News City Mgm't Asks Council To Cut Two More School Crossing Guard Locations, Reject Public Requests For Five New Crossing Guards, Relocate One And Add New One
(June 16, 2006) -- LBReport.com has learned that a non-elected, mainly city management-chosen advisory committee met in September, November and December 2005 and ultimately decided to recommend eliminating school crossing guards at two locations in the 9th City Council district, deny public requests to add crossing guard locations in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 9th districts (two in the 9th), recommend relocating an existing location in the 4th district and add a crossing guard in the 2nd district.
But while the group includes a management representative [meaning management knew its proposed action immediately], the group's recommendations weren't put into memo form until after the April 6 city election (in which voters decided the 9th district race)...and wasn't agendized publicly by management for Council action until the June 20 Council meeting (two weeks after runoff elections in Council districts 3 and 5).
At the June 20 Council meeting, management is scheduled to seek Council approval to eliminate school crossing guards at Artesia/Orizaba and Harding/Coke (both in the 9th Council district). (This follows Council approval to eliminate 12 crossing guard locations across the city last year.)
Management also proposes to deny requests from members of the public for crossing guards at 3d/Maine (Dist. 1); 2d/Tivoli (Dist 3); Palo Verde/Conant (Dist. 5); and Atlantic/South & Orizaba/68th (bpth in Dist. 9)...while relocating one from Termino/14th to Termino/Fountain (Dist. 4) and adding a new crossing guard at Junipero/5th St. (Dist. 2).
"It is the Committee's expectation that the City Council will consider and take action on this matter by the end of May so that parent notifications can occur before the end of this school year," a memo dated April 13 from the committee to City Manager Jerry Miller says
But the recommendations didn't surface in April or May. Instead, they ended up on the June 20 Council "consent calendar" on which no public discussion will take place unless requested by a Councilmember or member of the public.
The committee memo indicates it reviewed and reaffirmed the need for crossing guards at eight locations: 7th St/Locust; Junipero/4th; Junipero/7th; Anaheim/Termino; Palo Verde/Metz; Orange/20th; Carson/Orange; Market/Linden.
The "Pedestrian Safety Advisory Committee" consists of 13 members...none of whom are elected and nearly all of whom are appointed by the City Manager. Nine members representing Council districts are appointed by the City Manager. One represents the PTA, chosen by the PTA. One represents LBUSD, chosen by LB's School Superintendent. One represents the City Traffic & Transportation Engineer (appointed by City Manager). And one represents non-public schools in the LB area, appointed by the City Manager.
LB Municipal Code section 10.68.010(a) directs that non-elected body to recommend "whether any intersection utilized by children going to and from school poses a special problem of safety, requiring the installation of an adult crossing guard [and] shall advise the City Council of its findings and recommendations."
Details of its actions to add a new crossing guard, relocate an assignment closer to a school and eliminate two others were described in a memo to city management dated April 13, salient text below:
1. Junipero Avenue and 5th Street (District 2) -- This T intersection is immediately adjacent to Burbank Elementary School. A new uncontrolled
"ladderwalk" marked school crossing was recently installed on the south
leg of the intersection. There is currently no crossing guard assigned to
this intersection. The crossing guard study revealed that both the student
crossings and the vehicular volume at the intersection met ordinance
thresholds. As recommended by the City Traffic Engineer, the Committee
voted unanimously for the assignment of a new adult crossing guard at
this intersection to begin in September of 2006.
2. Termino Avenue and 14th Street (District 4) - A crossing guard was
initially assigned to this location when the intersection was two-way stop
controlled. In April 1999, the intersection was converted to an all-way stop.
There have been no reported accidents at this intersection since the
installation of all-way stop control. The crossing guard study revealed that
traffic volumes at the intersection fell short of the ordinance criteria in both
the morning and afternoon periods and that student crossings in the
afternoon also fell short of ordinance minimums. As a result of the study,
work orders have been issued to renew curb paint, signs, and pavement
markings at the intersection and within the school zone. After discussion
regarding this location and the Termino Avenue and Fountain Street
intersection, the Committee voted unanimously to relocate the existing
crossing guard from the Tennino Avenue and 14th Street intersection to
the intersection of Termino Avenue and Fountain Street beginning in
September of 2006.
3. Termino Avenue and Fountain Street (District 4) - This uncontrolled
"T" intersection with a marked school crossing is immediately adjacent to
Bryant Elementary School. Fountain Street provides the only access to
the campus entrance and is discontinuous east of the school. There is
currently no crossing guard assigned to this intersection. The crossing
guard study revealed that both the student crossings and the vehicular
volume at the intersection met ordinance thresholds. After discussion
regarding this location and the Termino Avenue and Fountain Street
intersection the Committee voted unanimously to relocate the existing
crossing guard from the Termino Avenue and 14th Street intersection to
the intersection of Termino Avenue and Fountain Street beginning in
September of 2006.
4. Artesia Boulevard and Orizaba Avenue (District 9) - Students cross at
this signalized intersection to access the pedestrian tunnel under the CA-
91 freeway leading to McKinley Elementary School. The City Traffic
Engineer indicated to the Committee that signal timing adjustments would
be made to increase pedestrian walk time at the intersection and that the
traffic signal is scheduled to receive new countdown pedestrian indications
for the north and south leg crossings in the summer of 2006. The existing
adult crossing guard was approved for this location before the intersection
was signalized. The study revealed that this location met the ordinance
criteria for the number of students crossing but fell short on the number of
turning movements per minute of green required by the ordinance. After
discussion, the Committee voted unanimously to no longer require the
staffing of the intersection with an adult crossing guard.
5. Harding Avenue and Coke Street (District 9) - This intersection is a
two-way stop controlled intersection of two two-lane residential streets
north of Collins Elementary School near the border with the City of
Lakewood. Although the student crossing volume exceeded the minimum
ordinance criteria for consideration, the traffic volume fell short of
minimum requirements. The intersection has had no reported accidents in
five years. The City Traffic Engineer suggested that based on the
characteristics of the intersection and the observed student activity that
the intersection qualified for all-way stop control. After discussion, the
Committee voted unanimously, pending the installation of the all-way stop
controls, to no longer require the staffing of the intersection with an adult
crossing guard. The Committee also directed the City Traffic Engineer to
send a letter to the Principal of Collins Elementary School apprising the
school of the new traffic controls to be installed and the pending action to
have the adult crossing guard reassigned. Subsequent to the
Committee’s action a work order was issued for the installation of the all-
way stop controls and the notification letter to the school was sent. To
date there has been no response from the school on this matter.
Although management's ongoing reviews of crossing guard locations are part of its budget balancing strategy, management's June 20 transmittal memo to Councilmembers indicates this year's proposals, if approved by the Council, will produce "minimal savings since personnel will be reassigned to other crossing locations."
Return To Front Page
Contact us: mail@LBReport.com
|
DrainPros: Unclog Drains + Full Service Plumbing, Locally Owned Pros. Info, Click Here
Mike & Kathie Kowal know Los Cerritos, Bixby Knolls, Cal Hts. and beyond. Click to learn more
Wedding Entertainment Planning Is His Specialty. Bill Lovelace Delivers Personalized, Wedding Event Services. Get Info, Click Here
Preserve Your Family's Most Precious Photos and Videos on DVD. Click For Info
Carter Wood Floors, a LB company, will restore your wood floor or install a new one. Enhance your home. Click pic.
|