Fresno Unified School District is embarking on Year 2 of seeking solutions to improving safety for students and their families who walk and bicycle to and from school.

The district, using a grant from the Office of Traffic Safety, is partnering with Toole Design Inc. to conduct Safe Routes to School assessments at 17 schools.

Assessments at eight schools began Monday, and the remaining schools will be assessed in November.

Toole Design will observe during morning arrival and afternoon dismissal times and conduct “walk audits” with school and district safety staff. The goal is to identify changes, such as adding new bikes lanes, stop signs or traffic lights, to improve safety near schools.

The schools being assessed this year are Sunnyside High; Ahwahnee, Fort Miller, Tenaya, and Yosemite middle schools; and Birney, Columbia, Eaton, Easterby, Fremont, Homan, Jefferson, King, Olmos, Slater, Thomas, and Yokomi elementary schools.

The school sites were selected based on traffic and pedestrian incidents in the 2023-24 school year, busy intersections near school bus stops, and neighboring schools within 1 mile.

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Community Sessions Scheduled

The district also is scheduling community engagement sessions to gather input on how to make routes to school safer.

The first two are scheduled for 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 14 at the Sunnyside High School cafeteria, 1019 S. Peach Ave., and 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at Jefferson Elementary Main Office Lab, 202 N. Mariposa St. Activities for kids and snacks will be provided at both events.

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