HomeMy WebLinkAbout15 - Eastbluff School TrafficDecember 13, 1999
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA
ITEM NO. 15
TO: Mayor And Members Of The City Council
FROM: Public Works Department
SUBJECT: EASTBLUFF SCHOOL TRAFFIC
RECOMMENDATION:
Direct staff to continue working with the Eastbluff School community to develop a
"Suggested Routes to School" program.
DISCUSSION:
Eastbluff School reopened as a public elementary school this past September after
being used for a variety of other purposes for many years. Staff received a number of
phone calls from concerned parents and other members of the school community
expressing concerns for student safety and requesting a variety of additional items
including marked crosswalks, crossing guards and signage.
Prior to the start of school, the Public Works Department completed a thorough review
of the area around the school. Work Orders were issued and the General Services
Department installed additional signs as required by State guidelines. In addition,
Traffic Engineering Staff met with School District Personnel to discuss traffic flow
through the parking lot and on the surrounding streets. It was determined that the
proper step would be to take counts and make observations shortly after school began
in order to correctly identify the routes and means of travel used by the students and
any problem they were having in getting to and from school safely.
Staff has been to the school numerous times and counted students walking and
bicycling to school. The counts were primarily taken to evaluate the need for crossing
guards. The City uses standardized criteria for determining those locations where the
number of students and cars justify the deployment of a crossing guard. The counts
indicated that there was not a concentration of students at any one crossing that would
meet the criteria for a crossing guard.
The observations of the school area and the surrounding streets did lead to the
conclusion there is a wide variety in the walking and bicycling routes used. It is
advantageous, from a safety standpoint, for specific routes known as "Suggested
Routes to School" to be developed and students be encouraged to use those particular
routes. This program leads to larger groups using the same route, which makes the
students more visible, and drivers also become accustomed to the locations where
students are likely to be crossing the street.
SUBJECT: Eastbluff School Traffic
December 13, 1999
Page 2
With the assistance of Councilmember Adams, a meeting was scheduled during the
week of December 6th with representatives of the PTA, concerned parents and the
school principal to begin the process of implementing a "Suggested Routes to School"
program for Eastbluff School. Staff is prepared to provide a verbal status report, if
desired, at the Council meeting.
Once the "Suggested Routes" have been identified by working with the school
community, staff will add additional signage and crosswalks to make sure these routes
are as safe as reasonably possible. It will be the school's responsibility to prepare
maps of the routes and communicate this information to the students and their parents.
The Auto Club of Southern California has a student safety program and has published
a number of pamphlets that will be helpful in educating students and their families on
the benefits of using the "Suggested Routes" and other safe behaviors.
Staff believes the "Suggested Routes to School" program is the most effective way to
involve the school community in the decision on where students should walk and bike.
It also provides a formal method for reviewing student safety as well as the on -going
education of students and their families.
Respectfully submitted,
�l OIL
Don Webb
Public Works Director
By:
Ric rd M. Edmonston
Transportation & Development Services Manager
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