Fresno County is conducting walk audits to evaluate traffic safety and keep students safe going to and from schools.

The Public Works and Planning department has commenced the “Safe Streets for Students” program, designed to assess traffic around Fresno County schools.

The department is overseeing walk audits at 15 school sites, targeting communities that lack infrastructure to support safe transportation to and from school. The sites are in metro Fresno’s “county islands” and outlying communities such as Easton, Riverdale, Caruthers, and Tranquility.

At some sites, students travel half a mile or more in each direction, said Erin Haagenson, program manager for public works and planning.

Walk audits will support and inform the creation of a Safe Routes to School plan — including engineering, policy, and program strategies.

The plan will map out priorities, identifying what issues can be quickly remedied and those that require a long-term investment. Additionally, it will detail what solutions best match the issue and area and consider community input. The public can submit requests for improvements here.

Once completed, the department will have an action-oriented plan, engaging students, families, and educators to improve safety.

“To make sure we have an open dialogue of communication about the types of things that we’re able to do as the county,” Haagenson said, “It’s really about partnership more than anything.”

Who, When, and Where

The department conducted the first week of walk audits, March 24-28, and the next batch will occur the week of April 21. The audits will take place during school hours, lasting about one hour.

Typically, site principals or vice principals, school leaders, district officials, and SRTS leaders are among those attending.

Attendees will observe and discuss traffic patterns, travel routes, and street infrastructure.

School personnel offer valuable insight and expertise about the site, such as primary directions of travel and prominent issues.

“For example, a principal at Addams Elementary showed us where most kids live,” Haagenson said, “These are the things we don’t know at the county”

Additionally, at some sites, students helped point out areas of concern — placing stickers on a map to identify places they felt unsafe.

School sites participating in audits include Addams Elementary School, Calwa Elementary School, Cantua Elementary School, Caruthers Elementary School, Caruthers High School, Del Rey Elementary School, Fipps Primary school, Powers-Ginsburg Elementary School, Riverdale Elementary School, Riverdale High school, Tranquillity Elementary School, Tranquility High School, Washington Colony Elementary School, Washington Union High School, and West Park Elementary School.

The program is funded through a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Future Walk Audits

Fresno County will oversee additional walk audits during the 2025-26 school year.

“The idea that we are going to do more every year and establish those relationships,” Haagenson said.

A Sustainable Transportation Planning Grant from Caltrans will fund future audits.