Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission denies two all‑way stop requests but asks school district to consider crossing guards
Summary
Traffic staff found that South Spruce/West Los Angeles and South Fifth/West Los Angeles did not meet California MUTCD stop‑warrant criteria; the commission approved red‑curb daylighting at both intersections and directed staff to send a formal letter to the school district requesting crossing guards for the South Fifth location.
Traffic engineer Dennis Barnes summarized two separate stop‑warrant studies for intersections near Montebello schools and recommended denying both requests because the locations did not meet the California manual’s criteria (vehicle volumes, pedestrian volumes, collision patterns and delays).
For South Spruce and West Los Angeles, Barnes said the three‑year collision record showed zero injuries and the measured traffic volumes fell short of MUTCD minimums; staff recommended denying the all‑way stop request but installing 20 feet of red curb at each approach to comply with California’s daylighting law. The commission approved that recommendation.
For South Fifth and West Los Angeles, updated counts and pedestrian observations again failed to reach stop‑warrant thresholds despite one recorded collision in the study period. Commissioners voiced strong community concern about school‑time crossing activity and enforcement; the commission approved denying the all‑way stop but added an amendment directing staff to draft and send a formal letter to the school district asking that the site be considered for crossing guards and requesting a response to the commission.
Dennis Barnes explained the technical basis for denial and invited residents to report accidents and near misses to ensure the data reflect on‑the‑ground risk. City staff also agreed to explore stepped‑up enforcement and other non‑warrant remedies where appropriate.
