New York Codes, Rules and Regulations › Title 17 - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION › Chapter IV - Highways › Subchapter E - Special Parkways › Part 191 - Child Safety Zones › Section 191.4 - Point determination

Current through Register Vol. 46, No. 28, July 10, 2024
An analysis should be completed for the highway sections
					 containing the types of hazards the student encounters. A route to school can
					 involve walking along one or more highways. As a result, it is not always
					 obvious when a new highway segment should be evaluated, especially when
					 conditions may change along that highway. A new highway segment exists whenever
					 the facility type on which a student must walk changes. There are four
					 different types of facilities:
(a)
				  sidewalk (any width) or a shoulder e five feet wide;
(b) shoulder < five feet wide;
(c) roadway with no shoulder; and
(d) roadway with a narrow bridge or overpass.
In some cases, a highway or several highways with the same
					 type of walking facility, may undergo several changes regarding its volume
					 and/or speed limit. To simplify matters, the average volume and/or speed limit
					 that occurs in the segment should be used. For example, over a one mile
					 stretch, the following situation occurs for a series of contiguous hiqhways
					 without adequate shoulders (
i.e.,
shoulder < five feet
					 wide):
Point A to B
.15 mile
Low Volume
40 mph
Point B to C
.35 mile
Medium Volume
35 mph
Point C to D
.50 mile
High Volume
30 mph
1.00 mile
The average speed is 35 mph [(40 + 35 + 30) ÷ 3] and would
					 be used in calculating the point totals. Since the average speed is only
					 required to be determined to the nearest five mph interval, it can be easily
					 calculated as simply a straight, unweighted average of all the speeds. The
					 route used between home and school must avoid hazardous locations when a more
					 reasonable route is available. In addition, the analysis is to be based on
					 conditions that will remain basically unchanged throughout the school year.
					 Section 3635-b(2) specifies that transportation will be provided "on the basis
					 that their most direct walking route to school will traverse a hazardous zone".
					 However, before a CSZ can be established, alternative solutions must be
					 investigated. Sometimes, a hazard can be mitigated by changing the route which
					 the student walks to one that is slightly shorter or longer. Such a route could
					 be deemed more "reasonable" because it avoids the alleged hazards found on the
					 more direct walking route. For routes where a single hazard exists, determine
					 the type of hazard, the number of points produced by the hazard and the highest
					 grade level that would qualify for bus transportation as indicated in the
					 accompanying chart. For routes where several hazards exists, there are two
					 options which can be followed. First, determine the type of hazards that exist
					 and calculate the number of points produced by each hazard. Compare the point
					 totals for each hazard and use the point value of the greatest hazard to
					 determine the highest grade level that would qualify for bus transportation as
					 indicated in the accompanying chart. If an area fails to qualify for a specific
					 grade level, then a combination of hazards should be examined. Determine the
					 types of hazards, the sum of points produced by the two greatest hazards and
					 the highest grade level that would qualify for bus transportation as indicated
					 in the accompanying chart. It should be noted that the two hazards identified
					 may be of the same type or of different types. A school route will be
					 determined to be a hazardous zone for children in certain grades if it produces
					 at least the points indicated in the accompanying chart.
TABLE 1 - NUMBER OF QUALIFYING POINTS
					 REQUIRED
Total number of points required to
								  qualify a student for transportation
POINTS
A.
Grades K - 8 with 1 HAZARD
12
B.
Grades K - 8 with 2 Greatest HAZARDS
21
C.
Grades 9 - 12 with 1 HAZARD
15
D.
Grades 9 - 12 with 2 Greatest HAZARDS
27
TABLE 2 - HIGHWAYS WITHOUT SIDEWALKS OR ADEQUATE
					 SHOULDERS
SITUATION
POINTS
1. Student walks on a sidewalk, shoulder or
								  roadway with a given length:
A. Sidewalk or shoulder e 5 feet
								  wide:
0
B. Shoulder < 5 feet wide:
*
* 1 point for every 500 ft or fraction thereof;
								  examples: 1 to 500 ft = 1 point, 501 to 1000 ft = 2 points
C. Roadway with no shoulder:
**
** 1 point for every 300 ft or fraction thereof;
								  examples: 1 to 300 ft = 1 point, 301 to 600 ft = 2 points
D. Roadway with a narrow bridge or
								  overpass:
***
*** 1 point for every 25 ft or fraction thereof;
								  examples: 1 to 25 ft = 1 point, 26 to 50 ft = 2 points
2. Student walks on roadway or shoulder < 5 ft
								  wide with 15 minute traffic volumes of:
A. Low (L) - less than 50 vehicles
1
B. Medium (M) - 50 to 100 vehicles
3
C. High (H) - more than 100 vehicles
5
3. Student walks on roadway or shoulder < 5 ft
								  wide with a speed limit e 40 MPH:
A. 40 MPH
1
B. 45 MPH
2
C. 50 MPH
3
D. 55 MPH
4
TABLE 3 - HIGHWAY INTERSECTIONS
SITUATION
POINTS
4. Student crosses a highway intersection with
								  the following degree of traffic control:
A. All way stop signs, an adult crossing guard,
								  or a pedestrian bridge/underpass within 500 feet of the crossing
0
B. Traffic signal with pedestrian
								  devices
1 per
								  lane*
C. Stop signs, or a traffic signal without
								  pedestrian devices
2 per
								  lane*
D. No traffic control measures
3 per
								  lane*
5. Student walks on roadway or shoulder < 5 ft
								  wide with 15 minute traffic volumes of:
A. Low (L) - less than 50 vehicles
1
B. Medium (M) - 50 to 100 vehicles
3
C. High (H) - more than 100 vehicles
5
6. Student crosses a highway intersection with a
								  speed limit of:
A. less than 40 MPH
0
B. 40 MPH
1
C. 45 MPH
2
D. 50 MPH
3
E. 55 MPH
4
* -Up to 4 lanes may be considered
TABLE 4 - HIGHWAY-RAILROAD GRADE
					 CROSSINGS
SITUATION
POINTS
7. Student crosses an active railroad crossing
								  during the normal school crossing period:
A. 1 or 2 tracks and
0 trains
0
1 train
5
2 trains
9
3 or more trains
13
B. 3 or more tracks and
0 trains
0
1 train
7
2 trains
11
3 or more trains
15
Points should be added for the hazards of high density of
					 vacant buildings or structures and highways with high incidence of violent
					 crime as follows:
Route with High Density of Vacant Buildings or
					 Structures
1. Based on available local and municipal data, if a
					 county, city, town, village, borough or other municipal entity certifies that
					 the density of vacant buildings on a student's route to school exceeds the
					 local or municipal average for density of vacant buildings- 12 points.
Route with High Incidence of Violent Crime
1. Based on available state and local data, if a county,
					 city, town, village, borough or other municipal entity certifies that a
					 student's route to school exceeds the statewide statistical average for violent
					 crime per 100,000 people by 1 to 24 percentage points- 8 points.
2. Based on available state and local data, if a county,
					 city, town, village, borough municipal entity certifies that a student's route
					 to school exceeds the statewide statistical average for violent crime per
					 100,000 people by 25 to 49 percentage points- 16 points.
3. Based on available state and local data, if a county,
					 city, town, village, borough, or municipal entity certifies that a student's
					 route to school exceeds the statewide statistical average for violent crime per
					 100,000 people by 50 or more percentage points- 24 points.
Footnotes
* -Up to 4 lanes may be considered