CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: 6/18/2024
DEPARTMENT: Public Works
SUBJECT:
OXFORD PREPARATORY ACADEMY - CROSSING GUARD AND SCHOOL
TRAFFIC CONTROL ENHANCEMENTS REVIEW
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
1. Approve traffic control measures with the Crossing Guard and School Traffic Control Enhancements Analysis.
2. Adopt a Resolution entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA, RECOMMENDING THE
ADDITION OF A CROSSING GUARD AT THE INTERSECTION OF
BLACKFOOT DRIVE AND LOUMONT DRIVE, AS WELL AS OTHER
TRAFFIC CONTROL ENHANCEMENTS AT NEARBY INTERSECTIONS.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Oxford Preparatory Academy (“OPA”) commenced its academic year with a middle school expansion on August 15, 2023. Following concerns regarding traffic flow around the school, a Crossing Guard and Traffic Control Enhancement Analysis (Attachment 1) was commissioned by staff, with Hartzog & Crabill, Inc. (“HCI”) tasked to evaluate the need for crossing guards and traffic control measures at four residential intersections surrounding the school, which were:
•Blackfoot Drive at Costa Bella Drive
•Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive
•Blackfoot Drive at Dune Mear Road
•Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road
The California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (“CA MUTCD”) outlines criteria for assessing the need for crossing guards, primarily focusing on pedestrian volume and traffic conditions. For intersections not meeting the initial criteria, additional factors, such as vehicle conflicts and intersection controls, were considered.
HCI determined one intersection, Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive, met the criteria for a crossing guard and that the other three intersections did not meet the criteria for crossing guards. However, considering current traffic conditions and the school's expansion, HCI recommended traffic control enhancements at the three intersections that did not warrant a crossing guard to improve school zone traffic safety. These enhancements include stop signs, pavement markings, high-visibility crosswalks, and yield markings, aligning with the CA MUTCD standards.
Staff recommends Council adopt a resolution endorsing the recommended traffic control enhancements and adding a crossing guard at Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive (Attachment 2).
BACKGROUND:
On May 11, 2023, Saddleback Valley Unified School District (“SVUSD”) approved an agreement with Oxford Preparatory Academy (“OPA”), a public charter school, to operate and govern a middle school charter school at the existing Oxford Preparatory Academy school site, located at 22882 Loumont Drive, Lake Forest, CA 92630 (previously the Aliso Elementary School site). As part of this agreement, the school site added 16 modular buildings that were installed within a new asphalt area behind the existing buildings (shown below).
Image 1 – Oxford Preparatory Academy Site Plan
SVUSD informed staff that they planned to maintain a maximum student capacity of 700 students for both elementary and middle school, which is what the school was originally approved for. The purpose of the new modular buildings is to separate the elementary school from the middle school.
Due to these improvements being solely within SVUSD’s jurisdiction, SVUSD only needed to coordinate with the Division of the State Architect to allow for temporary modular buildings to be installed. State approved construction plans, local jurisdiction approvals and permits are not required as the modular buildings were previously approved for temporary implementation or emergency implementation purposes. This allowed for the implementation of the 16 modular buildings for up to three years. After three years, SVUSD will have to submit plans for approval through the Division of the State Architect.
In August 2023, the modular buildings and the surrounding school site improvements were installed.
DISCUSSION:
On August 15, 2023, Oxford Preparatory Academy (“OPA”) started its academic school year with the middle school expansion. Staff and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (“OCSD”) were present to observe and monitor the school traffic flow. Staff and OCSD continued to monitor the school operations for several weeks after the school opening and addressed as many traffic flow concerns as possible. However, it became clear to staff that a traffic analysis of the school zone was needed to consider adding crossing guards and/or additional traffic control measures.
Subsequently, staff requested Hartzog & Crabill, Inc. (“HCI”) complete a Crossing Guard and Traffic Control Enhancement Analysis (“Analysis”) to determine if a crossing guard is warranted per the California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (“CA MUTCD”) at four residential intersections surrounding OPA, which are located at:
•Blackfoot Drive at Costa Bella Drive
•Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive
•Blackfoot Drive at Dune Mear Road
•Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road
In addition, if the above intersections were not warranted for a crossing guard, then HCI would evaluate if other traffic control enhancements should be considered.
Per the CA MUTCD, the following general conditions are necessary for a crossing guard to be considered:
A. Special situations that make it necessary to assist elementary school pedestrians in crossing the street.
B. A change in school crossing location is 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 or this period.
In addition to the above guidance, there is a need to have measurable factors to support assigning school crossing guards at designated school crossings. The CA MUTCD discusses the general need when there are 40 or more school pedestrians crossing during the school peak hour at a given location, which is considered the “initial assessment”. If the initial assessment criteria are not met, then additional criteria are evaluated based upon the type of traffic control (uncontrolled, stop sign-controlled, or traffic signal-controlled) at each existing intersection. The following are the criteria for each type of intersection traffic control:
1. At uncontrolled crossings where there is no alternative controlled crossing within 600 feet; and
a. In urban areas where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 350 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 40 or more school pedestrians (walking or bicycling) cross daily while going to or from school.
b. In rural areas where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds 300 during each of any two hours (not necessarily consecutive) in which 30 or more school pedestrians (walking or bicycling) cross daily while going to or from school.
Whenever the critical (85th percentile) approach speed exceeds 40 miles-per- hour, the guidelines for rural areas should be applied.
2. At stop sign-controlled crossings:
a. Where the vehicular traffic volumes or undivided highways of four or more lanes exceeds 500 per hour during any period when the school pedestrians are going to or from school
3. At traffic signal-controlled crossings:
a. Where the number of vehicular turning movements through the school crosswalk exceeds 300 per hour while school pedestrians are going to or from school; or
b. Where justified through analysis of the operations of the intersection Based upon this understanding, Table 1 represents the initial assessment in determining if 40 or more school pedestrians/crossing are present during the school peak hour.
Table 1 – Crossing Guard Warrants – Initial Assessment
Intersection
At least 40 school
pedestrians per hour
(AM / PM/ Criteria Met?)
Blackfoot Drive at Costa Bella Drive 12 / 42 / No
Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive 68 / 132 / Yes
Blackfoot Drive at Dune Mear Road 4 / 15 / No
Intersection
At least 40 school
pedestrians per hour
(AM / PM/ Criteria Met?)
Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road 6 / 47 / No
For the three intersections that did not meet the criteria of forty (40) or more school crossings during a school peak hour, additional supporting criteria is needed to warrant a crossing guard based upon what type of intersection controls are present and consideration of conflicting vehicles.
For the uncontrolled intersections (the speed limit is less than or equal to 40 MPH), the criteria changes to consider forty (40) or more daily school crossings and 350 or more vehicles conflicting with the crossing. Table 2 below shows the resulting measures of these criteria for the remaining three intersections which did not meet the criteria based on the initial assessment and are uncontrolled intersections.
Table 2 – Crossing Guard Warrants – Uncontrolled Crossing with Speed Limit < 40 MPH (Urban)
CA MUTCD Additional Support Criteria
Intersection
More than 40 daily
school pedestrians
(Criteria Met?)
More than 350
conflicting
vehicles per hour
(Criteria Met?)
Blackfoot Drive at Costa Bella Drive 54 (YES) 278 (NO)
Blackfoot Drive at Dune Mear Road 19 (NO) 85 (NO)
Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road 53 (YES) 72 (NO)
HCI concluded that the following three intersections did not meet the CA MUTCD guidelines regarding the need for crossing guards at this time. •Blackfoot Drive at Costa Bella Drive
•Blackfoot Drive at Dune Mear Road
•Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road
However, due to the current traffic conditions and the expansion of the school to include the middle school, HCI recommended traffic control enhancements to further enhance the existing crossings at the three intersections to establish clear right-of-way for all road users. These traffic control measures include stop signs, pavement markings, high-visibility crosswalks, yield markings, and applicable signs conforming to the CA MUTCD.
The specific traffic control measures for all four intersections are shown below (Images 2-5) and are within the appendices of the analysis.
Image 2 – Blackfoot Drive at Costa Bella Drive – Traffic Control Enhancements
Image 3 – Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive – Traffic Control Enhancements
Image 4 – Blackfoot Drive at Dune Mear Road – Traffic Control Enhancements
Image 5 – Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road – Traffic Control Enhancements
The proposed traffic control enhancements for all intersections can be feasibly integrated into the 2023-25 Operating Budget. However, the enhancements planned for the intersection of Calle Tres Lomas and Dune Mear Road necessitate the installation of a new accessible curb ramp before signing and striping improvements can commence, potentially extending the implementation timeline. Subject to Council’s approval, staff will diligently execute all facets of the traffic control enhancements in accordance with available time and resources.
At the June 3, 2024, Traffic and Parking Commission (“TPC”) meeting, staff presented the Analysis. The TPC unanimously voted to recommend the City Council approve the recommended action.
Therefore, staff recommends the City Council adopt a resolution establishing the recommended traffic control enhancements and the addition of a crossing guard at the intersection of Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive.
In addition, the City Attorney reviewed and approved the attached resolution as to form.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Adopting the proposed Resolution to establish the recommended traffic control enhancements and the addition of a crossing guard at the intersection of Blackfoot Drive at Loumont Drive carries modest fiscal impact. The anticipated cost to implement the traffic control enhancements is approximately $5,000 and the cost for the accessible curb ramp and crosswalk markings at Calle Tres Lomas at Dune Mear Road is approximately $25,000. The 2023-25 Operating Budget has sufficient funds to implement the traffic control enhancements. In addition, the recommended crossing guard at Blackfoot at Loumont intersection is being considered within the proposed new Crossing Guard Services contract.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Oxford Preparatory Academy – Crossing Guard and Traffic Control Enhancements Analysis
2. Resolution
Initiated By: Tran Tran, Traffic Engineering Manager
Submitted By: Thomas E. Wheeler, P.E., Director of Public Works/City Engineer Approved By: Debra Rose, City Manager