Richfield City staff outline 'school street' pilot to close curbside during arrival and dismissal

Richfield City staff on Sept. 23 described a "school street" concept at a City Council work session that would temporarily close a street during school arrival and dismissal to keep children away from moving vehicles.

A City staff member told the council that the concept "is that you close down the street during arrival and dismiss all automobile traffic," presenting the idea as a short-term, school-supported measure to let children walk to school along a block without vehicle traffic.

The staff member said the city has used the utility fund to pay for portions of local projects in the past and proposed providing flexible policy language to govern the pilot. "I put together this language, for your Okay," the staff member said, and asked a colleague to review and summarize it by email. The staff member said that if concerns arise, the item would be brought back to the council for further discussion.

City staff framed the proposal as a partnership with schools and caregivers to manage arrival and dismissal times, describing it as a temporary closure for pedestrian safety rather than a permanent street change. No formal motion or vote was recorded in the transcript of the work session.

Next steps described during the session included a staff review of the draft language (the staff member asked "Jane" to review and provide more facts and an email summary) and returning the item to the council if objections surfaced. The transcript did not specify which school, which street, or a proposed start date for a pilot, nor did it include a formal cost estimate for the measure. The council did not take formal action on the item during the work session.