Orinda City Council Special Meeting Page 1 of 4 02.17.26 FEBRUARY 17, 2026
CITY OF ORINDA
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MINUTES
Note: Written communications received from the public prior to the start of this meeting can be viewed on the City’s website meeting calendar. They are also kept in the City Clerk’s Office as part of the public record and available upon request ([email protected]). 5:00 P.M. – SPECIAL MEETING– SARGE LITTLEHALE COMMUNITY ROOM A. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL:
Mayor Iverson called the Special Meeting to order at approximately 5:00 p.m.
COUNCILMEMBERS PRESENT: Cara Hoxie, Latika Malkani, Janet Riley Mayor Brandyn Iverson, Vice Mayor Darlene Gee
COUNCILMEMBERS ABSENT: None
B. ADOPTION OF AGENDA
MOTION by Mayor Iverson, and seconded by Councilmember Hoxie, to adopt the agenda. Said motion carried by unanimous (5-0) vote.
C. STUDY SESSION
C.1 Study Session to Review Traffic Circulation and Safety Improvements at and around the Ivy Drive Neighborhood
The City Council will hold a study session to consider proposed changes for safety improvements at various intersections near the Ivy Drive Neighborhood, including Moraga Way, Ivy Drive, Coral Drive, Ardith Drive and El Camino Moraga. This study session was at the request of the City Council, following a discussion in July 2025. The City Council requested additional data and a more holistic approach that considered other school safety improvements.
RECOMMENDATION:
Review and provide direction on the following Staff recommendations:
1. Remove the existing “No Left Turn” signs at southbound Moraga Way/Ivy Drive (north) intersection;
2. Change existing time restriction on “No U-Turn/No Left Turn” signs on southbound Moraga Way at Southwaite Court and Whitehall Drive;
3. Install new “No Right Turn” sign at southbound Ivy Drive at Ardith Drive;
4. Modify traffic signal timings at Coral Drive and Ivy Drive (south) intersections on Moraga Way;
5. Add STOP sign and additional striping changes on Coral Drive at Ardith Drive/Court; and
Orinda City Council Special Meeting Page 2 of 4 02.17.26
6. Implement NO PARKING restriction on Eastbound El Camino Moraga near the exit driveway at Del Rey Elementary.
City Manager Smith introduced the item and stated at the Council’s request, staff is holding a study session to review traffic circulation and safety improvements at and around the Ivy Drive neighborhood, along Moraga Way, and around school sites. She then introduced Ryan O’Kane, Senior Engineer and Joy Bhattacharya from Advanced Mobility Group who gave the presentation.
Councilmembers then posed questions regarding enforcement and safety efforts near school sites and intersections, number of students during certain days and periods, consideration to change the school start times, school schedules, and percentage of OIS students riding buses.
Dr. Aida Glimme provided a brief overview of police presence, student behaviors for walking, biking, busing, safety, and circulation.
Council questions ensued regarding signal timing priorities, improvements for signals, drive times to school, cut-through traffic, the number of people ignoring no-left-hand turn sign, whether MOFD allows speed cushions on Ardith, the length required to complete the sidewalk on Coral, pushing for calming measures on Ivy Drive and incentivizing people not to turn right on Ardith which is the third recommendation.
Police Chief Rossi then addressed questions regarding traffic exemptions for teachers which are now allowed, cameras that could provide a mechanism for enforcement that do not rely on an officer, and whether the Chief thought any of the recommendations would be less effective in making things safer. Chief Rossi said he can follow-up on the camera question, and he relies on engineering and data regarding recommendations.
Mayor Iverson opened the Public Forum.
Eileen Shyre of Ardith Drive raised concerns about reckless driving since the no-left-turn timing no longer aligns with the school bell schedule. She questioned the high volume of cut-through traffic, emphasized the need to keep drivers out of the Ivy Drive neighborhood for safety, and referenced a letter in Attachment G from Dorren Marr.
Lisa Rudolph questioned whether all through-traffic goes directly to Miramonte, noting some vehicles first drop off at OIS. She highlighted 60 families using Ivy Drive daily, delays of up to three signal cycles before 8 a.m., illegal turns on Coral, and called on the City to increase bus service.
Emily Pullhardt of Ardith Court noted that a sidewalk on the north side of Coral at Ardith was not included in the recommendations, highlighted the lack of sidewalks, speeding, and unsafe driving, questioned removing a pedestrian safety measure due to noncompliance, and called for a comprehensive safety plan and coordination with the school district to adjust start times.
Orinda City Council Special Meeting Page 3 of 4 02.17.26 Nicole Cartamagill said she walks her child to school and strongly supports the stop sign at Coral and Ardith, as well as the proposed striping on Coral, including edge and center lines. She urged prioritizing completion of the sidewalk on Coral from Ardith to Moraga Way, noting children walk in the roadway while Miramonte drivers speed through the area, warning of a potential tragedy, and describing racing, cut-through traffic, and signal timing issues.
Rodrigo Amata echoed prior speakers, supported a four-way stop at Coral and Ardith, and, as a nearby resident, cited speeding and safety concerns while urging implementation of all recommendations and completion of sidewalks.
Jeff Bonn, who lives one mile north of the school area, said his neighborhood faces similar issues with drivers bypassing Moraga Way and cutting through Orchard. He asked and confirmed that no speed studies were conducted on Ardith between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m., despite concerns about speeding.
Carol Reed said she drives to OIS and thinks priorities are for teachers to be able to turn left, improve safety on Coral, and she asked for enforcement of the speed limit.
Councilmembers provided ideas and remarks, as follows:
• Requested putting the 4-way stop in at Ardith and Coral • Changing the lights to see if that has a positive impact • Did not favor removing the no-left-turn sign
• Consider other things that can be done to stop cut-through traffic • Asked to prioritize funding and bring to Council the completion of the sidewalk from Coral to Moraga Way
• Voiced support of signal timing modifications and school bell schedule changes • Encouraged buses to Miramonte
• Voiced concerns with speeding and safety
• Supported cameras for traffic safety
• Supported potentially having the no-left-turn sign on both ends • Recommended increasing enforcement
• Continue studying the area
• Voice support of a pilot program to remove the no-left-turn sign • Supported smart signals to make it longer to do the shortcut and shorter to be on Moraga Way as the solution
• To communicate the issues to all three school communities with timing and ticketing
• Consider temporary lane protectors or bollards
• Consider Ardith speed bumps
• Receive comments from police about getting bikes across Ivy • Address inconsistent sidewalks on Ivy
• Find a solution for the other cut-through to Eastbrook off of Top • Address parking in neighborhoods on weekends, and
• Install a second sign at the top of Coral.
Orinda City Council Special Meeting Page 4 of 4 02.17.26 Regarding next steps, Councilmembers asked for staff to schedule another study session, voiced support of a pilot program, and requested more information on what might be done in terms of enforcement.
D. ADJOURNMENT
The Special Meeting was adjourned at approximately 6:57 p.m. to the Regular City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m. and, thereafter, to Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 7:00 p.m. ______________________________
Sheri Marie Smith, City Clerk