crossed in the middle of

the street for convenience’s sake, instead of walking to a corner and following traffic rules. But all of the

behavior observed was not solely the fault of the people themselves; it was also circumstantial, due to

poor street planning and design. The second phase of this assignment was fieldwork, wherein numerous

instances of unsafe conditions were found.

Fieldwork at the sites consisted of walking around and noting the conditions (in writing and

photographs) of physical neighborhood features: sidewalks, crosswalks, land use, etc. Starting at

Primitivo Garcia Elementary, and using an aerial map of the site as a guide, information was gathered

square block by square block, starting at the intersection of two streets and then proceeding with each

segment. In addition to the three feature types listed above, features examined were ADA ramp access

at intersections, the conditions at bus stops, parking areas, and instances of graffiti, litter or anything

that may be considered as detracting from the overall upkeep of the area (vacant land or buildings were

counted as liabilities as well). Anything that could be considered as an asset to the community, such as a

garden or decorative street furniture, was noted as well.

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Resident who lives in one of the oldest houses in the neighborhood surrounding Primitivo Garcia. He renovated it, using

stones from the original structure to build a low wall around his property. Photo by J. Cross

Switzer Neighborhood Farm near Primitivo Garcia, where produce is grown and some livestock is raised. The now-closed

Switzer School, which was recently sold for repurposing by Kansas City Public Schools and will now be used for residential

property, is in the background. Photo by J. Cross

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Crosswalks

Faded but complete crosswalk sections @ intersection of N Topping Ave and Scarritt Ave, near James Elementary.

The lack of complete crosswalk sections is a hazard for all pedestrians. There are many areas

where there are no crosswalks at intersections altogether, and in the areas where there are, several are

scarcely noticeable and in need of repainting, or one or more sides of an intersection is lacking a

crosswalk. Unclear crosswalk designation can increase the likelihood of traffic accidents, especially

during the high-traffic arrival and dismissal times of schools. Conversely, the need to update ADA ramps

at intersections has been recognized by the city, as new ADA ramps can be seen at a number of

intersections, evidenced by the bright white ramps with pink bump pads in contrast to the older, darker

sidewalks they are situated in.

Primitivo Garcia Elementary:

17 3- and 4-sided intersections examined (60+ crosswalk sections)

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~94% of intersections (16 out of 17) have 1 or more sides where crosswalk lines are non-

existent

Garfield Elementary:


~ 97% of intersections (35 out of 36) have 1 or more sides where crosswalk lines are non-

existent

Gladstone Elementary:


~90% of intersections (20 out of 22) have 1 or more sides where crosswalk lines are non-

existent

James Elementary:

10 3- and 4-sided intersections examined (~40 crosswalk sections)

70% of intersections (7 out of 10) have 1 or more sides where crosswalk lines are non-existent

Whittier School:


~ 95% of intersections (18 out of 19) have 1 or more sides where crosswalk lines are non-

existent

Crispus Attucks Elementary:


100% of intersections (16 out of 16) have 1 or more sides where crosswalk lines are non-

existent

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Vacant Parcels

Vacant parcel on Elma St, near Garfield Elementary.

Overall, there are quite a few vacant lots in the study area, with some vacant lots being well-

kept, and others in various stages of neglect. The surrounding land uses directly correlated with the

condition of the vacant lots in the around the schools. Although there were some exceptions, with neat

lots in uninviting areas, the general pattern demonstrated a similar lack of care among vacant lots and

the blocks that immediately surrounded them. Living across from an overgrown vacant lot near Crispus

Attucks Elementary School, a resident mentioned that she worries about young children who walk

across the lot at night, because of inadequate lighting, and the fact that the area has generally low

traffic aside from wanderers and suspicious activity.

Primitivo Garcia Elementary:

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Vacant land: 13 parcels

Vacant buildings: 1

Garfield Elementary:


Vacant buildings: 5

Gladstone Elementary:


Vacant buildings: 8

James Elementary:


Vacant buildings: 9

Whittier School:


Vacant buildings: 10

Crispus Attucks Elementary:


Vacant buildings: 19

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Closing Thoughts

The information that was gathered definitely proved that Northeast Kansas City deserves

attention for the state of their school zones. All of the schools need help from the city of Kansas City, in

the form of funding to pay for improved pedestrian pathways. BikeWalkKC has put forth commendable

effort in promoting safe communities, and being an intern on that team is a worthwhile opportunity to

use skills that are taught in the urban planning program at UMKC. Many interns share stories about

doing tasks that were unrelated to the field that they studied, and they feel that they wasted valuable

time as an up-and-coming professional. BikeWalkKC enables interns to utilize researching skills, do

hands-on land use analysis, hear resident’s concerns in person, and use ArcGIS to map land use. Interns

can also witness the daily operations of an office and how the different departments are managed, sit in

on meetings that address issues concerning helping immigrant students and families assimilate into their

neighborhoods and schools, and listen to discussions on how to better organize different departments

of the city to work together more efficiently. During fieldwork, one has the opportunity to interact with

residents who have school-aged children and grandchildren, and who were interested in what

BikeWalkKC is doing for Kansas City Public Schools and for citizens in general. Interns will feel rewarded

knowing that the work they did will directly aid in positively affecting the safety of school children and

pedestrians in Kansas City school zones in the future.

Documents

Summer '15 Internship