Safe Routes in Pasadena: A data driven approach to safe neighborhoods Aimee Schultze, MPH, CHES Harris County Public Health Southern Obesity Summit October 23, 2018

Objectives Attendees will: Review concepts of the built environment Review key components and tools needed to conduct an environmental assessment Review how to utilize innovative funding sources to implement built environment initiatives

What is the Built Environment Includes all of the physical parts where we live, learn, work, worship, and play. What is the Built Environment? Includes all of the physical parts where we live, learn, work, worship, and play. Man-made entities that form the physical characteristics of a community, buildings, roads, sidewalks, transit, parks, schools, work sites, and homes. The built environment can affect human behavior and health through by influencing rates of physical activity or healthy food consumption. Therefore, the design of our communities plays a key role in disease prevention, especially for chronic conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and asthma. Health is a complex equation based on a number of inputs leading to a number of outputs but in the end indeed place matters: Where people live Where people learn Where people work Where people worship Where people play

Health & The Built Environment "It is unreasonable to expect that people will change their behavior easily when so many forces in the social, cultural, and physical environment conspire against such change." - Institute of Medicine What is Healthy Community Design? Planning and designing communities that make it easier for people to live healthy lives Healthy community design is planning and designing communities that make it easier for people to live healthy lives. Healthy community design links destinations that promote health, such as schools, parks, grocery stores, and work places, via a transportation network that facilitates safe travel for pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, and automobile occupants. It also links the traditional concepts of planning (such as land use, transportation, community facilities, parks, and open space) with health themes (such as physical activity, public safety, healthy food access, mental health, air and water quality, and social equity issues). Opportunities to get outside and be more active Ability to move throughout the community without a car Safe Accessible for all Clean environments Affordable & healthy food choices *** Source: Design for Health. Integrating health into comprehensive planning [online]. No date [cited 2010 Aug 11]. Available from URL: www.designforhealth.net/resources/integratinghealthissue.html.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) 5 E’s – Engineering, Education, Enforcement, Encouragement, and Evaluation. Promotes walking and bicycling to and from school Potential Outcomes: Increase in physical activity Addresses safety issues Exposure to air pollution Could lead to positive built environment infrastructure Exposure to air pollution Pasadena most common pollutants are ozone and particulate matter (TCEQ, 2017). Could lead to positive built environment infrastructure Creation of walking/ bicycling trails, crosswalks, and other public amenities

SRTS Pasadena Create district-wide SRTS Plan In collaboration with Pasadena ISD, Healthy Living Matters, HCPH Built Environment Unit, M.D. Anderson, and City of Pasadena

Environmental Scan Tool Environmental assessment and mapping of pedestrian infrastructure around priority schools in Pasadena ISD

Priority Schools No/limited bus service Location within a neighborhood High free/reduced lunch rate, and Readiness by school administration to participate in walk/bike to school events Richey Gardens Red Bluff Sparks Pomeroy South Shaver Parks

ArcGIS Mapping Mapped service area Segment ID’s created 0.5 mile walk from each school within the school’s zone. Segment ID’s created Service area was split into evenly distributed groups for environmental assessments.

Environmental Scan Tool

Pasadena Assessments 7 priority schools: Gardens, Parks, Pomeroy, Red Bluff, Richey, South Shaver, Sparks 372 Segments 15 Staff and Volunteers Average 3 hours per school Segment Procedure Walk the segment Observe environment and record survey responses Record GPS coordinates of mappable street elements Reconcile any differences/ discrepancies between responses. Submit completed survey tool on tablet.

86% of total assessment area contains sidewalks on at least one side COP Ordinance: Sidewalks required on both sides of major and collector streets, one side on minor streets 85% of total assessment area contains sidewalks on at least one side 23% of segments represent incomplete network of sidewalks (incomplete & no sidewalks) About 42% (n-155) of all segments deemed NOT safe and accessible (no sidewalks and NO answer) 333 total ADA ramps were mapped (indicating 89.5% of segments had at least one ADA ramp)

About 40% (n-137) of all segments deemed NOT safe and accessible (no sidewalks and NO answer) No Answer – incomplete sidewalks, unsafe cross-slope, no ada ramps, large cracks or other sidewalk obstructions, no sidewalk at all 333 total ADA ramps were mapped (indicating 96.5% of segments had at least one ADA ramp)

Results from Combined Data Distance from Sidewalk to edge of pavement/curb - 25% At Edge - 66% Less than 5ft - 9% 5ft or greater

General Observations: - Most assessment areas contained sidewalks In need of repair or updates Most inaccessible for all abilities Lack ADA ramps, cracks, steep cross slope Incomplete network No bike lanes or shared streets Cars blocking sidewalks 333 total ADA ramps were mapped (indicating 96.5% of segments had at least one ADA ramp) This is a what a neighborhood typically looks like in Pasadena when sidewalks are on both side of the street. Grass buffer 3-4 ft in width Cross slope is affected by the landscaping and elevation, driveways Missing an ADA ramp at intersection

67 Crosswalks were mapped, of which 39 contained pedestrian signals and 28 did not. Crosswalks may have not been mapped due to survey error or they were not visible due to faded paint. Intersection on a main thouroughfare rd. Faded Crosswalk No pedestrian signals Incomplete sidewalk network but a worn path, indicating people walk on the right side of the street (apartments on the right)

62 Sidewalks obstruction mapped - 46 were utility poles, boxes, or hydrants while - 16 were considered "other" such as large cracks or severely overgrown landscaping

2007-2015 Pedestrian and Bike Crash Data – TXDOT CRIS 2007-2015 – Ped/bike crash data Infrastructure improvements benefit all Pasadena residents – not just school children Parent Perception survey Community Engagement – perception of safety (crime), speeding traffic, weather 2007-2015 Pedestrian and Bike Crash Data – TXDOT CRIS

Survey about Walking and Biking to School for Parents from the National Center for SRTS parents of 4th graders in December 2017 (44%) estimated that the distance between home and their child’s school is less than a quarter of a mile. 67% of students are driven to school each morning, 27% walk

Recommendations Install lighting Take steps to complete sidewalk network Signalized pedestrian crossings at major roads and near schools Incorporate traffic calming measures where possible Explore feasibility of bike lanes Install lighting – majority of ped crashes occur in dark conditions Road oriented lighting in segments without any lighting Explore pedestrian-scaled lighting immediately surrounding schools Take steps to complete network Remove sidewalk obstructions ADA ramps at all crosswalks Ensure continuity of existing sidewalks Signalized pedestrian crossings at major roads and near schools Incorporate traffic calming measures where possible Explore feasibility of bike lanes

Funding Federal and State Transportation funds Planning and Development organizations Tactical Urbanism Social Determinants of Health Hospital Districts Federal and State Transportation funds: Local MPO (metro planning organization) funds – use transportation funds from fed/state resources Planning and Development organizations – American Planning Association, Urban Land Institute – funds or connections to subject matter experts in urban planning, traffic engineering, landscape architecture, etc Tactical Urbanism –approach that uses short-term, low cost materials for scalable interventions. Ability to pilot test initiatives to study effectiveness before more costly and long term investments. Social Determinants of Health – look at grants or programs that address social determinants of health or health community design Hospital Districts – starting to invest in community programs to improve population health City of Pasadena – using this report to apply for transportation funds via region MPO to enhance and expand current sidewalk program. Using EST data to see where sidewalks or improvements are needed

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