Council adopts resolution to convert Pine Street to one‑way to improve school safety

The Clear Lake City Council unanimously approved Resolution No. 24‑34 on Aug. 1 to convert Pine Street from Austin Road to Olympic Drive to a northbound one‑way, a measure staff said would improve traffic flow and safety around Burns Valley Elementary School.

"This is only a positive for us," Becky Salado, superintendent for Clearlake Unified, told the council, urging approval because the change would reduce safety risks for student drop‑off and pickup. Director Lehi said the conversion would include restriped bike lanes, crosswalk striping and signage and that the work would be limited to striping and signs, with no immediate fiscal impact beyond those items.

Council Member Cramer moved to adopt the resolution; Vice Mayor Overton seconded. The motion passed with a unanimous vote of the council. Council instructed staff to monitor traffic after the change and make adjustments if the rerouting produced unexpected problems on surrounding streets.

Members of the public asked whether the change had been modeled for surrounding roads and expressed concern about rerouting onto Yule Avenue and other local streets. Director Lehi said notices were sent to nearby neighbors (including a 100‑foot buffer) and that paving and related projects on nearby roads would reduce the impacts of additional traffic. The council said it would revisit any problems that arise once the change is implemented.

The conversion is scheduled to be implemented by striping and signage in time for the new school year, subject to production and scheduling of the traffic control devices.