Location
City of Orono, Minnesota
Overview
“When I saw the proposed changes in the design phase, I really had my doubts that the relatively small changes they were proposing were going to have that big of an impact on the congestion. But whatever traffic engineer they hired, really knew their stuff, because the improvement in flow – and reduction in delays/waiting – has been dramatic!”
– Shawn Myhre, OHS parent
Solutions
Sectors
Old Crystal Bay Road was fully reconstructed from Wayzata Boulevard to 6th Avenue North to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety in and around the area. Changes were made to intersections at the Orono High School and Middle School. These intersection revisions necessitated changes to school bus routes and drop-off locations. The city wanted a video to help parents, kids, teachers, bus drivers, and others understand changes in drop-off routes, drop-off locations, and guidance for pedestrians at an intersection with a new Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon (RRFB).
Bolton & Menk created an animated video that clearly and concisely showed the new traffic routes and drop-off/pick-up procedures. The video was valuable for both the city and school. A portion of the video included an instructional element for how pedestrians and drivers should navigate an intersection with an RRFB.
By distributing the video prior to the start of the school year, the city and school provided valuable instructions to Orono residents prior to the first day of school. Traffic flow was much smoother and had fewer complications than it would have without this informative public service message.
