Mill Creek Elementary Arrival and Dismissal Analysis

What: An evaluation of arrival and dismissal patterns
When: 2023
Team: BikeWalkKC
Client: City of Lenexa and Mill Creek Elementary School
Funding: City of Lenexa

The Mill Creek Elementary Arrival/Dismissal Analysis evaluates the circulation of all modes of transportation during arrival and dismissal. For this work, BikeWalkKC assessed the patterns, behaviors, and volumes of cars, buses, walkers, and bikers. This analysis considers how these modes of transportation operate on and off school grounds.

Particular attention is given to infrastructure conditions surrounding the school to understand how the neighborhood infrastructure influences parents’ decisions to let their child walk or bike to school. BikeWalkKC worked with City of Lenexa staff members, in addition to school officials to evaluate infrastructure on and off school property.

This report started because parents brought their concerns about safety - in particular along 79th Street - to City staff members. The City of Lenexa responded with urgency and collaborated with school officials to create this report.

This report focuses primarily on how to make walking and biking a safer option for students, with improved vehicle circulation as an eventual byproduct as fewer vehicles enter the school site for arrival and dismissal. These types of changes can take more time than simply changing the circulation pattern for single car drivers; however, through a range of physical infrastructure and programming, changes are possible that improve the efficiency of traffic operations on the school site and enhance safety and comfort for students. 

Read the full plan here.