ITEM #1
________________________________________________________ MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2022
TO:
TRANSPORTATION & CIRCULATION COMMISSION
FR
OM: PUBLIC WORKS/TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
SUBJ
ECT: OLIVE AVENUE AND CITRUS AVENUE
ADULT CROSSING GUARD REQUEST
SU
MMARY
Consi
deration of a request for the assignment of an Adult Crossing Guard at the intersection of Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue.
RECO
MMENDATION
1. Conc
ur with the City Traffic Engineer ’s proposed denial of the request for an Adult Crossing Guard.
2. Conc
ur with the City Traffic Engineer ’s proposed implementation of the following traffic and parking improvements:
A. In
stall all-way stop control at the Olive Avenue at Citrus Avenue intersection.
B. Remove 90-feet of yellow curb on the south s ide of Olive Avenue west of the crosswalk at Citrus Avenue.
C. Designate the south curb of Olive Avenue from 65-feet west of Citrus Avenue to 365-feet west of Citrus Avenue as “No Parking Student Loading/Unloading School Days” between the hours of 7:00am & 8:00am and 2:00pm & 3:00pm D. Remove 175-feet of yellow curb on the south side of Olive Avenue east of the crosswalk at Citrus Avenue.
E. Designate the north curb of Olive Avenue from Citrus A venue to 70-feet east of Citrus Avenue as “ No Parking Student Loading/Unl oading School Days ” between the hours of 7:00am & 8:00am.
3. Req
uest that the City Traffic Engineer monitor traffic and parking operations along Olive Avenue for a period of 90 days to assess the effectiveness of the traffic and parking control changes and report back to the Commission on his findings.
TRANSPORTATION & CIRCULATION
COMMISSION AGENDA
Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue Adult Crossing Guard Request February 7, 2022
I
TEM #1
DISCUSSION
S
taff received a request from the Fullerton S chool District to conduct a study to determine if an Adult Crossing Guard should be assigned at the “T” intersection of Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue. The intersection is immediat ely adjacent to Nicolas Junior High School and has two marked school crosswalks. One of those school crosswalks is across the stem of the “T” where vehicle traffic is controlled by a stop sign. The other school crosswalk is located on the western leg of the intersection where vehicle traffic is uncontrolled.
The City r
egularly receives requests for the assignment of adult crossing guards . It is the City ’s practice to evaluate such requests based on the suggested policy for assignment as outlined in the California Manual of Unif orm Traffic Control Devices (CAMUTCD). The CAMUTCD outlines a series of evaluation criteria to be considered based on the number of elementary school aged pedestrians observed crossing the street, the type of traffic control provided, and the amount of conflicting vehicular traffic.
Ac
cording to Chapter 7D of the CAMUTCD the assignment of an Adult Crossing Guard at specified hours when students are walking to or from school should only be considered at street crossings when:
A. S
pecial situations make it necessary to assist elementary school pedestrians in crossing the street.
B. A change in the school crossing location i s being made, but prevailing conditions require school crossing supervision until the change is constructed and it is not reasonable to install another form of traffic control or technique for this period.
Furthermore, at uncontrolled crossings the CAMUTCD es tablishes the following evaluation criteria:
1. A
dult Crossing Guards normally are assigned where official supervision of school pedestrians is desirable while they cross a public highway, and at least 40 school pedestrians for each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) daily use the crossing while going to or from school.
AND
2. Where there is no alternate controlled crossing withing 600 feet AND
3. Where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 350 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 40 or more school pedestrians cross daily while going to or from school.
S
ince the adjacent school served by the uncontrolled crosswalk at the Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue intersection is a Junior High School, the students crossing at the intersection are not elementary school aged as called for by the CAMUTCD. Therefore, Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue Adult Crossing Guard Request February 7, 2022
I
TEM #1
none of the criteria noted above apply or are satis fied and thus it is recommended that the request for the assignment of an Adult Crossing Guard be denied.
A
lthough the Adult Crossing Guard criteria wasn’ t met it is imp ortant to note that there are no controlled crossings of Olive Avenue adjacent to the school campus, a distance of more than a quarter of a mile. Furthermore, at the Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue intersection staff observed 127 students crossing Olive Av enue and 44 students crossing Citrus Av enue in the hour before school begun. However, traffic volume traversing the intersection was less than 350 vehicles during that same hour.
S
taff did spend significant time observ ing traffic flow, driver behavior , and pedestrian activity along Olive Avenue and specifically at the intersection at Citrus Avenue. The observations revealed that traffic flow along Olive Avenue is significantly impacted by parents double parking in both directions to load and unload students since the re is insufficient convenient curb space for that activity to occur adjacent of the campus .
Students dropped off on the northside of the street also tend to cross mid-block in front of oncoming or stopped motorist s. At the Citrus intersection most motorists make eastbound to northbound left-turns across the two marked cross walks in order to exit the school zone. This left-turn movement is problematic due to the volume of students crossing in the two crosswalks. Many motori sts seem confused or uncertain if they should wait for students to cross or accelerate to clear the intersection.
B
ased on the observations, it is the professional opinion of staff that the installation of an all -way stop at the intersection of Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue and various adjustments to parking regulations will significantly improve traffic operations, efficiency, and safety for parents, students, and res idents. The installation of a new all -way stop adjacent to the school will provide a convenient controlled student crossing, reduce motorist confusion, and clearly assign right-of-way at the intersection. A modification of the parking regulations to provide a longer curbside student loading and unloading area close to the school entrance by relocat ing long-term parking to east of the Citrus Avenue intersection should significantly reduce double parking , keep traffic moving, and reduce mid-block student crossings. The details of these proposed changes in traffic and parking controls are provided in Exhibit “A” (Attachment No. 1).
S
chool District staff h ave been informed of staff ’s findings with respect to this matter and they are supportive of the installation of the al l-way stop control and parking control changes proposed here within. The School District staff have also been informed that the Commission would be considering this matter at its January 2022 meeting.
S
hould the Commission concur with the City Traffic Engi neer’s recommendations and City Counc il provide their approval, staff will coordinat e the installation of the improvements with the School District and staff from Nicholas Junior High School to ensure that the installation is completed with a minimum of disrupt ion to school activities and to provide school staff sufficient time to notify parents and students of the changes in traffic and parking controls.
Olive Avenue and Citrus Avenue Adult Crossing Guard Request February 7, 2022
I
TEM #1
It is also recommended that the City Traffic Engineer , in coordination with the School District, monitor traffic and parking operations along Olive Avenue for a period of 90 days to assess the effectiveness of the changes and to determine if additional adjustments are needed.
Da
vid Roseman
City Traffic Engineer
DR
/DLangstaff:kn
A
ttachment 1 - Exhibit A
c:
Police Traffic Bureau
STOP
STOP
STOP
R9‐2
R9‐3A
Install “No PARKING STUDENT
LOADING/UNLOADING"
7:00am to 8:00am, School
Days.
Remove exisƟng 20‐Minute Loading/
Unloading (yellow curb)
Install “No PARKING STUDENT LOADING/
UNLOADING" 7:00am to 8:00am and
2:00pm to 3:00pm, School Days
Remove exisƟng 20‐Minute Loading/
Unloading (yellow curb)
NICOLAS JR. HIGH SCHOOL ‐ SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS
EXHIBIT “A” (AƩachment No.1)
Remove exisƟng
“SLOW SCHOOL
XING” markings
ExisƟng
Remove exisƟng
“SLOW SCHOOL
XING” markings
CITRUS AVENUE
OLIVE AVENUE