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Public Works recommends 28-foot Van Beerren layout to preserve pedestrian shoulder and safety
Summary
Public Works recommended narrowing Van Beerren Avenue to a 28-foot pavement with a sidewalk on one side (retaining a 5-foot pedestrian shoulder) after study and PTA outreach; the committee approved proceeding with the city's current design over a 24-foot alternative.
Public Works staff presented a proposed Van Beerren Avenue reconstruction plan and recommended retaining a 28-foot pavement width with a sidewalk on one side while preserving a 5-foot pedestrian shoulder on the school side. Staff said their weeklong pedestrian/vehicle observations showed more pedestrians on the school side during pickup and drop-off, and argued that reducing pavement to 24 feet would eliminate the shoulder and force pedestrians into mixed traffic during critical school periods.
Peter Rice, Public Works Director, described outreach to the PTA and neighborhood and explained that moving the sidewalk to the opposite side of the road would require property easements and a more complex design. "If we were to reduce it to the 24-foot width, then that eliminates that 5-foot shoulder and pedestrians would be then mixing with traffic in the street," Rice said, and staff recommended the 28-foot section as the safest option for school pick-up and drop-off times.
Committee members asked questions about moving the sidewalk to the side with higher pedestrian activity; staff said the current roadway alignment and property-rights issues made that option more complicated. After discussion, the committee voted to recommend proceeding with the city's current design for Van Beerren Avenue reconstruction and to continue outreach and monitoring as construction approaches.
