Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Traffic Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Orinda council approves no-parking rule on Monte Vista with caveats for loading and pedestrian review
Summary
City Council adopted Traffic Order 235 to prohibit parking on two sight‑limited segments of Monte Vista Road, directing staff to refer pedestrian‑safety measures to the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee and to explore limited stopping/loading exceptions.
The Orinda City Council on March 18 approved Traffic Order 235, restricting parking on two sight‑limited stretches of Monte Vista Road, and directed staff to fast‑track pedestrian‑safety review and explore limited stopping or loading exceptions off red‑flag evacuation days.
Council members voted unanimously to adopt the order after a staff presentation that said parked vehicles on the 20‑foot roadway can encroach into the travel lane and force vehicles into oncoming traffic at two curves. The council added two explicit directions: refer pedestrian‑safety improvements to the Traffic Safety Advisory Committee (TSAC) for prompt study, and give staff discretion to develop a limited “stopping” or permit process to accommodate short‑term deliveries and similar needs while maintaining evacuation‑route restrictions.
Staff recounted prior monitoring and warnings dating to 2019 and renewed complaints in 2022. City engineering staff said a traffic engineer’s study found constrained sight distance at the two curve locations and that parked vehicles could create a significant hazard, particularly where a driveway at 15 Monte Vista lacks sight lines to downhill traffic. The city noted Monte Vista is also designated as an evacuation route and carries red‑flag parking restrictions during elevated fire risk.
Two residents who live near the affected stretches told the council the proposal would increase pedestrian risk by removing a physical cue that slows drivers. One resident, Connie Che of 15 Monte Vista Road, said parking in front of her home is rarely used and warned that removing it would eliminate one factor that tends to slow drivers. Another speaker, Carol Alvord, said six households share limited delivery access at a small curve and asked the council to preserve a parking allowance there for deliveries.
Council members discussed the tradeoffs between vehicle and pedestrian safety, and several said they preferred traffic‑calming measures designed explicitly to slow speeds rather than relying on irregular parking as a de facto deterrent. Council members asked staff to explore physical traffic‑calming and other measures (mirrors, speed cushions, sidewalks) with TSAC and to return recommendations.
The adopted action reads Traffic Order 235 with the council modification that (a) staff will refer pedestrian‑safety solutions to TSAC for expedited review and (b) staff has delegated authority to develop limited stopping/loading protocols or special permits for non‑red‑flag days so short‑term deliveries or moving trucks can be accommodated without undermining evacuation day prohibitions. The council also retained the ability to require a special permit on a case‑by‑case basis for oversized moving vehicles or similar exceptions.
The council vote was unanimous. Staff said enforcement history included warnings rather than citations and that the city will pursue outreach to the neighborhood and follow up through TSAC.
The city attorney confirmed members of the public could be asked clarifying questions during the meeting but are not required to answer them.
Traffic Order 235 takes effect as posted; staff will return to TSAC with pedestrian‑safety options and draft language for a stopping/loading exception and will report back to the council with implementation details and any recommended administrative rules.
