To ease increasing traffic congestion and to make streets in and around Union Ridge Elementary safer for students, the district has developed and approved a Safe Routes to School Plan for the immediate vicinity surrounding Union Ridge.\r\n
\r\nA Safe Routes to School Committee comprised of representatives from Ridgefield School District, the City of Ridgefield, the Ridgefield Police Department and KWRL Transportation was established this year and tasked with the responsibility of determining safe walking and biking routes for students within a one-mile radius of the school.\r\n
\r\nThe committee looked into a number of factors. These included traffic patterns, existing traffic controls, existing school patrols, the number of school crossings, and number of entrance-exits from each block to/from school, to name a few. They also determined the safest routes based on distances between students and traffic along walking routes, traffic speeds, traffic volume and the number of road/rail crossings in the area.\r\n
\r\nTheir work resulted in a Safe Route to School Plan developed for Union Ridge, which was reviewed and approved by the district’s Safety Advisory Committee (SAC) and by Superintendent Nathan McCann.\r\n
\r\nRecommended Student Walking Route
\r\nThe committee’s recommended Safe Route to School for Union Ridge Elementary students is shown here:
Recommended Driving Route for Parents
\r\nIn conjunction with this safe route plan, the district is urging parents to change their driving route when picking up and dropping off their students. When leaving Union Ridge, parents are encouraged to turn right on N. 5th Avenue, turn left on Division Street and turn left on North Main Avenue to get back on Pioneer Street.\r\n
\r\nThis will greatly alleviate congestion in front of the school’s parking lot where Mill Street meets N. 5th Avenue and increase safety for students as they cross the street at this busy intersection.\r\n
\r\nFor more information regarding the district’s policy and procedure regarding Student Safety Walking, Biking and Riding Buses to School, click here:\r\n
\r\n\r\n\r\nThe district is grateful to the following members of the Safe Routes to School Committee for their work in ensuring the safety of Ridgefield students getting to and from school:
\r\nHoward Anderson, School Resource Officer, Ridgefield School District\r\n
\r\nShannon Barnett, Director, KWRL Transportation\r\n
\r\nNeil Brinson, RSD Director of Maintenance, Ridgefield School District\r\n
\r\nTodd Graves, Principal, South Ridge Elementary School\r\n
\r\nChris Griffith, Assistant Superintendent, Ridgefield School District\r\n
\r\nBryan Kast, City of Ridgefield\r\n
\r\nKelly Macdonald, Principal, Union Ridge Elementary School\r\n
\r\nRoy Rhine, Ridgefield Police Department\r\n