Safe Routes to School Program

City of Madras has been awarded a Safe Routes to School Infrastructure grant for $500,000 for Buff St & McTaggart Rd improvements.

The project began design in late 2012 with planned construction in 2014. The planned improvements include: intersection improvements at 10th & Buff Street; new sidewalk construction on the south side of Buff Street from 10th to McTaggart Rd; stormwater runnoff mitigation and swale improvements; sidewalk along the west side of McTaggart Road for a distance; mailbox relocation along west side of 10th Street; removing from within sidewalk walkway; and school zone signing &striping improvements.

Background

The City of Madras is in the process of establishing a Safe Routes to School Program. The program will utilizes current sidewalk, bicycle and trail systems as well as future development routes to assist in getting our students to and from school as safely as possible.

As part of the Safe Routes to School Program effort, the City held a public outreach workshop in June 2009, funded by the state's Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Program. At the City's request, the workshop and associated research focused on creating Safe Routes to School (SRTS).

During the workshop, a diverse group of community members participated, including representatives of the business sector and Chamber of Commerce, Urban Renewal, Jefferson County Public Health, City Staff and others. The workshop built upon Jefferson County Schools and Jefferson County Health Department SRTS efforts, as well as associated multi-modal transportation planning work completed and underway by the City of Madras.

The purpose of the workshop was to present SRTS and community design concepts to stakeholders and the public, inform participants about the SRTS application process and other City efforts, and get feedback from the public.

Prior to the workshop, TGM staff researched and investigated the City of Madras for potential for and implemented bicycle and pedestrian routes. This included research of City transportation plans, multiple site visits, participation of the workshop, and finally, a final report. The final report includes a workshop summary, policy, regulatory, funding and other strategic recommendations to implement SRTS concepts for safety and downtown vibrancy in Madras.

The TGM Outreach SRTS Final Report is below.