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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08Memorandum City of Lakeville Administration Department To: Mayor and Members of the City Council From: Allyn G. Kuennen, Assistant City Administratox . Copy: Justin Miller, City Administrator Date: January 9, 2015 Subject: Packet Material for the January 12, 2015 City Council Work Session. Agenda Item: School Road Safety Task Force Report. The School Road Safety Task Force was formed in response to concerns about the ability of students to safely drive, walk or ride bicycles to and from their schools. The City Council established a nine -member task force consisting of representatives from School Districts 192, 194, and 196; elected officials from the City of Lakeville and Dakota County; and two citizen representatives. The task force was charged with accomplishing the following tasks: 1. Consider and provide recommendations on identified road and pedestrian projects based upon determined needs. The recommendations shall be divided into road projects and pedestrian/bicycle projects due to the nature of funding sources. 2. Review existing City, County, and School information on identified issues, processes, and enforcement impacting student safety. The process included direct observation and research by each of the task force members, technical presentations by the City and Dakota County staff as well as presentations from School District 194 and Schmitty & Sons Bus Company. The attached School Road Safety Task Force Report is the result of the task force's review of this data and their discussions and analysis regarding current roadway conditions, on-site traffic flow, and pedestrian safety conditions. The City Council accepted the attached report from the task force at their July 7, 2014 meeting. The next step discussed was the coordination of a technical working group consisting of staff from the City of Lakeville, Dakota County, and School Districts 192, 194 and 196 to review and analyze the results of the study. The scope of the working group may include the following: • Research and developed potential solutions to address vehicle, pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements as identified in the report for consideration by their respective governing bodies. • Coordinate the application and management of federal, state and local funding grants whenever possible. • Consider interagency cooperation regarding transportation improvements, school district boundaries and development trends. • Coordinate as needed to address unforeseen pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle safety issues that periodically arise. Staff will be available at the January 12th City Council work session to discuss the coordination and scope of a school road safety working group. In addition, ISD 194 School Board members Judy Keliher and Jim Skelly are planning to attend the work session to participate in the discussion. If you have any questions prior to the meeting, please contact me. 2 City of Lakeville School Road Safety Task Force June 2014 Report 0 School Road Safety Task Force Report Table of Contents Introduction Task Force Members Road & Traffic Safety Review Pedestrian Safety Review Policy Review Conclusion References 3 4 5 12 18 20 21 June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 12 School Road Safety Task Force Report Introduction June 2014 The School Road Safety Task Force was formed in response to calls for safety improvements to County and City roads as well as calls to improve the ability of students to safely walk or ride bicycles to and from their schools. The task force was charged with accomplishing the following tasks: 1. Consider and provide recommendations on identified road and pedestrian projects based upon determined needs. The recommendations shall be divided into road projects and pedestrian/bicycle projects due to the nature of funding sources. 2. Review existing City, County, and school information on identified issues, processes, and enforcement impacting student safety. The process included direct observation and research by each of the task force members, technical presentation by City and Dakota County staff as well as presentations by the school districts and busing company. The information on the following pages is the result of the task force's review of this data and their discussions and analysis regarding current roadway conditions, on site traffic flow and pedestrian safety conditions. City of Lakeville Page 3 School Road Safety Task Force Report Task Force Members June 2014 The City Council established the nine member task force to consist of representatives from School Districts 192, 194, and 196; elected officials from the City of Lakeville and Dakota County and two citizen representatives: Laura Beem, School District 192 Representative Bart Davis, City of Lakeville Council Member Dave Delmonico, School District 196 Representative Brent James, Lakeville Resident Judi Keliher, District 194 School Board Member Paul Krause, Dakota County Commissioner Colleen La Beau, City of Lakeville Council Member Olivia Shoemaker, North High School Student Jim Skelly, District 194 School Board Member Support Staff: City of Lakeville: Steven C. Mielke, City Administrator Allyn G. Kuennen, Administrative Services Manager Chris Petree, Public Works Director Zach Johnson, City Engineer Jeff Long, Police Chief John Kornmann, Deputy Police Chief Dakota County: Mark Krebsbach, County Engineer Brian Sorenson, Assistant County Engineer School District 194: Michael Baumann, Business Manager Ed Nelson, Supervisor of Building and Grounds City of Lakeville Page ; 4 School Road Safety Task Force Report Roadway & Traffic Observations by School Members of the School Road Safety Task Force were placed into three groups with each group being assigned several schools to observe roadway conditions and traffic flow patterns during the morning student drop-off and afternoon pick-up. Each task force member recorded their observations and reported the following comments back to the full task force at the April 15th meeting: All Saints Catholic School • Traffic is stacking out onto Holyoke Avenue during student pickup in the PM. Century Middle School (ISD 194) • Internal site improvements should be considered to improve pedestrian safety in the parking lot. Cherry View Elementary School (ISD 194) • The school has a single entry and exit point off 175th Street that requires the mixing of bus and car traffic. • Consider adding a second access point onto Highview Avenue to provide one way traffic flow through the site. • There are no sidewalks along 176th Street and students are walking in the street to access the trails to the school. • Consider adding a sidewalk or trail along 176th Street to provide a way for students to access the trails to the school without walking in the street. Christina Huddleston Elementary School (ISD 194) • Vehicles from parents picking -up and dropping -off students back up onto Ipava Avenue. • It is difficult due to traffic volume and the proximity to the Ipava Avenue intersection for parents to take a left turn out of the east driveway onto 175th Street. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 5 School Road Safety Task Force Report Crystal Lake Education Center (ISD 194) • Difficulty exiting at the southern access point due to the lack of gaps in traffic and U- turns being made at the end of the median in Ipava Avenue by south bound vehicles. • Lack of marked pedestrian crossings along Ipava Avenue across the southern entrance. • Overflow from Hosanna Church causes conflicts at southern access point. • Are the existing signs on 165th Street (School Zone) appropriate? Eastview Elementary School (ISD 194) • It is difficult for students living in Quail Ridge development, on the west side of Ipava Avenue, to cross the street when walking to school. JFK Elementary School (ISD 194) • Currently there are crossing guards; consider a flashing red light at the intersection of 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue. • Due to previous traffic flow improvements overall traffic flow through the site is good. Kenwood Trail Middle School (ISD 194) • Kenwood trail has topographic and geographic challenges. • Consider a traffic control at 192nd Street. • Finding gaps when exiting north -bound onto Kenrick Trail is sometimes difficult. • Consider impact to school traffic with roundabout design at CR -50 and CR -60 interchange. • Lakeville North High School traffic impacts traffic volumes on Dodd Boulevard. • No impact from bussing fee. Lake Marion Elementary School (ISD 194) • The school will have pedestrian traffic walking to the site starting in the 2014-2015 school year. • Internal pedestrian traffic from school to parking lot is coordinated by an adult crossing guard. • Crosswalk and speed bumps are used to get pedestrian traffic from parking lot to school. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 6 School Road Safety Task Force Report • Bus and student traffic use separate parking areas. • School recommendations include: improve overall site flow and improve left turn into parking lot within the site. Lakeview Elementary (ISD 194) • Has heavy student pedestrian traffic. • No supervised crossing guards (kids only). • Lack of school zone and pedestrian crossing signage. • Consider installing a red flashing signal at the intersection of 205th Street and Jacquard Avenue. • Student drop-off and bus traffic is not separated at the entrance. • Consider improve parking lot traffic flow by creating one-way traffic through the site. • Consider applying for grant via the Safe Routes to School program. Lakeville Area Learning Center (ISD 194) • No traffic or roadway issues observed. Lakeville North High School (ISD 194) • Dodd Boulevard should be improved and include turn lanes at major intersections as needed. Lakeville South High School (ISD 194) • North entrance is for buses and south entrance is used for students. • There is significant queuing at the Jacquard Avenue exits. • Consider changing two-way traffic to one-way traffic in the north parking lot to improve flow of traffic and safety for pedestrian entering or exiting the school and walking through the parking lot. • Lack of trails and shoulders on 210th Street. • Difficult pedestrian crossing at 210th Street/Jacquard Avenue. • Buses finding gaps to pull out onto Jacquard Avenue during the PM is difficult due to student car traffic. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page ; 7 School Road Safety Task Force Report McGuire Middle School (ISD 194) • Turn lane improvements are needed at the Holyoke Avenue/210th Street intersection to improve traffic flow and reduce the queuing of cars. • Other internal circulation issues resolved with traffic study and revisions to on-site circulation completed a few years ago. North Trail Elementary School (ISD 192) • Traffic backs up into the parking lot at the 170th Street exit due to cars turning left/west onto 170th Street. • Drop-off traffic backs up onto 170th Street in the AM. Oak Hills Elementary School (ISD 194) • No crosswalk at Holbrook Trail and 165th Street (long walk to get to crosswalk). • Parents park along Horizon Avenue to drop-off and pick-up kids. • Horizon Avenue does not have sidewalks and the street gets very narrow in the winter time which causes issues with two way traffic and students walking in the street to access trail along 165th Street. • Local residents have voiced concerns regarding parents parking on their street. Orchard Lake Elementary School (ISD 194) • Parent cars backing up onto Klamath Trail — north and south bound. • With only one access point for student drop-off and pick-up there is a lot of bus/car/pedestrian conflicts. • Parents drop off kids in parking lot and students then have to navigate through parking lot traffic to get to the entrance of the school. Parkview Elementary School (ISD 196) • Traffic volumes at the intersection of Gerdine Path and Foliage Avenue make it difficult for pedestrians to cross the street. • Busses, parent cars, special education buses and daycare vans and buses all interact within the site and make it difficult for pedestrians to access the school. • Parents park cars unattended in the parking lot along curb hindering traffic flow. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 18 School Road Safety Task Force Report Prioritization of Roadway & Traffic Issues After the members of the task force reported their observations they were asked to prioritize the most significant roadway and traffic issues that need to be addressed. At the May 6th meeting, the task force recommended the City of Lakeville, Dakota County and School Districts collaborate as needed to develop and implement solutions to address the identified issues. The following is the final list of roadway and traffic safety issues as prioritized by the task force at the May 6th meeting: 1. Lakeville North High School (ISD 194) - Dodd Boulevard (CSAH 9) from 185th Street to 194th Street should be improved and include turn lanes at major intersections as needed. (11 votes) Comment: The task force recommends Dakota County, the City of Lakeville and School District 194 consider interim safety measures along Dodd Boulevard to improve traffic flow and access restrictions to Lakeville North High School student parking lot prior to Winter 2014-2015 or until Dodd Boulevard is fully improved. 2. Orchard Lake Elementary (ISD 194) — traffic stacks out onto Klamath Trail for north and south bound traffic during drop-off and pick-up. (7 votes) 3. Oak Hills Elementary (ISD 194) -no crosswalk at Holbrook and 165th Street (long walk to get to crosswalk); Horizon Avenue does not have sidewalks and the street gets very narrow in the winter time which causes issues with two way traffic and students walking in the street; parents park along Horizon Boulevard to drop-off and pick-up kids. (6 votes) 4. Lakeville South High School (ISD 194) - needs trails/shoulder along 210th Street and an improved pedestrian crossing at 210th Street and Jacquard Avenue. (5 votes) 5. All Saints Catholic School — traffic stacks onto Holyoke Avenue during afternoon pick-up. (5 votes) 6. Kenwood Trail Middle School (ISD 194) - very difficult for pedestrians to cross at the intersection of Kenwood Trail and 192nd Street. (4 votes) 7. McGuire Middle School (ISD 194) — improvements are needed to Holyoke Avenue and a left turn lanes at Holyoke and 210th Street. (3 votes) 8. JFK Elementary (ISD 194) —flashing red signal at 210th Street and Holyoke. (3 votes) June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 19 School Road Safety Task Force Report 9. North Trail Elementary (ISD 192) — traffic stacks back into parking lot when trying to turn left out of the parking lot onto 170th Street. (2 votes) 10. All school sites in general should improve internal parking lot traffic flow in an effort to separate bus and car traffic as much as possible. (2 votes) 11. Cherry View Elementary (ISD 194) - the school has a single entry and exit point off 175th Street that requires the mixing of bus and car traffic; consider adding a second access point onto Highview Avenue to provide one way traffic flow through the site. (2 votes) 12. Parkview Elementary (ISD 196) — traffic volumes and speed at the intersection of Gerdine Path and Foliage Avenue is an issue. (1 vote) 13. Christina Huddleston Elementary (ISD 194) - it is difficult due to traffic volume and the proximity to the Ipava Avenue intersection for parents to take a left turn out of the east driveway onto 175th Street. (1 vote) June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 10 School Road Safety Task Force Report Roadway & Traffic Recurring Themes The following is a list of recurring issues or themes as recognized by the task force while reviewing the Roadway & Traffic Observations list for each school: 1. Drop-off and pick-up queue onto the streets adjacent to the schools. 2. Lack of sidewalks/trails for students to get to the school and the lack of sidewalks or designated pedestrian ways for students to use from the street to the entrance of the school. 3. Lack of turn lanes at high volume intersections (i.e. 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue). 4. Vehicles making left turns out of the parking lots are causing traffic to queue back into school sites. 5. Lack of crosswalks at busy intersections. 6. Road width and capacity issues. 7. Many schools have a single entry and exit point mixing pedestrians with two way bus and car traffic. 8. Some intersections near school zones lack a flashing red light. 9. Inconsistencies among the school sites regarding how vehicles, buses and pedestrians are to access and move through each site. 10. School speed zones need to be more visible and better designated. 11. Pedestrian crossing lights within school zones. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 111 School Road Safety Task Force Report Pedestrian Observations by School Members of the School Road Safety Task Force were placed into three groups with each group being assigned several schools to observe pedestrian movements during the morning student drop-off and afternoon pick-up. Each task force member recorded their observations and reported the following comments back to the full task force at the May 6th meeting: All Saints Catholic School • Need marked, visible crosswalk locations across Holyoke Avenue at future street intersections when property on the east side of Holyoke Avenue develops. Century Middle School (ISD 194) • Lack of internal sidewalk connections increases vehicle/pedestrian conflicts. • Lack of a trail along 185th Street west of Ipava Avenue. Cherry View Elementary School (ISD 194) • There is no sidewalk along 176th Street and students are walking in the street to access the trails to the school. • No trail connections between existing trails within the Stonebrooke neighborhood. Christina Huddleston Elementary School (ISD 194) • No pedestrian issues observed. Crystal Lake Education Center (ISD 194) • Lack of marked pedestrian crossings along Ipava Avenue across the southern entrance. • Need safe, visible, marked crosswalks along Ipava Avenue. • Consider enhance crosswalk markings, HAWK Systems, etc. Eastview Elementary School (ISD 194) • It is difficult for students living in the Quail Ridge development, on the west side of Ipava Avenue, to cross the street when walking to school. • Improvements should be considered to enhance awareness of the existing crosswalks at 178th Street and 183`d Street. John F. Kennedy Elementary School (ISD 194) • Need trail crossing, safe, marked visible at 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue. Currently there are crossing guards; consider a flashing red light or other method at this intersection of 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue to make the crossing more visible. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 12 School Road Safety Task Force Report Kenwood Trail Middle School (ISD 194) • Difficult for pedestrians to cross at the intersection of Kenwood Trail and 192nd Street. Lake Marion Elementary School (ISD 194) • The school will have pedestrian traffic walking to the site starting in the 2014-2015 school year. • Internal pedestrian traffic from school to parking lot is coordinated by an adult crossing guard. • Crosswalks and speed bumps are used to slow traffic to provide a safer route for pedestrians to walk from the parking lot to the school entrance. • Improved visibility of school zone or cross walk pavement markings or signage is needed at cross walk locations along Ipava Avenue and Dodd Boulevard. • A connection should be made from the trail along Ipava Avenue to the trail on the school's property. Lakeview Elementary School (ISD 94) • Has heavy student pedestrian traffic. • No supervised crossing guards (kids only). • Lack of school zone and pedestrian crossing signage. • Consider applying for grant via the Safe Routes to School program. • Need crosswalk and school zone signage along pedestrian routes. Lakeville Area Learning Center (ISD 194) • No pedestrian issues observed. Lakeville North High School (ISD 194) • No pedestrian issues observed. Lakeville South High School (ISD 194) • Consider changing two-way traffic to one-way traffic in the north parking lot to improve flow of traffic and safety for pedestrian entering or exiting the school and walking through the parking lot. • Lack of trails and shoulders on 210th Street from Jury Court to Holyoke Ave. • Difficult pedestrian crossing at the intersection of 210th Street and Jacquard Avenue. • Lack of trails on Dodd Boulevard from 208th Street to 210th Street. • The school uses a three lane one way student pick-up and drop-off area to circulate parent traffic through the site. McGuire Middle School (ISD 194) • Need marked, visible crossings at the intersection of 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue. • A trail is needed along 210th Street. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 13 School Road Safety Task Force Report North Trail Elementary School (ISD 192) • The school has good pedestrian access. • Maybe consider a crosswalk at the intersection of 170th Street and Embers Avenue, west of Pilot Knob Road (CSAH 31). Oak Hills Elementary School (ISD 194) • No crosswalk at Holbrook Trail and 165th Street (long walk to get to crosswalk). • Parents park along Horizon Avenue to drop-off and pick-up kids. • Horizon Avenue does not have sidewalks and the street gets very narrow in the winter which causes issues with two way traffic and students walking in the street to access the trail along 165th Street. • A crosswalk is needed at Horizon Avenue south of 165th Street. • There is car/bus traffic bottleneck when exiting and entering the site at the access points along 165th Street. Orchard Lake Elementary School (ISD 194) • With only one access point for student drop-off and pick-up there is a lot of bus/car/pedestrian conflicts. • Parents drop off kids in parking lot and students then have to navigate through parking lot traffic to get to the entrance of the school. • Crosswalks are needed at the intersection of Klamath Terrace and Klamath Court. Parkview Elementary School (ISD 196) • Traffic volumes at the intersection of Gerdine Path and Foliage Avenue make it difficult for pedestrians to cross the street. • Busses, parent cars, special education buses and daycare vans and buses all interact within the site and make it difficult for pedestrians to access the school. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 114 School Road Safety Task Force Report Prioritization of Pedestrian Issues After the members of the task force reported their observations regarding pedestrian movements they were asked to prioritize the most significant issues that need to be addressed. At the May 20th meeting, the task force recommended the City of Lakeville, Dakota County and School Districts collaborate as needed to develop and implement solutions to address the identified issues. The following is the final list of pedestrian safety issues as prioritized by the task force at the May 20th meeting: 1. Lakeville South High School (ISD 194) - lack of trails and shoulders on 210th Street from Jury Court to Holyoke Avenue. (8 votes) 2. Eastview Elementary School (ISD 194) - it is difficult for students living in the Quail Ridge development, on the west side of Ipava Avenue, to cross the street when walking to school. Improvements should be considered to enhance awareness of the existing crosswalks at 178th Street and 183rd Street. (7 votes) 3. Oak Hills Elementary School (ISD 194) - a crosswalk is needed at Horizon Avenue, south of 165th Street. (7 votes) 4. Cherry View Elementary School (ISD 194) - there is no sidewalk along 176th Street and students are walking in the street to access the trails to the school; no trail connections between existing trails within the Stonebrooke neighborhood. (5 votes) 5. Kenwood Trail Middle School (ISD 194) - very difficult for pedestrians to cross at the intersection of Kenwood Trail and 192nd Street. (4 votes) 6. Lake Marion Elementary School (ISD 194) - improved visibility of school zone or cross walk pavement markings or signage is needed at crosswalk locations on Ipava Avenue and Dodd Boulevard. (4 votes) 7. Lakeville South High School (ISD 194) - difficult pedestrian crossing at the intersection of 210th Street and Jacquard Avenue. (2 votes) June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 115 School Road Safety Task Force Report 8. All Saints Catholic School - need marked, visible crosswalk locations across Holyoke Avenue at future street intersections when property on the east side of Holyoke Avenue develops. (1 vote) 9. John F. Kennedy Elementary School (ISD 194) - need trail crossing, safe, marked visible at 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue. Currently there are crossing guards; consider a flashing red light or other method at this intersection of 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue to make the crossing more visible. (1 vote) 10. McGuire Middle School (ISD 194) - need marked, visible crossings at the intersection of 210th Street and Holyoke Avenue. (1 vote) June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 116 School Road Safety Task Force Report Pedestrian Recurring Themes The following is a list of recurring issues or themes as recognized by the task force while reviewing the Pedestrian Observations list for each school: 1. Lack of sidewalks or trails for students to get to the school and the lack of sidewalks or designated pedestrian ways for students to use from the street to the entrance of the school. 2. Review crosswalk effectiveness within school zones. 3. Many schools have a single entry and exit point mixing pedestrians with two way bus and car traffic. 4. Some four-way stop intersections near school zones should be evaluated for the need for pedestrian activated crosswalk signal technology. 5. Inconsistencies among the school sites regarding how vehicles, buses and pedestrians are to access and move through each site. 6. School speed zones need to be more visible and better designated. 7. Pedestrian crossing lights within school zones. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 117 School Road Safety Task Force Report Policy Review - Roadway, Traffic Flow and Pedestrian Issues After the task force reviewed the roadway, traffic and pedestrian data that was collected and discussed at the previous task force meetings in April the following policy issues were discussed at the May 20th task force meeting with the top four being indicated as the most important: 1. Directions or a written policy should be developed that standardizes how traffic and pedestrians flow through each school site during student pick-up and drop-off which is consistently utilized within each school and district. (5 votes) 2. Each school should consider training a group of staff members or adult volunteers to be traffic control officers responsible for directing and managing vehicle and pedestrian traffic during student pick-up and drop-off. (3 votes) 3. Any traffic or pedestrian safety issues should be reviewed collaboratively by the school district, City and County staff to determine the best solution. (3 votes) 4. School districts should consider additional communication with parents including traffic safety reminders, education regarding on-site circulation for student pick-up and drop- off and courteous driving techniques. Communication and reminders to parents should be an on-going effort and continue throughout the school year. (2 votes) 5. Mid -block pedestrian crossings should be avoided unless it can be proven to be effective and safely designed with consideration given to utilizing some type of signalized awareness system. 6. Clarifications should be adopted to better define the regulations pertaining to school speed zones including public education and awareness. 7. School speed zones should be evaluated to determine if improvements are needed regarding additional signage, pavement markings, signalization, etc. to improve driver awareness. 8. Schools with single entry/exit points should be evaluated to determine if traffic and pedestrian flow through the site can be improved with the construction of a second access. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 118 School Road Safety Task Force Report 9. School District 194 should study if the volume of student drop-off and pick-up traffic can be reduced at their schools by revising the current "pay for service" busing policy. 10. Any school boundary changes by the school districts should include calibration with the City, County and bus company. 11. An emphasis should be given to educating the public regarding distracted driving, school zone awareness and pedestrian safety at crosswalks. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 119 School Road Safety Task Force Report Conclusions For the past three months, the task force worked to gather data, analyze each school site, adjacent road conditions and on site traffic flow to develop a better understanding of current road and pedestrian safety issues. Through this effort, the task force has provided input on both policy and project improvements as a guide in the planning efforts of the City, County and school districts to improve current roadway conditions, traffic flow and pedestrian safety conditions in and around each school site. June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 120 School Road Safety Task Force Report References All Report References Can Be Found At: www.lakevillemn.gov 1. List of Schools Within the City of Lakeville 2. List of School That Use Crossing Guard 3. Written Comments Received From the Public 4. Elementary School Aerial Photos 5. Middle School Aerial Photos 6. High School Aerial Photos 7. Roadway Functional Classification Map 8. Lakeville Area School Districts Map 9. Elementary Schools Attendance Areas 10. Middle Schools Attendance Areas 11. High Schools Attendance Areas 12. Traffic Volume Map 13. 2014-2018 Transportation Capital Improvements Plan (as of January 2014) 14. Safe Routes To Schools Grant Application (November 2007) 15. Safe Routes To Schools Plan (May 2009) June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 121 School Road Safety Task Force Report June 2014 City of Lakeville Page 122