24-100687-School Access Analysis-02.22.241/11
DASH POINT PALISADES
SCHOOL ACCESS ANALYSIS
Dash Point Palisades is a proposed subdivision in the City of Federal Way. The proposal includes the
development of Parcels #1021039016, 1021039001 and 1021039040 into 13 single family residential
lots, with future student residents attending Twin Lakes Elementary School, Lakota Middle School and
Decatur High School.
Pursuant to the School Districts Business Services School Access Analysis hand-out, the purpose of this
analysis is to generally determine the following:
• School location
• Description of sidewalks, pedestrian paths and shoulders including:
➢ condition and width of shoulder and sidewalks;
➢ whether shoulders are paved, gravel or grass, or non-existent;
➢ whether sidewalks and pathways are immediately adjacent to the traffic lanes or are
separated by a planting strip or other means from moving traffic; and
➢ the location of drainage or irrigation ditches.
• Location of all crosswalks, including type of crossing protection offered;
• Medians, pedestrian refuge islands and other pedestrian safety features;
• Posted speed limits and warning signs, especially all 20-mph school speed limit zones;
• All stop and yield signs;
• Traffic signals including presence of marked crosswalks and pedestrian signal indication.
• Traffic signal timing and phasing for pedestrian crossing.
• Major sight line obstructions as measured from the height of children.
• Bicycle lanes or paths.
• Other relevant pedestrian safety factors observed.
Project Site Info
Parcel Numbers: 1021039016, 1021039001 & 1021039040
Address: 5101 SW 316th Place, Federal Way, WA 98023
2/11
REPORT SOURCES
• Google Maps - https://www.google.com/maps
• Federal Way School District Website - http://www5.kingcounty.gov/FWSD/schoollookup.htm
• School District Bus Search Tool:
https://busstop.fwps.org/elinkrp/Students/BasicTransBoundarySearch.aspx
• King County IMap and the Twin Lakes Elementary School, Lakota Middle School and Decatur
High School websites.
WALKING ROUTE INFORMATION
Twin Lakes Elementary School
• Website: https://twinlakes.fwps.org/
• Address: 4400 SW 320th St., Federal Way, WA 98023
• Distance from proposed site: Approximately 1.2 miles (Via ROW Network)
Figure 2 (School District Map; Orange Star = School Location Red Rectangle = Project Site)
Figure 1 (Project Site in Red; King County GIS)
3/11
The proposed development site is not located within a School District identified “Suggested Safe
Walking Route” (per https://www.fwps.org/departments/transportation/walking-routes). See the
school district walking route map below.
Figure 3 (Google Maps Pedestrian Route From Project Site to Twin Lakes Elementary)
4/11
Since the elementry school is more than 1 mile away from the site, it is not practical for students to walk
to school. As such the School District provides bus service from the project site to Twin Lakes Elementry
School, Route TWL 002 or TWL 302, at the existing bus stop located at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl,
which is at the north end of the project site.
WALKING ROUTE: The student walking route to the existing school bus stop, which is located at the
northern most portion of the site, is approximalty 270 feet northeast from the proposed intersection of
the new internal road and SW 316th Place. Students will walk north along the new internal project
sidewalk(s) (25 MPH road, no bike lane), turn right (northeast) on SW 316th Place (25 MPH road, no bike
lane) along the new frontage sidewalks to its furthest point north and then ~80 feet along the very wide
shoulder to the bus stop located on the shoulder, which will now be located at the intersection of SW
314th St and SW 316th Pl with the proposed relocation of the 51st Ave SW connection to SW 316th Pl.
Lakota Middle School
• Website: https://lakota.fwps.org/
• Address: 1415 SW 314th Street, Federal Way WA 98023
• Distance from proposed site: Approximately 3.3 miles (Via ROW Network)
Figure 4 (School District Map; Orange Star = School Location Red Rectangle = Project Site)
Figure 5 (Google Maps Pedestrian Route From Project Site to School)
5/11
The proposed development site is not located within a School District identified “Suggested Safe
Walking Route” (per https://www.fwps.org/departments/transportation/walking-routes). See the
school district walking route map below.
Since the middle school is more than 3 ¼ miles away from the site, it is not practical for students to walk
to school. As such the School District provides bus service from the project site to Lakota Middle School,
Route LAK 001 or LAK 301, at the existing bus stop located at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl, which is at
the north end of the project site.
WALKING ROUTE: The student walking route to the existing school bus stop, which is located at the
northern most portion of the site, is approximalty 270 feet northeast from the proposed intersection of
the new internal road and SW 316th Place. Students will walk north along the new internal project
sidewalk(s) (25 MPH road, no bike lane), turn right (northeast) on SW 316th Place (25 MPH road, no bike
lane) along the new frontage sidewalks to its furthest point north and then ~80 feet along the very wide
shoulder to the bus stop located on the shoulder, which will now be located at the intersection of SW
314th St and SW 316th Pl with the proposed relocation of the 51st Ave SW connection to SW 316th Pl.
Decatur High School
• Website: https://dhs.fwps.org/
• Address: 2800 S.W. 320th Street, Federal Way WA 98023
• Walking Distance from Proposed Site: Approximately 2.3 miles (Via ROW Network)
6/11
The proposed development site is not located within a School District identified “Suggested Safe
Walking Route” (per https://www.fwps.org/departments/transportation/walking-routes). See the
school district walking route map on the following page.
Figure 6 (School District Map; Orange Star = School Location Red Square = Project Site)
Figure 7 (Google Maps Pedestrian Route From Project Site to School)
7/11
Since the high school is more than 2 ¼ miles miles away from the site, it is not practical for students to
walk to school. The School District provides bus service from the project site to Decatur High School,
Route DHS 001 or DHS 301, at the existing bus stop located at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl, which is at
the north end of the project site.
WALKING ROUTE: The student walking route to the existing school bus stop, which is located at the
northern most portion of the site, is approximalty 270 feet northeast from the proposed intersection of
the new internal road and SW 316th Place. Students will walk north along the new internal project
sidewalk(s) (25 MPH road, no bike lane), turn right (northeast) on SW 316th Place (25 MPH road, no bike
lane) along the new frontage sidewalks to its furthest point north and then ~80 feet along the very wide
shoulder to the bus stop located on the shoulder, which will now be located at the intersection of SW
314th St and SW 316th Pl with the proposed relocation of the 51st Ave SW connection to SW 316th Pl.
EXISTING BUS STOP LOCATION
The site is served by an existing school district bus stop location at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl, serving
the elementry, middle school and high school. The following are existing bus stop service details:
SOUTH VIEW - Existing 51st Avenue SW and SW 314th Place Bus Stop Location – depicting the
proposed removal and relocation of the 51st Ave SW connection to SW 316th Place
Remove & Relocate
8/11
EXISTING TWIN LAKES ELEMENTRY SCHOOL BUS STOP:
The School District provides bus service from the project site to Twin Lake Elementry School, Route TWL
002 or TWL 302, at the existing bus stop located at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl, which is at the north
end of the project site.
NORTH VIEW - Existing 51st Avenue SW and SW 314th Place Bus Stop Location – depicting the
proposed removal and relocation of the 51st Ave SW connection to SW 316th Place
Remove & Relocate
9/11
EXISTING LAKOTA MIDDLE SCHOOL BUS STOP:
The School District provides bus service from the project site to Lakota Middle School, Route LAK 001 or
LAK 301, at the existing bus stop located at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl, which is at the north end of the
project site.
10/11
EXISTING DECATUR HIGH SCHOOL BUS STOP:
The School District provides bus service from the project site to Decatur High School, Route DHS 001 or
DHS 301, at the existing bus stop located at 51st Ave SW and SW 314th Pl, which is at the north end of the
project site.
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SUMMARY FINDINGS
Determination of how student residents will get to and from school:
Student transportation to and from the area elementary, middle and high schools will be provided by
existing School District Bus Services bus routes. The school District has established a bus stop for all
three schools at the intersection of 51st Avenue SW and SW 314th Place, which is at the northern most
end of the project site. The project proposal anticipates the development of internal project sidewalks
and frontage sidewalk improvements along SW 316th Place, which will facilitate students walking to and
from the existing school bus stop. The elementary school is ~1.2 miles walking distance from the
project; the middle school is ~3.3 miles and the high school is ~2.3 miles walking distance away. The
school district has reviewed this neighborhood area and has determined it is not be within safe walking
distance of any of the three schools (see the above school district safe “Walk Routes” maps).
Determination of the need for additional bus stop locations:
Since the School District has an existing school bus stop at the intersection of 51st Avenue SW and SW
314th Place, which serves Twin Lakes Elementary School, Lakota Middle School and Decatur High School,
no additional bus stop locations are currently anticipated to serve the project.
Safety and Improvements:
Consistent with the need to provide safe walking conditions of students, the applicant will be developing
internal project sidewalks and frontage sidewalk improvements along SW 316th Place that will facilitate
students walking to and from the existing school bus stop located at the north end of the project site, at
the intersection of SW 316st Place and SW 314th Place (the same location, previously identified as 51st
Avenue SW and SW 314th Place). See Figure 8 below.
Figure 8 (Proposed New Pedestrian Pathways in Support of Safe Student
Movement to the Exiting School Bus Stop)