Safe Routes to School

Font Size: + -

Feedback Print

About. The City's Safe Routes to School (SRTS) Plan was published in 2014 with seven schools targeted as priorities for improvements with the greatest potential for increased walking and bicycling to and from school. A prioritized list of enhancements was identified for each school, ranging from adding a crosswalk. to connecting sidewalks, to providing a pedestrian bridge. Staff then narrowed the scope to the top five priority improvements at each school, and developed weighted criteria to determine the top three priority schools based on a cost benefit ratio and scoring system that included safety factors and recognition of the number of households and calculated number of walking students within the "no-bus" radius of the school.

The selected schools are Carleston Elementary, Cockrell Elementary, and Pearland Junior High South.

Scope. The project consists of the construction of approximately four and half miles of sidewalks in various locations, near Carleston Elementary, Cockrell Elementary, and Pearland Junior High School and two pedestrian bridges across Hickory Slough and one pedestrian bridge on the east side of Veterans at the drainage ditch.

No additional property acquisition is anticipated for this project.

Schedule Info

	*Base Line*	*Current*
*Design Start*	May 2019	July 2020
*Bid Start*	April 2022	June 2022
*Construction Start*	December 2022	December 2022
*Proposed Construction Start*	August 2023	August 2023

Budget and Funding Info

Below is the Budget and Funding Information for the project. Last updated June 2021.

Funding Sources
General Revenue - Cash	-
Certificates of Obligation	$773,400
General Obligation Bonds	-
W/S Revenue Bonds	-
Impact Fee - Debt	-
Other Funding Sources - HGAC TIP	$2,553,600
Other Funding Sources - Fund Balance	$435,000
Total Funding Sources	$3,762,000

Expenditures
PER	-
Land	$4,397
Design	$346,456
Construction	$2,148,381
Construction Management/Inspection	$264,565
Construction Materials Testing	$35,644
FF&E	-
Total Expenditures	$2,799,442

Project Balance/Contingency

$687,558/$275,000

2023

June

Highlights:

• The sidewalk along Fite Road from east of Harkey to Centennial Village Dr. has been completed. Minor cleanup and ditch work remains.

• The sidewalk on Old Oaks Blvd is complete, including site restoration.

• The sidewalk along Knapp from Glenda Street to Old Alvin Road is 90% complete.

• Veterans at Cowart Creek work has begun to install the 7x7 boxes to connect the sidewalk on the east side of the street. • New pedestrian bridge work has begun next to Old Alvin Road across Hickory Slough.

• A force main on Veterans has been found to be in conflict with the 7x7 boxes. Resolution forthcoming.

• The project is 75% complete by time.

• Field conditions have resulted in two change orders. The change orders have amounted to a netzero to the P.O. by using line-item underruns.

• Currently, the project is running under budget. Change conditions notwithstanding, the project will end approximately $100k under budget.

Upcoming Work Items:

• Pedestrian bridge work will continue.

• Complete the installation of the 7x7 boxes on Veterans.

• Ditch work, including the installation of RCP boxes and SETs on Knapp, Fite, and Veterans should be complete by the end of June.

• Continue construction of sidewalk along Knapp Road.

• Headwall/wingwalls will be constructed at culvert crossings.

Read June Memo

2021

June

Highlights:

The project design engineer, Gauge Engineering, kicked off the design of the Safe Routes to School project
after the City received the Federal Project Authorization and Agreement (FPAA) from TxDOT on August 19,
2020. While design phase services are not eligible for reimbursement, the design phase must meet all
TxDOT standard design and environmental requirements. To date, the design has progressed to approximately 90%. The Project Team has been in constant communications and coordination with Brazoria Drainage District 4 (BDD4) and TxDOT as the design is
being developed to ensure all major drainage ditch crossings options meet approvals. TxDOT’s responsibilities during design phase include review and approval of the 60%, 90%, and 95% milestones.

Upcoming Work Items:

In the next 30 days, the 95% design plans should be submitted for review by June 21, 2021. This submission
will begin the TxDOT 5 month review process.

Read June Memo

March

Highlights:

The project design engineer, Gauge Engineering, kicked off the design of the Safe Routes to School project after the City received the Federal Project Authorization and Agreement (FPAA) from TxDOT on August 19, 2020. In order to ensure reimbursement, no activities can begin prior to receipt of the FPAA authorization. While design phase services are not eligible for reimbursement, the design phase must meet all TxDOT standard design and environmental requirements to date, the design has progressed to approximately 85%. The Project Team has been in constant communications and coordination with Brazoria Drainage District 4 (BDD4) and TxDOT as the design is being developed to ensure all major drainage ditch crossings options meet approvals. TxDOT’s responsibilities during design phase include review and approval of the 60%, 90%, and 95% milestones.

Upcoming Work Items:

In the next 60 days, the 90% design plans should be submitted for review by April 30, 2021.

Read March Memo

2020

December

Highlights:

The City received the Federal Project Authorization and Agreement (FPAA) from TxDOT on August 19, 2020. The FPAA allowed the project team to begin the design phase for the Safe Routes to Schools project. While design phase services are not eligible for reimbursement, the design phase must meet all of TxDOT's standard design and environmental requirements and no design work could begin until the FPAA was issued. The design phase includes review and approval of the 60%, 90% and 95% milestones by the TxDOT Houston District.

The project team hosted a virtual kick-off meeting on August 12, 2020.
- Also, in attendance at the kick-off were representatives from Brazoria Drainage District No. 4 (BDD4) since the project included pedestrian bridges crossing Hickory Slough and Mary's Creek.
- Bridge locations and requirements were discussed with BDD4 for their concurrance.
The engineer has begun data collection and site visits in preparation for the milestone submittals.
- Data collection includes review of record drawings, surveys and satellite imagery.
Work completed to date includes:
- Environmental field work
- Geotechnical field work
- Preliminary bridge layouts
- Drainage Study report
Ongoing work includes:
- Hydraulic analysis
- Traffic Control maps
- Project layout
- Typical sections
The 60% submission was delivered to the City, BDD4 and TxDOT on November 30, 2020.
- The plans and specifications have been distributed and are currently in review.
- Review comments are expected by December 30, 2020.
As the project progresses potential challenges will include designing the sidewalk around existing utilities and structures. The project will not acquire additional ROW; therefore, the sidewalk will need to be designed to fit into the available space. This means that in some locations, the sidewalk will be directly back of curb and in other areas, it can be off-set to allow a buffer zone. The sidewalk design will also match the existing width in the areas in which the new sidewalk is in-filling gaps in the existing walkways.

Upcoming Work Items:

In the next 60 days, the 60% design review should be complete, and comments returned to the engineer. The 90% plans will be submitted for review on February 1, 2021.

Read December 2020 memo

2020

April

Updates:

The Local Project Advance Funding Agreement (AFA) was approved by TxDOT on April 17, 2020 and staff is preparing the AFA for Council approval on May 18, 2020.

Read April 2020 memo

2019

Project Areas

Carleston Elementary

SRTS - Carleston Elementary

Cockrell Elementary

SRTS - Cockrell Elementary

Pearland Junior High

SRTS - Pearland Jr High