Consultants present Tri‑City school‑area mobility study; residents press for parking and tree protections

Consultants from Farrant Piers presented an update on the Tri‑City school‑area mobility study, reporting the project is about halfway complete and has gathered more than 900 community comments and traffic data to inform scenario development. Gavin Derleth of Farrant Piers summarized key findings, saying the study area has heavy pedestrian activity near three large schools — nearly 3,000 pedestrian crossings at some locations during peak windows — and vehicle 85th‑percentile speeds that exceed the 25‑mph limit on streets such as Allende and Braddock, with some maximum observed speeds above 40 mph.

The study team described a set of “toolboxes” of potential interventions, including school access and loading management, traffic‑calming measures, enhanced crossings, and protected bike facilities. Derleth emphasized the presentation did not include final recommendations and said staff will return with scenario options and recommendations later this spring after analyzing the most recent round of community feedback.

During a lengthy public comment period, neighborhood residents pressed the subcommittee for clarity and action. Michael Koppi asked that the project manager provide monthly email updates so residents do not need to attend repeated meetings. Several speakers who live near Sawtelle and the 405 — including Vince Sorrentino, Salim, Adam Brand and others — described loss of curbside parking after striping changes and asked for restoration of spaces used by caregivers, visitors and seniors. Jesse Acosta noted that removing parking reduced an RV camping problem but asked for signage if parking returns (length limits or no overnight parking) to prevent re‑emergence of that issue.

Other commenters urged the city to seek protected, physically separated bike lanes to improve safety for children and less‑experienced riders. Public commenters and a member of the city’s environmental sustainability committee recommended targeted, operational measures for school drop‑off windows — for example, distributed drop‑off sites, time‑restricted turns, and improved campus access management — rather than full‑day permanent redesigns in some locations.

Council members acknowledged the strong community interest and asked staff to preserve trees where possible. Mayor Pusa asked whether any trees were scheduled for removal; staff replied no. Members encouraged staff to keep protected‑bike options on the table as one of several alternatives, noting that the subcommittee was collecting feedback rather than making decisions tonight.

The consultant and staff said they will use the online engagement results and workshop feedback to develop scenario alternatives and return to the mobility subcommittee and the city’s public workshops in May or June with more detailed proposals before any recommendation to the full City Council.