TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Recommend approval to amend the parking restriction on the east side of Brainard Street from the centerline of Hillside Road to a point 150’ north of the centerline of Hillside Road as outlined in the attached ordinance and to establish a no parking, stopping, or standing zone between 7:45 a.m.-8:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m. on school days on the north side of Hillside Road from a point 95’ west of the centerline of Thornwood Drive.
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Kelly Dunne, Project Manager
BACKGROUND:
The City received a request to investigate and evaluate the current traffic control plan and operations at Highlands Elementary School. The school and parents expressed issues with vehicles queuing on Hillside Road during arrival and dismissal. Hillside Road is a 28-foot wide Collector roadway with a 20 mph school zone speed limit.
Currently, Highlands’ traffic control plan directs parents to pick up and drop off students in the parking lot on the northwest corner of Brainard Street and Hillside Road (see attached Traffic Control Plan). Drivers travel westbound on Hillside Road and turn northbound to enter the parking lot from the Brainard Street driveway. Drivers exit the parking lot from the Hillside Road driveway.
To reduce congestion on Hillside Road and maintain visibility of the crosswalk on Hillside Road at Brainard Street, parking, stopping, or standing on both sides of Hillside Road between Thornwood Drive and Loomis Street is not permitted during arrival and dismissal times.
DISCUSSION:
After conducting observations of traffic flow at Highlands School, City staff met with the school principal, District 203 representatives, and a group of parents with children enrolled at Highlands. It was agreed upon at this June 14, 2018 parent and staff meeting that the existing traffic control plan would be maintained. In order to improve operations and safety, it was suggested that a parking restriction on Brainard Street be modified and that a parking restriction on Hillside Road be implemented.
City staff looked into the request that the portion of Brainard Street between Hillside Road and the parking lot driveway be converted from a no parking, stopping or standing zone to a no parking zone for northbound vehicles. This would allow approximately five vehicles to queue on Brainard Street while waiting to turn into the parking lot, therefore improving efficiency in the drop-off/pick-up process. Staff finds that allowing vehicles to queue in this area will not have any detrimental impacts and recommends that the current restriction be revised to allow stopping and standing.
Staff also investigated the request to implement a parking restriction on Hillside Road, west of the parking lot exit. When attempting to make a left turn out of the parking lot, drivers are unable to clearly see eastbound traffic if there are vehicles parked on the north side of Hillside Road. A sight distance study was conducted and it was determined that the 60 feet west of the driveway should be restricted in order to ensure a clear sightline of approaching vehicles. Note that the 95-foot length of the restricted zone as written in the proposed ordinance is measured from Thornwood Drive, which is slightly offset from the parking lot driveway. To minimize impacts due to the loss of parking, as well as to maintain consistency with the adjacent restrictions on Hillside Road, staff recommends that this area be signed as no parking, stopping, or standing between 7:45 a.m.-8:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m. on school days.
Both proposed parking modifications are called out in the attached Traffic Control Plan.