Cecil Elementary School Traffic Calming Plan

NDC assisted in designing a 30% completed traffic calming plan for the extended Cecil Elementary footprint, focusing on the intersections closest to school.

Cecil Elementary School leadership and East Baltimore Midway residents requested traffic calming around Cecil Elementary, in line with the recommendation set forth by the NDC in the East Baltimore Midway Streetscape and Greening Plan to prioritize items that will increase Cecil Elementary as a school of choice.

There was a high incidence of crashes occurring at key drop-off and pick-up zones, which negatively impacts students and crossing guards. This data was collected via NDC’s East Baltimore Midway Crash Data Analysis.

Community Engagement

65 households with children attending Cecil ES were surveyed, using a combination of in-person paper surveys and an online survey. Parents were asked about how their children arrive and leave from school, as well as about their concerns regarding walking or biking to or from school.

We found that 50–60% drive to school and 25% walk, and that there were three major concerns for pedestrians: violence or crime, speed of drivers, and safety at intersections.

Goals

Interventions

Implementation

Our design drawings offered two approaches — a quick-build, more affordable option and a infrastructure-forward full-build approach. We helped pinpoint high priority options. Our plans were part of a Safe Routes To School grant application, submitted in June 2022. The team met with MDOT, SHA, & BDOT for a site tour and to discuss the application and proposed design. Thank you to lead volunteer Will Wu, traffic engineer at RK&K.