Madison Elementary

School District

Fargo Public School District #1

Grades

Kindergarten through 5

Average Enrollment:

135 students

Arrival is 8:40 AM

Dismissal is 3:02 PM

Existing Conditions

Madison Elementary is a Kindergarten through 5th grade school in the Fargo Public School District. It is located approximately two miles northwest of Downtown Fargo in the city’s Madison/Unicorn Park Neighborhood. The neighborhood primarily consists of industrial and residential land uses. Within the Madison boundaries, per capita income is significantly less than the district average, as well as, the median household income. Over three-quarters of Madison’s students are eligible for free and reduced lunch program. Approximately 17 percent of students participate in English Language Learners programs.

The Madison school facility was constructed in 1957. The Madison campus is bound by a drainage channel to the west, 11th Avenue N to the north, 29th Street N to the east, and 10th Avenue N to the south. The school is near some medium and high traffic volume roadways; however, most students do not
need to cross these streets to get to school.

Within the neighborhood, sidewalks are present on both sides of most streets. Sidewalk gaps include the west side and south sides of 11th Avenue N between 12th Avenue N and 29th Street N. This includes a sidewalk gap along the north side of the school property. High visibility crosswalk markings are located on 29th Street N at 10th Avenue N and 11th Avenue N. A school speed zone is located on 29th Street N from Madison Avenue N to south of 10th Avenue N.

On the north side of school, there is no curb separating the sidewalk along the building from the parking lot and drive aisle. This allows drivers to encroach on the pedestrian space and creates visibility and safety issues for students walking and biking, especially during winter months.

Observed Circulation & Challenges

The Madison Elementary campus includes a parking lot that is used by parents, caregivers, and buses. There is no clear delineation between where each type of user can or should be, which creates conflicts. The pedestrian route along the west and south side of the parking lot is not separated by a vertical curb, further creating conflict points for pedestrians and drivers.

There are opportunities for curb extensions at the intersection of 29th Street N/11th Avenue N and 29th Street N/10th Avenue N intersections to reduce crossing distances and encourage slower driving speeds.

West of the school, Madison Park includes a bicycle playground. This may be an opportunity to create a traffic garden to teach students how to safely ride their bikes. Additional lighting along the path through Madison Park could improve pedestrian safety and comfort for path users, especially during fall, winter, and spring when daylight hours are limited.

Reliable winter maintenance where the pedestrian bridge connects to the mobile home park was reported as a challenge by caregivers and school staff. The direct connection from the mobile home park to campus is sometimes inaccessible in winter months due to snow and ice.

Opportunities for Improvement

The pedestrian bridge to the mobile home park east of Madison Elementary is a great asset for walking and biking. That connection should be preserved and upgraded to make walking and biking to Madison from the west more comfortable and inviting. Widening the bridge may also help address snow clearance challenges by making it possible for winter maintenance vehicles to traverse the bridge. A coordinated effort and discussion between the City of Fargo, Fargo Park District, and Fargo Public Schools should occur to ensure safe student bicycling and walking conditions to and from school, west of the drain during all seasons.

The other high impact opportunity at Madison Elementary is to better delineate space for pedestrians, private vehicle traffic, and bus traffic in the school parking lot. Improvements may include installing a raised sidewalk for pedestrians and modifying school transportation procedures to separate parent traffic from bus traffic. Buses, for example, may be redirected to the pull-out on 29th Street N.

Suggested Safe Route To School

This map was designed to illustrate suggested routes to school for students based on existing infrastructure. Metro COG is not liable for anyone that uses this map.

Last Updated: February 2020