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Committee backs permanent no‑left‑turn at Encinal school pickup hours; minutes approved
Summary
The transportation committee voted to recommend making a temporary no‑left‑turn restriction at Encinal eastbound into the school parking lot permanent for drop‑off and pick‑up hours; the committee also approved prior meeting minutes with minor edits.
The Atherton Transportation Committee recommended making permanent a temporary no‑left‑turn restriction that prevents eastbound traffic on Encinal from turning left into the school parking lot during morning drop‑off and afternoon pick‑up hours. The restriction was previously installed on a temporary basis; the committee heard a staff report describing enforcement and outreach results and then voted to recommend that the Town Council adopt permanent posted hours for the restriction.
What the committee recommended: The police chief and staff recommended posting a permanent sign that prohibits left turns from eastbound Encinal into the school parking lot during morning drop‑off and afternoon pick‑up. Staff proposed the restriction hours as 7:00–9:00 a.m. and 2:00–4:00 p.m. on school days. The chief told the committee that enforcement and education accompanied the temporary sign installed in October and that the temporary restriction had substantially reduced the dangerous queueing and illegal maneuvers the town had been seeing at peak school times.
Staff description and rationale: Staff described the problem as vehicles waiting to turn left into a nearly full parking lot and creating backups that lead drivers to pass in the oncoming lane or in the bike lane. "Traffic backs up, backs up, backs up. People get frustrated so they start, crossing in the bike lane," the chief said, summarizing the safety concerns that led to the temporary restriction. Staff said the school implemented operational changes and the town provided enforcement and outreach; staff reported no collisions involving children during the trial period.
Committee action and outcome: A committee member moved to recommend the sign be made permanent and another member seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote; one member announced an abstention. Committee members discussed diversion patterns and noted that drivers must instead approach the lot from Middlefield or use alternative local routes; staff said the change had reduced conflict on Encinal but that enforcement and outreach would continue if the restriction becomes permanent.
Other formal action: The committee approved the draft minutes for the previous meeting with two requested edits: (1) add a missing attendance entry to show one member was present and (2) remove a dangling sentence on page 6 the packet. The minutes were approved by voice vote.
What happens next: Staff will prepare the permanent signage and follow up with continued enforcement and education; the committee’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Town Council for final action. Staff said they will continue to monitor neighborhood impacts and complaints and provided a separate request to produce enhanced citation-data reports for future enforcement planning.
