City staff briefed the council on traffic flow during the first week of school at the middle school, reporting initial congestion that eased after outreach and informal enforcement.

The city engineer said drivers were using the through lane instead of moving into the bike lane to queue, which backed traffic up on the first morning. Staff ran a social-media reminder and signage and reported “by afternoon, it was flowing better.” He said buses and crossing guards continue to create predictable backups at dismissal, which staff is monitoring.

The police chief relayed that no crashes had been reported in the area during the first week, and councilmembers discussed increased police presence during peak drop-off and pick-up times to discourage unsafe passing maneuvers. One councilmember noted an observed illegal passing incident and suggested more enforcement while drivers acclimate to the new configuration.

Councilmembers urged continued education and asked staff to provide a follow-up clarifying the code on using bike lanes for queuing near intersections and where merging is permitted. Staff said the city code contains rules about merging and parking in bike lanes and agreed to provide a follow-up.

Council discussion also included neighborhood feedback: some residents said the change reduced speeds and improved safety near a crosswalk, while others (notably residents on Roseland Drive) reported construction access issues that staff is addressing separately.