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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStaff Report to Traffic Safety Committee3 NATIONAL CITY TRAFFIC SAFETY COMMITTEE AGENDA REPORT FOR JUNE 12, 2013 ITEM NO. 2013-1.3 ITEM TITLE: REQUEST FOR CHANGES TO CURBSIDE PARKING AND PASSENGER LOADING ON E. DIVISION STREET ADJACENT TO EL [OYON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND ACCESS (BY PRINCIPAL V. SILVA) PREPARED BY: Stephen Manganiello, City Engineer DISCUSSION: Ms. Veronica Silva, Principal of El Toyon Elementary School, located at 2000 E. Division Street, has requested changes to curbside parking and passenger loading on E. Division Street adjacent to the school to address issues related to student drop-off/pick-up, lack of handicap parking, traffic congestion, and safety. Ms. Silva's primary concern is regarding safety of the students. She stated that some parents illegally park in red curb "No Parking" zones at the signalized "T" intersection of E. Division Street and "T" Avenue, often blocking the primary school crosswalk, to pick-up/drop-off their children. She also stated that when school buses drop-off/pick-up students on the south side of the intersection it is difficult to see students in the crosswalk. In addition, Ms. Silva has requested handicap parking in front of the school. While handicap parking is provided in the staff parking lot, the lot is. closed to the public for security reasons. Therefore, disabled persons visiting the school are in need of accessible parking. She has received complaints from parents about this issue. The City Council's Disabled Persons Parking Policy allows for provision of on -street handicap parking adjacent to schools. Staff evaluated conditions in front of the school during the AM and PM school peaks and confirmed the issues presented by Principal Silva. Following the site evaluations, staff met on -site with Principal Silva to discuss changes to curbside parking and passenger loading to address these safety concerns. Staffs recommendations, which are supported by Principal Silva, are summarized below. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the following changes to curbside parking and passenger loading on E. Division Street adjacent to El Toyon Elementary School to address issues related to student drop-off/pick-up, lack of handicap parking, traffic congestion, and safety: 1) Convert 25 feet of unrestricted parallel parking to red curb "No Parking" just west of the intersection of E. Division Street and "T" Avenue to enhance visibility at the school crosswalk; 2) Convert 40 feet of "3-Minute Passenger Loading" to two blue curb handicap parking spaces, west of the proposed red curb; 3) Convert 70 feet of "3-Minute Passenger Loading" to red curb "No Parking, School Bus Only", west of the proposed blue curb handicap parking; 4) Convert 145 feet of unrestricted parallel parking to "3-Minute Passenger Loading" (restricted from 7:OOAM-9:OOAM and 1:OOPM-4:OOPM, Monday -Friday) just east of the intersection of E. Division Street and "T" Avenue. EXHIBITS: 1. Correspondence 2. Location Map 3. Photos 4. Disabled Persons Parking Policy 2013-13 Stephen Manganiello From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Mr. Manganiello, Veronica Silva <Veronica.Silva@national.k12.ca.us> Sunday, June 02, 2013 6:05 PM Stephen Manganiello Raul Chavez SPAM:El Toyon parking Thank you for meeting with me on Tuesday May 28th to discuss El Toyon's parking situation. As mentioned at our meeting, I am very concerned for the safety of our students due to the current location of our pick up/drop off area. Currently, parents pick up/drop off their children right in front of our cross walk. This has resulted in cars almost hitting our students on more than one occasion as they pull out after dropping off their children. Therefore, I would like the pick up/drop off location to be moved to the area after the red light. This will allow our students to cross the street with our crossing guard without fear of cars pulling out of the drop off section and hitting them. Furthermore, our current bus pick up/drop off zone is right in the middle of the intersection. Again, this is a concern for our students safety. I do not feel it is safe for students to be picked up or dropped off between our cross walks. Please consider moving our bus zone to the area before our intersection and our cross walk. Additionally, we need handicap parking in front of our school. The only handicap parking that El Toyon currently has is located inside the staff parking lot. This is a problem because our staff parking lot is closed to the public. Therefore, families who visit our school and are in need of handicap parking do not have anywhere to park. I have had several complaints from family members about this issue. Thank you for your attention to these matters. Please contact me if you have any further questions. Veronica Silva El Toyon Principal (619) 787-7158 1 Rancho de la Nacibn School Location Map Existing 90' of red curb "No Parking" to remain Convert 40' of unrestricted parallel parking to two blue curb handicap parking spaces Convert 70' of "3-minute passenger loading zone" to red curb "No Parking" School Buses Exempt (loss of three parking spaces) Convert 25' of unrestricted parallel parking to red curb "No Parking" to enhance visibility at crosswalk (loss of one parking space) City contractor to remove easterly crosswalk as separate project; currently posted as "PUo Ped Xing" El Toyon School L 2000 E Division Street DIVISION Convert 145' of unrestricted parallel parking to time - restricted "3-minute passenger loading zone" ig g ptafr East leg of intersection of E. Division St and N. "T" Ave in front of El Toyon School (looking southeast) Existing red curb at intersection of E. Division St and N. "T" Ave in front of El Toyon School (looking south) West leg of intersection of E. Division St and N. "T" Ave in front of El Toyon School (looking southwest) DISABLED PERSONS PARKING POLICY The purpose of a disabled persons parking zone is to provide designated parking spaces at major points of assembly for the exclusive use of physically disabled persons whose vehicle displays a distinguishing license plate as authorized by the California Department of Motor Vehicles. The City Council may upon recommendation of the City Engineer, designate specially marked and posted on -street parking spaces for disabled persons pursuant to California Vehicle Code 21101, et seq. at the following facilities: 1. Government buildings serving the public such as administration buildings, public employment offices, public libraries, police stations, etc. 2. Hospitals and convalescent homes with more than 75-bed capacity. 3. Medical facilities and doctors' offices staffed by a maximum of five practitioners. Zones shall be located to serve a maximum number of facilities on one block. 4. Community service facilities such as senior citizens service centers, etc. 5. Accredited vocational training and educational facilities where no off- street parking is provided for disabled persons. 6. Employment offices for major enterprises employing more. than 200 persons. 7. Public recreational facilities including municipal swimming pools, recreation halls, museums, etc. 8. Public theaters, auditoriums, meeting halls, arenas, stadiums with more than 300 seating capacity. 9. Other places of assembly such as schools and churches. 10. Commercial and/or office building(s) with an aggregate of more than 50,000 square feet of usable floor space. Zone shall be located to serve a maximum number of facilities on one block. 11. Hotels catering to daily guests, maintaining a ground floor lobby and a switchboard that is operated 24 hours per day. 12. A hotel or apartment house catering to weekly or monthly guests and containing more than 30 separate living units. In addition, disabled persons parking spaces may be provided within all publicly owned, leased or controlled off-street parking facilities as specified in the General Requirements. General Requirements Each disabled persons parking space shall be indicated by blue paint and a sign (white on blue) showing the international symbol of accessibility (a profile view of a wheelchair with occupant). Where installed under the above criteria the total number of disabled persons curb parking spaces will be limited to 3% of the total number of on -street parking spaces available in the area and shall be distributed uniformly within the area. Disabled persons parking will not be installed at locations with a full-time parking prohibition. When a disabled persons parking zone is installed where a part-time parking prohibition is in effect, the disabled persons parking zone will have the same time restrictions as the part-time parking prohibition. The cost of installing disabled persons parking will be assumed by the City on public streets and public off-street parking facilities. In establishing on -street parking facilities for the disabled there shall be a reasonable determination made that the need is of an on -going nature. The intent is to prevent the proliferation of special parking stalls that may be installed for a short-term purpose but later are seldom used. Unjustified installation of such parking stalls unnecessarily increases the City's maintenance and operations costs, reduce available on - street parking for the general public, and detract from the overall effectiveness of the disabled persons parking program. Special .Hardship Cases It is not the intention of the City to provide personal reserved parking on the public right-jof-way, especially in residential areas. However, exceptions may be made, in special hardship cases, provided all of tb.e following conditions exists: \1 Applicant (or guardian) must be in possession of valid license plates for "disabled persons" or "disabled veterans." (2) The proposed disabled parking space iiiust be in front of the applicant's (or guardian's) place of residence. (3) Subject residence must not have useable off-street parking available or off-street space available that may be converted into disabled parking. NOTE:It must be emphasized that such parking spaces do not constitute "personal reserved parking" and that any person with valid "disabled persons" license plates may park in the above stalls. Jha: p