San Pablo Safe Routes to School Master Plan
San Pablo, CA
Project Summary
San Pablo, CA is making significant strides in improving access to comfortable and connected active transportation infrastructure. In 2020, the City embarked on developing its first-ever Safe Routes to School (SR2S) Master Plan, seeking the expertise of Toole Design to lead the initiative. This SR2S Plan was conducted concurrently with the San Pablo Bicycle and Pedestrian Corridor Study, also led by Toole Design, ensuring close coordination between the projects for a holistic approach to enhancing the City’s transportation network.
San Pablo is a low-income, ethnically diverse city. More than half of the City’s residents are Hispanic or Latino and over 90% are non-white. Recognizing the unique needs of this community, our project team created an equity-infused engagement process, employing three key equity tools throughout the project. This included Spanish translation and interpretation; working directly with principals, Beacon Directors, and the Youth Commission to leverage existing systems of communication; and a user-friendly, age-appropriate mapping tool to capture input.
The San Pablo SR2S Plan is comprised of two main components: evaluations and walk audits, and a demonstration project.
Expertise Applied
1. EValuations and Walk AUdits
Our project team conducted thorough evaluations of school attendance zones in the City to understand student travel experience, such as proximity to schools and barriers to safe travel. We also analyzed traffic safety data and assessed the existing transportation options, including pedestrian and bicycle networks and transit routes.
To gain firsthand insight, the project team conducted walk audits at each of San Pablo’s ten schools. These audits allowed the team to observe infrastructure conditions, the safety of street crossings, traffic circulation, and travel behavior patterns. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we also created a digital walk audit tool, enabling school community members to participate by uploading photos of issues and conditions around their schools.
2. Rapid-Implementation Demonstration Project
A core part of the SR2S Master Plan was a temporary demonstration project showcasing recommended designs along a key route to two elementary schools. Using temporary and quick-build materials, the project team installed a bus boarding island, a two-way separated bicycle lane, a high visibility crosswalk, and a curb extension. During the demonstration event, we conducted field surveys with a wide variety of residents including youth, older adults, families, bicyclists, people walking, neighbors, and more. These surveys were conducted in both English and Spanish. We also facilitated a bilingual scavenger hunt for children to get them engaged.
All these efforts culminated in tailored recommendations for education, encouragement, and engineering interventions for each school in San Pablo, working towards the goal of increasing the number of students who walk and bike to school safely. The overwhelming community support generated by the demonstration event helped the City to successfully apply for and secure implementation funds, and the City Council adopted the plan in March 2022. Through this comprehensive and community-focused approach, San Pablo is paving the way for a safer, more connected future for all its residents.