Sustainable Communities Partnership Edmonds, WA: Assessment of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Sustainable Communities Partnership Edmonds, WA: Assessment of Accessibility, Use and Perceptions of Place

Participatory Action Research Anthropology 454/554

• Dr. Sean Bruna, Department of Anthropology

& MA Graduate and Undergraduate Students

Research Goals

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Assessment of “Walkability” of 10 Locations

• Assessment of Built Environment
• Observation of Use
• Pedestrian Perspectives
• Recommendations

Research Process

• Student Designed Subprojects
• 24 students
• 9 Weeks
• 4 Research Teams
• Mixed Methods

Research Sites

Accessibility of Routes to School in Edmonds, Washington

Cody Carlson, Sahar Arbab, Anna Waham, Mike Dechant, Natalie Anderson, Jina Starr, Dominic McGuire, Kaite Ward Presented by Dr. Bruna

Literature Review

• Transit to school has largely shifted over the last half century,

changing from 47.7% walking or biking in 1969 to 45.3% being driven in 2009 (McDonald et al. 2011, 148).

• A report on the SRTS program in California revealed, “unsafe

intersections and crossings; high traffic speeds, large amounts of traffic, and violence or crime along route; and lack of sidewalks or pathways, crossing guards, and adults to bike or walk with” were all significant concerns of walking to school (Chaufan, Yeh, and Fox 2012, 1).

• “...although parental consent for active commuting grew with each

increasing grade, peaking at sixth grade, a significant proportion of parents reported feeling uncomfortable with it at any grade” (Chaufan, Yeh, and Fox 2012, 1).

Schools of Focus

• Edmonds-Woodway

High School

• Chase Lake Elementary
• Westgate Elementary

Creative Commons, 2017

Methods

Phone Interviews (N=2)

• Interviews with relevant community actors affiliated with the

school district

• Ex. Question: Are there any obstacles for kids getting to their

bus stops? Surveys (N=54)

• 21/54 of survey participants were responding in regards to the

schools of interest

• Surveys posted in online interest group that shares resources

with mothers of students that attend Edmonds School District

• Ex. Question: What would you say makes a safe walking or

biking route?

Methods

Personal photographs, 2017

Personal Photographs, 2017

Results

Coding Key: Accessibility Transportation\Bus system Boundaries Ridership Bus stops Sidewalks and shoulders Walking routes Parental attitude Environmental Factors Student Populations Special education Homeless students Getting to School Bus Biking Walking Drive to school Drop off Creative Commons, 2017

Results

• The need for sidewalks was a prevalent answer among the short

answer portion of the survey. Over half of the respondents (12 out of 21) reported that more or wider sidewalks would make walking and biking routes to school safer.

– Ex. “A short strip of our route has no sidewalk. I don't feel safe walking with 4 little kids on that strip. Too narrow and cars drive too fast.”

• Safety and Environmental factors were also of concern to those

interviews and surveyed

– Ex. “Maplewood Drive is unsafe; walking to the bus stop on Maplewood Drive is hazardous. There are trees, bushes, and parked cars pushing walkers into the street. Very dangerous at all hours, and doubly dangerous during winter darkness.”

Results

Some specific routes and roads came up multiple times:

• 220th St. and 84th St. were
• ften mentioned

– Ex. “really hit or miss depending

• n traffic” and “too many cars.”
• Highway 99 was considered an

issue within the walking barrier for Chase Lake

Edmonds School District Website, 2017

Results

Below is a map composed of community members’ areas of concern marked out to act as a visual aid. The dotted blue lines highlight some of the problem areas that some of our survey participants mentioned.

Conclusion and Recommendations

From our data collection and analysis we recommend:

• Increased attention to walking paths, especially for

students that are not provided bus transportation;

• Increased lighting in areas that have have students

walking without sidewalks;

• Increased signage enforcing speed limits;
• Increased signage indicating that pedestrians are sharing

the spaces;

• Traffic flow management at school drop-off times;
• Constructions of more bike lanes

Opportunities for Further Research

Some areas that would benefit from further research include:

• Assessing the accessibility and safety of routes to

school for Sherwood Elementary;

• Assessing the ability of specific populations

including special education and homeless students in getting to school

Works Cited

Chaufan, Claudia, Jarmin Yeh, and Patrick Fox. 2012. “The Safe Routes to School Program in California: An Update.” American Journal of Public Health 102 (6): e8–11. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2012.300703. McDonald, Noreen C., Austin L. Brown, Lauren M Marchetti, and Margo S.

• Pedroso. 2011. “U.S. School Travel, 2009 AN Assessment of Trends.”

American Journal of Preventive Medicine 41 (2): 146–51. doi:10.1016/ j.amepre.2011.04.006.

Public Transportation & Improving Pedestrian Infrastructure In the City of Edmonds

By Aimee Bower, Kennedy Small, Scott Sutton, and Tavie Keo

Presented By Kennedy Small

Agenda

• Key Terms
• Research Goal
• Research Sites
• Methodology
• Literature Review
• Results
• Key Points &

Recommendations

• Conclusion

Key Terms

Community Based Participatory Action Research

• Involvement from community members,
• rganizational representatives, and researchers
• draws upon the strengths of each group
• avoids ethnocentricity and provides positive results

for all groups involved MLTP&R: Mountlake Terrace Park & Ride EP&R: Edmonds Park & Ride

Research Goal

Use qualitative research methodologies in hopes of potentially changing and/or improving the pedestrian environment around current public transit areas in the city of Edmonds, and the area in which a potential future light rail stop will be located.

Research Sites

Photo 3 - MLTP&R at night well lit Photos 1 & 2 - MLTP&R at night, bike lockers, police phone and great lighting Photo 4 & 5 - EP&R at night, bike locker, payphone and much darker lighting Photo 6 - Map at EP&R, shows detailed bus routes

Research Sites

Photo 7 - Arrival boards at bridge to Bays 6&7, not viewable from Bays 1-5 Photo 8 - One of many security cameras around MLT P&R, no interviewees mentioned them directly but insisted they felt safe at site

Methodology

Our research was broken into three phases.

• Phase 1: Choosing our sample of research participants by reaching out to

members who were part of the community and speaking with already established connections, as well as researching current literature which we can later compare

• ur findings.
• Phase 2: Interviewing the residents of Edmonds on their experiences with the

public transit system and the area surrounding it, as well as on site observations

• f the public transit system facilities
• Phase 3: Transcription of interviews and thorough analysis of research findings,

in which we identified patterns, similarities, and differences among the responses

• f each participant and comparing mixed-methods research to the existing

literature.

Literature Review

“A well designed public transit system which gets people out of their cars and onto their bikes or a bus has clear health and economic

• benefits. A report by the Transit Cooperative Research Program

specifically outlines the cost and benefits of each system, and uses quantitative data from research conducted on multiple low to middle class neighborhoods.” (Lingwood 1999) “ Accessible public transportation can have a profound effect on the levels of stress experienced by commuters by reducing traffic. One study found that, in cities with a developed transportation system, 10 – 30% less people drove on a regular basis.” (Litman 2013)

Results pt. I

Bio

• 27-year-old woman
• Income under $50,000 per

year

• Depends on public transit

exclusively for transportation

Concerns/Thoughts

• Transit can be slow and

frustrating when the buses don’t run on time ○ East-West routes

• Desire for arrival boards at

MLTP&R bays 1-5 ○ Know what is happening real time, can plan accordingly

• 5$ minimum on Orca punishes

poor people ○ Can be difference between keeping and losing job

Results pt. II

Bio

• 23-year-old male
• Regularly uses the transit

system to commute to work

Concerns/Thoughts

• Inconsistency in arrival of buses
• Compared to routes nearer Seattle, less

consistent ○ Travelling South can be a hassle

• EP&R, More maps, some bike racks and

more lighting

• No paper transfers/5$ minimum on

Orca punishes poor people ○ Can be difference between keeping and losing job

Results pt. III

Bio

• Male, age Unknown
• Regularly uses the transit

system

• Visually impaired

Concerns/Thoughts

• Symmetry and consistency

○ Viewed Swift favorably because of consistency ■ Every stop can be navigated easily

• Numbering of the stops does not follow

a set pattern at MLTP&R

• Maps are in inconvenient locations such

as in elevators above buttons

• Tactile strips are great indicators, need

to be frequent and clean

Results pt. IV

Bio

• 21-year old female
• Earns under 25k a year
• Lives 2 miles from MLTP&R

in Lynwood

• Has commuted to work via

public transit for 6 years

• Uses Swift to go to Seattle

and Everett

Concerns/Thoughts

• No public water fountains/lack of shade
• People parking in MLTP&R not using

bus ○ Lack of spots, more time searching

• 112 replaced by 113 and 130

○ Very long ride with frequent stops

• Lenient drivers

○ Need for transit police and heavy fines for poorest people ○ People smoke, vape, cause disturbances

Key Points & Recommendations

Recommended Improvements

○ Automatically updated Arrival boards ○ Easier access to route maps ○ Additional Bike Lockers ○ Improved lighting at bus-stops ○ Water fountains/shade ○ Stricter bus drivers ○ Lessening of fines

Accessibil Accessibility ity ○ Symmetry and consistency in stops and stations ○ Tactile strips (leading to exits and elevators) ○ Easier access to information regarding stations and stops ○ Raised text that can be felt for information about stops (ie. BAY 1) ○ Auditory cues for elevator direction and boarding of light-rail ○ An increased number of handicap parking spaces

Conclusion

• These places exist in relation to the professional lives of people
• Locations must be viewed as places that facilitate the ability of

community members to engage in their everyday lives

• Recommendations will help improve the accessibility, usability,

and public perception of these areas

Access and Pedestrian Mobilities at the Swedish Edmonds Medical Campus

SP17 ANTH 454: Par6cipatory Ac6on Research Methods Caitlin Beebe, Chelsea Norris, Rosa Sanchez, Jus6n Jun, Nicole White

Goal

• How does the built environment and “feelness” of

the Swedish Edmonds medical campus stimulate or inhibit pedestrian mobilities?

Methods

• Participant Observation

Four visits over three weeks, extensive recording of pedestrian presence.

• Interviews

Two semi-structured interviews with community members.

Findings

The barriers to pedestrian use of the Swedish Edmonds Hospital area are rooted in broad concerns about safety and a lack of stimulating infrastructure.

• Feelness

– Vulnerability – Isolation

• Pedestrian Use

– Routes through the campus – Dedicated public space

• Street Safety

– Speeding – Driver alertness

Recommendations

• Expand sidewalks on 76th Avenue West, 220th Street SW, and Pacific

Highway 99 to include a green buffer between pedestrians and traffic.

• Install sidewalks on 73rd Street, and 215th Street.
• Install radar speed screens on 220th Street SW, and Pacific Highway 99.
• A dedicated public space on, or within walking distance of the medical

campus.

• A dedicated trail that connects the medical campus to a local business

such a Dick’s Drive-In.

• Revisit the Cascade Bicycle Club’s Bikeability Tour Report for infrastructure

recommendations.

Bibliography

Creatore, Maria I., et al. "Association of Neighborhood Walkability With Change in Overweight, Obesity, and Diabetes." JAMA: Journal Of The American Medical Association 315, no. 20 (May 24, 2016): 2211-2220. City of Rockville: Department of Public Works Traffic and Transportation Division (Rep.), (2011, July). Hauss, B. (2013, August 28). Bikeability Tour Report. Kroh, J. (2016, April 07). Stop Speeding in Your Neighborhood. Retrieved May 30, 2017, from http://www.hrg-inc.com/you-cant-stop-speeding-with-a-stop-sign/ Sallis, James F. 2009. "Measuring Physical Activity Environments: A Brief History." American Journal Of Preventive Medicine 36, S86-S92. Ulrich, Roger S. 2002. “Health Benefits of Gardens in Hospitals.” Plants for People: International Exhibition Floriade. Ulrich, Roger S. "View through a Window May Influence Recovery from Surgery ." Science 224,

• no. 4647 (April 27, 1984):

420-21. Zimring, C and Joseph, A and Choudhary, R (2004) The Role of the Physical Environment in the Hospital of the 21st Century: a Once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity. Concord, CA: The Center for Health Design.

Walkability of Yost Park & Five-Corner’s Roundabout

Amber Guillot, Daniel Hargrave, Melanie Hunt, Mark Luthi, Katrina Radach

Introduction & Methods Overview

• Yost Park
• Five-Corner’s Roundabout
• Online Survey & Comments
• Participant Observations
• Visual Analysis

Results- Online Survey

Results- Online Survey

Results- Online Survey

Results- Online Survey

Results- Community Highlights

Yost Park “It's a fabulous, safe to access, neighborhood park that I've enjoyed with kids of every age for almost 2 decades.” “We have loved the outdoor pool for years

• -my kids grew up doing swim team. It

is a unique and irreplaceable recreational resource for Edmonds and the surrounding community.” “My favorite experience in Edmonds has been at Yost having my 2.5 y/o son learn that water rolls downhill, that woodpeckers eat bugs, and what owls (and woodpeckers) sound like. Love this park.” Five-Corner’s Roundabout “Thank you!! It is so much better than the old intersection!” “Brilliant! Put roundabouts al down 9th/ 100th as well as other arteries! Seriously, we need more of these wonderful stoplight and stop sign killers!” “Drivers are still learning how to use this feature but it really has been a positive improvement. The lights for the cross walk are great.”

Results-Visual Analysis & Participant Observations

• The trails were a mix between well-

established trials to a muddier or less established trails.

• There was only one portable toilet

available at the park.

• The tennis courts are well lit and

useable, but some areas on the courts have “dead spots” where the balls were unable to bounce and the current lines on the court are hard to see.

• The Roundabout needs auditory

cues (sounds) to let you know when to cross.

Final Recommendations

Yost Park

• Increase & improve public

restrooms

• Address & increase safety

around the park

• Improvements to already existing

facilities

• Provide more accessible trail

maps

• Increase the number of benches

throughout the park

• Make more disability-friendly

trails Five-Corner’s Roundabout

• Increase safety for bicyclists
• Auditory cues
• Increase signage (speed limit

signs)

• Provide more general

information on how to navigate through a roundabout

Questions & Discussion

Many thanks to City of Edmonds, WA Brad Shipley, Edmonds Associate Planner Ryan Hague, Edmonds Capital Projects Manager Western Washington University David Davidson, Program Coordinator Department of Anthropology The residents of Edmonds for their time, energy and thoughts.