Approved: 6-11-2003
Philosophy:
The purpose of the School Traffic Safety Committee will be to meet at least annually and to handle specific problems and issues relating to school bus safety for each school in the District as specified in Utah Code 53A-3-402-(16). The committee reviews and recommends school traffic safety improvements, boundary changes for safety, student-routing plans, and school safety program criteria.
Policy:
The School Traffic Safety Committee shall be composed of:
- One representative from the District.
- One PTA representative from the District.
- A representative from the county or municipality.
- A representative from a state or local law enforcement.
- A state or local traffic safety engineer (DOT representative).
- The District's Transportation Director.
- A certified District Bus Trainer.
The Committee Shall:
- Receive suggestions from parents, teachers, and others and recommend school traffic safety improvements and/or programs.
- Each school year, each elementary and middle school within the District shall develop and submit a child access routing plan to the Traffic Safety Committee.
- The committee shall then review and submit these elementary and middle school routing plans to the Department of Transportation (DOT) and affected municipalities and counties.
- Consult the Utah Safety Council and the Division of Family Health Services and provide training to all school children in kindergarten through grade six within the District on school-crossing safety and use.
- The committee shall help ensure the District's compliance with rules made by the Transportation Commission under Section 41-6-20-1 and may establish subcommittees as needed to assist in accomplishing its duties.
- Problems or suggestions from parents, teachers, or school administrators involving school-traffic safety shall be submitted to the School Traffic Safety Committee for review and recommendations.
- Each elementary shall prepare and update annually a routing plan. The routing plan shall show, as a minimum, the walking routes on the street system within school boundaries, the school location, existing traffic controls, and established school crossings. The plan also shall address the loading/unloading areas for students who ride the bus or arrive at school by another methods of transportation. An explanation of the plan, instruction to parents to walk the route with their children, and an outline of areas of concern shall also be included. The plan shall be reviewed annually by the School Traffic Safety Committee. After committee review, the plan shall be sent to each parent whose children attend that school, and to the local and state jurisdictions that have responsibility for highways within the elementary school boundaries.
- Each middle school shall prepare and update annually a child access routing plan. The plan shall show, as a minimum, the school crossings on the major highways.
- Each senior high school may also prepare a school routing plan.
- Each elementary school shall, as a minimum, present a traffic program to its students annually. The program shall include safe pedestrian behavior and limitations of drivers and traffic control devices.
- The Committee may establish subcommittees as needed to assist in accomplishing its duties. The Board shall require each elementary and middle school to develop and submit annually to the Committee a child access routing plan (H.B. No. 32, 1992 Legislation).