DATE: February 10, 2026
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Steven E. White, Director
Department of Public Works and Planning
SUBJECT: Adopt the Safe Routes to School Action Plan for 15 School Sites
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt the Fresno County Safe Routes to School Action Plan for 15 School Sites, which was funded by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety.
REPORT
Approval of the recommended action will authorize the Chairman to adopt the Fresno County Safe Routes to School Action Plan (SRTS Action Plan) developed by Toole Associates, Inc. (Toole), in cooperation with County staff as a tool that provides a roadmap for improved safety for walking and bicycling conditions in the vicinity of 15 schools in or near unincorporated Fresno County. The impact of this item is countywide.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
Your Board may choose not to approve the SRTS Action Plan at this time or request that staff make changes to the plan.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no Net County Cost associated with the recommended action. Any future project funding applications developed based on information in the SRTS Action Plan would be brought to your Board in separate actions for approval, along with detailed scopes, costs, and funding sources.
DISCUSSION:
The SRTS Action Plan was completed by Toole Associates, Inc., a transportation planning consultant group, in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Planning (Department) staff, who participated in the school-site selection, public outreach, and community outreach. The project was funded by the Office of Traffic Safety (OTS), which funds grants for pedestrian and bicycle safety as well as alcohol impaired driving, distracted driving, drug- impaired driving, emergency medical services, occupant protection, motorcycle safety and roadway safety.
The SRTS Action Plan is intended to serve as a guidance document for active transportation near 15 schools in or near unincorporated Fresno County. It serves as an implementation tool for increased safety near areas where some of the most vulnerable members of the population - children - spend their lives. Adoption of the SRTS Action Plan would promote safe driving practices and raise awareness of the issues that students face when walking or bicycling to and from their places of learning. The SRTS Action Plan prioritizes safety around schools by recommending infrastructure improvements such as, sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, traffic calming, signage, lighting and bicycle facilities, while focusing on areas with the greatest need for safer pedestrian and bicycle network infrastructure as determined by walk audits, public outreach, and conditions in those areas.
Department staff participated in the school selection, community outreach, and walk audits at 15 schools, and the plan recommends safety improvements at those schools based on community feedback and boots-on-the-ground surveys of the surrounding areas. The walk audits received significant media coverage and raised awareness of safety issues in the County’s unincorporated communities.
This is the first grant the Department was awarded through OTS. The grant was so successful that a second OTS grant was awarded to the Department earlier this year. The funding of the second grant will be used to implement demonstration projects at Washington Union High school and Washington Elementary school in Easton, Caruthers High school and Del Rey Elementary school in Caruthers and Del Rey, respectively. Demonstration projects are temporary safety improvements designed to test new ideas and gather community feedback before permanent changes are made. The projects may include features such as enhanced crosswalks, protected bike lanes, curb extensions, or traffic calming measures. By piloting these improvements Fresno County can evaluate their effectiveness in real world conditions and ensure that long-term investments meet the safety goals and needs of students and residents.
On October 8, 2024, the Board approved the 2024 Regional Active Transportation Plan (2024 ATP). The 2024 ATP promotes walking and biking for transportation and recreation by all members of the community by creating a connected and complete network of trails, walkways, and bikeways that provide safe, convenient, and enjoyable connections to key destinations and neighborhoods while also promoting pedestrian and bicyclist safety and collision reduction. One of the important uses of the 2024 ATP was to create a network of safe sidewalks, shared-use paths, and bikeways that connect Fresno County residents to key destinations, especially local schools, parks, and transit based on existing conditions. The 2025-26 SRTS Action Plan complies with the 2024 ATP and Fresno County General Plan by advancing countywide goals of improving pedestrian and bicycle safety near schools and supporting multimodal travel, however it’s focus is on individual schools and children’s safety by recommending specific safety countermeasures based on each school’s unique location and needs.
The 2025-26 SRTS Action Plan will be used by the Department to identify projects such as new sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, traffic calming measures, improved school zone signage and bicycle facilities and apply for future transportation grant funding opportunities within the County.
With your Board’s approval of the recommended action, the Department will be able to move forward with identifying grants for its recommended safety projects. Adoption of the SRTS Action Plan will express the Board’s commitment to and support of transportation safety in the County’s unincorporated, rural communities.
The SRTS Action Plan was routed internally, to the City of Fresno, and to the school districts within the County’s unincorporated areas for review. The SRTS Action Plan only received one comment from the City of Fresno requesting language clarifying that further studies and funding are needed to implement any projects, and which was incorporated into the plan. The SRTS Action Plan complies with the 2024 ATP, the California Transportation Commission 2026-27 Active Transportation Draft Program Guidelines, and it is also in compliance with the 2022 Fresno Council of Governments Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategy.
On November 6, 2025, the SRTS Action Plan was awarded Transportation Project of the Year - Planning by the Women in Transportation (WTS) - Central California Chapter. WTS is a national organization that promotes excellence in transportation through recognition of innovative and impactful projects. The Central California chapter awarded Fresno County’s SRTS Action Plan project for its comprehensive planning approach, commitment to equity, and focus on improving safety and accessibility for students and families across Fresno County. The award reflects Fresno County’s continued leadership in student safety.
REFERENCE MATERIAL:
BAI #45, October 7, 2025
BAI #10, October 8, 2024
BAI #9, September 24, 2024
ATTACHMENTS INCLUDED AND/OR ON FILE:
On file with Clerk - SRTS Action Plan
CAO ANALYST:
Maria Valencia