TITLE
Recommendation to request City Manager to work with Long Beach Police Department, Department of Public Works, Long Beach Unified School District, Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee, Parent Teacher Associations, parent groups, and other interested stakeholders and report back within 120 days regarding options to streamline traffic circulation, improve traffic enforcement, and increase safety surrounding schools throughout the City of Long Beach.
DISCUSSION
Many schools in the City of Long Beach, particularly elementary and middle schools, are located on narrow streets. These narrow streets, combined with well-known impacted parking citywide, have led to increasing congestion and safety issues around our schools particularly at pick-up and drop-off times. The combination of students walking to school and vehicle transportation poses a hazard within small communities. The Sixth Council District office has received resident reports of: one-way street signs and stop signs being ignored, double parking, speeding, and blocked driveways. These issues contribute to unsafe environments and to ensure our students, parents, teachers, and guardians are safe as they arrive and leave our schools coordinating efforts across jurisdictions is crucial.
One innovative school district and city partnership is between Glendale Unified School District (GUSD) and the City of Glendale. At many elementary schools throughout GUSD, the City allows a traffic and/or parking lane to be converted into a drop-off lane for pick-up and drop-off. Please see attached documents for more information about the GUSD/Glendale program.
The report back should include but not be limited to:
• the possibility of implementing a school traffic control pilot program;
• potential grant opportunities promoting pedestrian safety;
• partnership programs;
• volunteer utilization; and
• additional traffic engineering improvements for motorists and pedestrians.
FISCAL IMPACT
At this time, there will be no fiscal impact. Fiscal impact to be considered upon receiving report with implementation recommendations.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
DEE ANDREWS
COUNCILMAN, SIXTH DISTRICT
JEANNINE PEARCE
COUNCILMEMBER, SECOND DISTRICT
SUZIE PRICE
COUNCILWOMAN, THIRD DISTRICT
REX RICHARDSON
VICE MAYOR, NINTH DISTRICT