Home to School: what's being done to make the commute safer for kids
Most of the yellow school buses that once filled school parking lots have disappeared, lost to budget cuts and uncertainty in the world of school financing.
The Cupertino Union School District has retained a dozen standard-sized school buses in its fleet, but the district abandoned home-to-school transportation for most students in 1992-93. Bus transportation was part of $1.4 million cut from the budget that year, according to district spokeswoman Beverly Armstrong.
Charles Corr, director of business services for the local school district, says the remaining school buses are used for transporting students to elementary schools located across expressways (DeVargas, Stevens Creek , Eisenhower and Montclaire schools, for transporting non-English speaking students to eight language development centers and for taking students on school-sponsored field trips.
While some students walk or bike to school, the favorite method of transportation for most is the family car. The parking lots and streets surrounding schools are filled with parents in cars rushing to drop off their children at school and students rushing to make it there before the final bell rings.
Other commuters in the area would just as soon miss the parade, but detours are few. With more congestion, there are more accidents.
Last year in California, a traffic accident was reported every 66 seconds; an injury every minute and 40 seconds and a fatality every 2 hours and 5 minutes. What's more, children ages 14 and under made up 32.1 percent of pedestrian victims and 33.5 percent of bicycle victims who were either killed or injured, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Deputy Paul Graham, a traffic investigator with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, says, "Considering the high volume of traffic in the school zones, there are very few accidents. The schools are doing very well." Yet, he cautions, "We see a tremendous number of traffic violations."
The No. 1 violation is completing right turns in the left lane, Graham says. This has caused cars to sideswipe other cars.
Deputy Morgen Thaler, who reviews traffic reports, says that the sheriff's department receives numerous complaints of speeding cars in residential areas near schools. The violators are a mix of high school and college students, parents taking their children to school and commuters going to and from work, he says.
Drivers have also been pulled over for violations such as running red lights and making illegal turns. In 1994, in Cupertino, two persons were involved in fatal car accidents, 339 persons suffered injuries and 605 car collisions caused property damage, according to the CHP.
In Cupertino, several weeks ago, a child crossing in the middle of a street to go to school was struck by a car. Fortunately, the child suffered only minor injuries.
Deputy Dan Forest, a Saratoga traffic investigator who used to patrol streets in Cupertino, says, "Children, particularly young ones, can't anticipate the speed of an approaching vehicle."
Forest adds, "Some pedestrians, no matter what their age, just walk out into the street and don't consider that a driver might not see them." He says that accidents have occurred within marked crosswalks because pedestrians thought they were automatically protected.
In Pediatric Report's Child Health Newsletter, a 1992 study showed parents believed their children, aged 5 and up, knew traffic safety rules and practiced safe street-crossing, when in reality, the children didn't know enough about traffic safety until they reached 9 or 10.
Graham estimates that seven out of 10 bicycle accidents are caused by bicyclists traveling against traffic. And in accidents involving bicyclists, often the bicyclist is at fault. He adds that he gives citations to older kids who aren't wearing their helmets. In Cupertino in 1994, 17 out of the 40 bike riders who were injured weren't wearing helmets or other safety equipment.
"It's a madhouse around Bubb and McClellan," Graham says.
Between 7:20 and 9 each morning, students from De Anza College, Monta Vista High, Lincoln Elementary and Kennedy Junior High schools arrive at their campuses, all located within a couple of blocks of each other. Around this same time, commuters, including hundreds from the Seven Springs residential area and those traveling to businesses on Bubb Road, are driving to work.
To help mitigate the congestion, schools have agreed to begin and end their day at different times. But staggering times also extends the congestion, Graham says.
Congestion Management
What are CUSD schools doing to decrease or manage congestion and to protect students from traffic-related injuries?
* Hyde Junior High School is on a main street, Bollinger Avenue. The school enforces a no-jaywalking policy. If students are spotted jaywalking, they must attend Saturday school.
* West Valley Elementary School has car hops--students who, while remaining safely on the curb, help students from their cars.
* Collins Elementary School has parent patrols.
* Schools provide yard duty to supervise children for about 15 minutes before school begins.
* All elementary schools offer on-site student care before and after school in partnership with independent child-care givers.
* Schools teach the Safe Route Program, with traffic safety materials provided by traffic authorities.
* Schools encourage parents to car pool and students to walk to school.
* To manage traffic flow, some schools have redesigned parking areas and have added stripes to direct traffic.
* In Cupertino, the city pays for crossing guards to work at busy school-zone intersections.
Kennedy Junior High School
At Kennedy Junior High School, representatives from the school district and the city came to the school to make suggestions on how to improve the school's parking situation. In September 1994, signs and stripes were added to the parking lot, showing parents where to enter, drive through and exit.
Parents also have been told not to park in the front lot because this holds up traffic and poses a danger to children who are getting out of their cars.
During the first week of school, Kennedy parents were encouraged to let their children walk to school and some parents got together to make car pool arrangements.
Nevertheless, Principal Larry Curb says, "I haven't seen an appreciable difference. The school area is still very congested, particularly in the morning with other commuters."
Despite all the schools' attempts to regulate traffic, protect their students, help parents and seek alternatives to car jams, the high volume of traffic still remains in the school zones at the beginning and end of the school day.
Corr says, "What really works are authority figures who can stand out there at our schools and direct the traffic."
This article appeared in the Cupertino Courier, January 17, 1996, under former name, Diane Hoda
The Cupertino Union School District has retained a dozen standard-sized school buses in its fleet, but the district abandoned home-to-school transportation for most students in 1992-93. Bus transportation was part of $1.4 million cut from the budget that year, according to district spokeswoman Beverly Armstrong.
Charles Corr, director of business services for the local school district, says the remaining school buses are used for transporting students to elementary schools located across expressways (DeVargas, Stevens Creek , Eisenhower and Montclaire schools, for transporting non-English speaking students to eight language development centers and for taking students on school-sponsored field trips.
While some students walk or bike to school, the favorite method of transportation for most is the family car. The parking lots and streets surrounding schools are filled with parents in cars rushing to drop off their children at school and students rushing to make it there before the final bell rings.
Other commuters in the area would just as soon miss the parade, but detours are few. With more congestion, there are more accidents.
Last year in California, a traffic accident was reported every 66 seconds; an injury every minute and 40 seconds and a fatality every 2 hours and 5 minutes. What's more, children ages 14 and under made up 32.1 percent of pedestrian victims and 33.5 percent of bicycle victims who were either killed or injured, according to the California Highway Patrol.
Deputy Paul Graham, a traffic investigator with the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department, says, "Considering the high volume of traffic in the school zones, there are very few accidents. The schools are doing very well." Yet, he cautions, "We see a tremendous number of traffic violations."
The No. 1 violation is completing right turns in the left lane, Graham says. This has caused cars to sideswipe other cars.
Deputy Morgen Thaler, who reviews traffic reports, says that the sheriff's department receives numerous complaints of speeding cars in residential areas near schools. The violators are a mix of high school and college students, parents taking their children to school and commuters going to and from work, he says.
Drivers have also been pulled over for violations such as running red lights and making illegal turns. In 1994, in Cupertino, two persons were involved in fatal car accidents, 339 persons suffered injuries and 605 car collisions caused property damage, according to the CHP.
In Cupertino, several weeks ago, a child crossing in the middle of a street to go to school was struck by a car. Fortunately, the child suffered only minor injuries.
Deputy Dan Forest, a Saratoga traffic investigator who used to patrol streets in Cupertino, says, "Children, particularly young ones, can't anticipate the speed of an approaching vehicle."
Forest adds, "Some pedestrians, no matter what their age, just walk out into the street and don't consider that a driver might not see them." He says that accidents have occurred within marked crosswalks because pedestrians thought they were automatically protected.
In Pediatric Report's Child Health Newsletter, a 1992 study showed parents believed their children, aged 5 and up, knew traffic safety rules and practiced safe street-crossing, when in reality, the children didn't know enough about traffic safety until they reached 9 or 10.
Graham estimates that seven out of 10 bicycle accidents are caused by bicyclists traveling against traffic. And in accidents involving bicyclists, often the bicyclist is at fault. He adds that he gives citations to older kids who aren't wearing their helmets. In Cupertino in 1994, 17 out of the 40 bike riders who were injured weren't wearing helmets or other safety equipment.
"It's a madhouse around Bubb and McClellan," Graham says.
Between 7:20 and 9 each morning, students from De Anza College, Monta Vista High, Lincoln Elementary and Kennedy Junior High schools arrive at their campuses, all located within a couple of blocks of each other. Around this same time, commuters, including hundreds from the Seven Springs residential area and those traveling to businesses on Bubb Road, are driving to work.
To help mitigate the congestion, schools have agreed to begin and end their day at different times. But staggering times also extends the congestion, Graham says.
Congestion Management
What are CUSD schools doing to decrease or manage congestion and to protect students from traffic-related injuries?
* Hyde Junior High School is on a main street, Bollinger Avenue. The school enforces a no-jaywalking policy. If students are spotted jaywalking, they must attend Saturday school.
* West Valley Elementary School has car hops--students who, while remaining safely on the curb, help students from their cars.
* Collins Elementary School has parent patrols.
* Schools provide yard duty to supervise children for about 15 minutes before school begins.
* All elementary schools offer on-site student care before and after school in partnership with independent child-care givers.
* Schools teach the Safe Route Program, with traffic safety materials provided by traffic authorities.
* Schools encourage parents to car pool and students to walk to school.
* To manage traffic flow, some schools have redesigned parking areas and have added stripes to direct traffic.
* In Cupertino, the city pays for crossing guards to work at busy school-zone intersections.
Kennedy Junior High School
At Kennedy Junior High School, representatives from the school district and the city came to the school to make suggestions on how to improve the school's parking situation. In September 1994, signs and stripes were added to the parking lot, showing parents where to enter, drive through and exit.
Parents also have been told not to park in the front lot because this holds up traffic and poses a danger to children who are getting out of their cars.
During the first week of school, Kennedy parents were encouraged to let their children walk to school and some parents got together to make car pool arrangements.
Nevertheless, Principal Larry Curb says, "I haven't seen an appreciable difference. The school area is still very congested, particularly in the morning with other commuters."
Despite all the schools' attempts to regulate traffic, protect their students, help parents and seek alternatives to car jams, the high volume of traffic still remains in the school zones at the beginning and end of the school day.
Corr says, "What really works are authority figures who can stand out there at our schools and direct the traffic."
This article appeared in the Cupertino Courier, January 17, 1996, under former name, Diane Hoda