Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Safe Routes topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission recommends Safe Routes to School plan for Kelly Elementary
Summary
The commission voted to recommend that City Council direct the city manager to develop a Safe Routes to School plan for Kelly Elementary. Staff cited near‑term measures (a restriped median to discourage left turns and a roughly 170‑foot no‑park queuing lane) and longer‑term corridor options to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety.
The Traffic Safety & Mobility Commission voted to recommend that City Council direct the city manager to develop a Safe Routes to School plan for Kelly Elementary School, a planning step staff said will produce near‑ and long‑term safety and mobility improvements around the school.
Tom Frank, transportation director and city engineer, presented two near‑term measures staff recommends regardless of a longer plan: restriping the existing median to discourage left turns from the school exit driveway, and implementing a roughly 170‑foot no‑parking zone to create a queuing lane with right‑turn arrows. Frank said those near‑term changes aim to reduce left‑turn maneuvers that contribute to congestion and conflict during drop‑off and pick‑up.
“We recommend the city council direct the city manager to develop a Safe Routes to School plan for Kelly Elementary School,” Frank said. He explained that a community‑driven Safe Routes process would allow staff to combine infrastructure upgrades, education and stakeholder coordination and that a well‑vetted plan is more likely to earn broad public support.
Staff also presented a set of possible corridor improvements that could be considered in a plan or as a limited package: relocating the mid‑block crosswalk south of the school exit driveway to reduce vehicle backup, restriping to meet City standards, adding class 2 bike lanes on Park Drive, evaluating always‑stop controls at selected intersections, assessing parking near Laguna Riviera Park, evaluating traffic calming on Park Drive and constructing a class 1 shared pedestrian/bike path on the south side of Park Drive from Kelly Drive to Neplena Drive.
Commissioners asked about enforcement and physical measures (bollards, cones) to discourage left turns; Frank said the city already deploys temporary cones during school operations and noted maintenance and aesthetic reasons for avoiding permanent bollards unless warranted. The commission moved to support staff’s recommendation; the motion was seconded and passed.
Staff’s next step, if City Council approves the direction, will be to initiate community engagement and return to the commission and council with a draft Safe Routes plan and recommended improvements for review and approval.
