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23. Use of $300,000City Hall l 0300 Torre Avenue Cupertino, CA 950]4-3255 Telephone: (408} 777-3220 Fax: (408) 777-3366 Sheriffs Office, Santa Clara County SUMMARY Agenda Item No: ~j Meeting Date: May 6, 2008 SUBJECT AND LSSUE Present two options for Council to consider in using the $300,000 allocated to School Safety. One area of concern in making the presentation to Council is the consideration of the Tri-School area. The other is evaluating similar circumstances around other schools in the city. BACKGROUND The City and Sheriff's Office have recognized the need to evaluate and monitor both vehicular and pedestrian traffic around the schools in the City of Cupertino. One area of consideration for improvement has been the Tri-School area on McClellan involving Lincoln Elementary School, Monte Vista High School, and Kennedy Middle School. The roadways around the three schools, along with residents and citizens commuting to school, have raised safety and traffic concerns within the community. There have been many improvement considerations suggested, and considered, that could help the city meet the concerns raised by the community and schools. In an attempt to address the problem, City Council allocated $300,000 toward a project that would help to relieve the congestion .and address the safety of the students in the area. I have been asked to further evaluate the vehicle traffic, safety, cueing taking place, and student traffic to come up with possible options to relieve some of the problems the city is facing in the area. I was also directed to look at other similar concerns around other schools in the city and make an evaluation on their needs, if any, as well. RECOMMENDATION Option #1• Use $300,000 to make improvements in efforts to reduce congestion, increase safety for both pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The improvements would consist of the installation of solar powered speed signs, wireless lighting in crosswalks nears schools, installation of "knock down" poles at the entrance and inside the lot to Lincoln Elementary School, "knock down" Yield to pedestrian crosswalk signs, median barriers, signs, crosswalk removal, crosswalk installation, direct enforcement on overtime, Traffic/Safety Position at 9b0 hours. The Solar Speed signs would be placed at specific locations on McClellan Road and Bubb Road to assist with traffzc conditions. The cost proposed includes the installation of the signs, as well as 23-1 Engineering/Administration review. The Wireless Lighting for the Crosswalks would be placed in 4 locations at specific schools to assist with the flow of pedestrian traffic to school. The lighting would be solar powered with battery backup. Activation would be by push-button on a pole. Flashing lights would assist to warn oncoming traffic of a pedestrian attempt to enter the roadway. The installation of "knock down" channelizer posts at the entrances to the front lot at Lincoln Elementary School would force vehicles to use the full length of the parking area to drop off students, and prevent other vehicles from attempting to use the driveway to allow passing on the left. This will help address the cueing of vehicles, while enhancing safety for the children being dropped off. This would also require "knock down" channelizer posts to be placed along the immediate Iocation that prohibits vehicle traffic currently. The yellow painting that provides visible deterrence to vehicles is faded, and needs to be painted in addition to adding the knock down poles. All roadway signs in the area of the schools need to be repainted for visibility. Many of the designated markings intended to help direct the flow of traffic are faded, and need to be clearly visible to drivers and pedestrians. There are two driveways currently available for the drop-off of students at Lincoln Elementary School. Currently both can be entered from McClellan Road within a very short distance. Between the two driveways, there is also a heavily used crosswalk. The combination of the three in close proximity to one another is a strong factor contributing to congestion and restriction in the flow of traffic. I propose that the crosswalk at that location, along with the lighting controls, be moved to a location east of the two driveways, and west of the exit at Lincoln. This would place the crosswalk at a more strategic location that allows for pedestrian traffic to cross without having backup to vehicular traffic. This crosswalk would continue down into the Lincoln School parking lot from the roadway. The lighting devices would have to be moved with the crosswalk. The current use of the Crossing Guard would be moved to the new location. Drivers traveling west on McClellan Road that normally turn into the back parking lot to drop-off students, would be prohibited from making a left turn into the lot. This would help to direct them to the front lot where the flow of traffic has been increased, and student valet assistance will help to keep vehicles moving. Drivers leaving the back parking lot from Lincoln Elementary School would not be allowed to make a left turn out onto McClellan, and a sign would be posted indicating that they would only be able to turn right out of the driveway. The median area between the two driveways at Lincoln that allow for drop- off of students would have a knock down sign indicating no left turn. It would also have small diagonal cement bumps placed in the median to remind drivers that they cannot use the median between the two driveways. This will help to allow vehicles to enter back onto McClellan without slowing traffic. All of the above modifications that are recommended will include installation as well as an Engineering Review. All of the above are intended to provide some relief to traffic, both pedestrian and vehicle, but will not completely resolve the problems. Directed Enforcement will provide two motor units in specific areas near the schools to assist with the flow of traffic. The Sheriff's Office motors will ensure drivers are moving as required, following all regulations in the area, and will provide education to drivers on appropriate behavior in the school areas. They will provide one hour of overtime in the morning during the heaviest traffic times, as well as one hour in the afternoon during heavy traffic times. This will be done five days per week during the school year. The Traffic/Safety Consultant allows for a retired Traffic Investigator for the City of Cupertino to be employed at $32.0(}/hour and completing 96Q hours per year. This position will be responsible for overseeing the implementation of the above recommendations, evaluating the effects of the redevelopment, and monitoring the traffic around the schools for further recommendations. This position will also be charged with establishing a "Safe Routes to School" program with the use of Grant Funding. He .will implement the program which would 23-2 require that his evaluation of the schools and traffic be provided to two task forces developed to establish the safe routes to school program. i have a survey that will be provided to schools prior to the end of the school year, and the position will evaluate the responses to the survey to help develop the program. Oation #2• Use $78,210 toward safety improvements in the Tri-School area, and roll the remaining $221,790 over to pay for the second School Resource Officer {SRO} for the next two year period. This amount would pay for 75% of the SRO in the City of Cupertino. Currently, it is projected that the City of Cupertino will lose its COPS Grant funding of $106,000 which currently helps to pay for one of the City's SROs. With the loss of this grant funding and the likelihood that the Booking Fees will be established once again, the City can no longer budget for the second SRO position. The SRO position is an important part of the interaction between students, parents, and law enforcement within the community. They are often called on a 2417 basis to assist with various concerns at the schools. The SROs not only provide valuable assistance to the schools, but they help to reduce the use of the patrol deputies working on beats. This enables the patrol deputies to respond to calls for service and maintain response times to incidents. The SROs also provide valuable assistance to various community events that take place after hours and on weekends. The amount of time required from the two SROs currently could not be completed by cutting back to just one position. Therefore, it is being recommended that $221,790 be rolled over for the next two years to fund one SRO position at 75%. This would ensure that the position would remain to be funded regardless of possible budget cuts. The SRO position is also endorsed by the two school districts, Cupertino Unified and Fremont School District. Each of the two districts are committed to assist with the funding of this second position by providing $10,000 each toward the position for the two year period. The remaining $78,210 would be used to provide enhancements on McClellan Road to help relieve some of the traffic congestion, both for vehicles and pedestrians, and provide for the Traffic/Safety position for one year. This position will help to evaluate and provide the city with further solutions to help relieve the traffic and pedestrian congestion in the area. He would also provide the outline for the development of a Safe Routes to School program for the City of Cupertino. The relief would include the moving of one crosswalk, including the flashing lights already placed in this crosswalk, removing the current crosswalk, signs posted, painting of current directional markings currently in the roadway and parking lots, adding knock down posts, and the implementation of the student valet assistance at Lincoln Elementary School. The total to complete all of this would be $47,300. The Traffic/Safety Position will total $30,720 for one year. The total for this to be put in place will be $78,020. Note: All of the above values are estimations based on quotes and on-line values provided at the time of this report. Some items may change in value, or construction rates may change at the time of implementation. Adjustments can easily be performed based on necessary changes. Submitted by: Approved for submission: -~~ - c Terry Calderone David W. Knapp Captain, West Valley City Manager Division Commander 23-3 Teacher: Grade (K-8) Monday's Date ~ / ~ J ~ 0 # of students enrolled in class C`~ t~f D D/ 1' E A R Teachers, here are simple instructions for using this form: Please conduct these counts on any two days from Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday of the assigned week. Only two days worth of counts are needed, but counting all 3 provides better data. Please do not conduct these counts on Mondays or Fridays. Before asking your students to raise #heir hands to indicate the one answer that is correct for them, read through all po#ential answers so they will know what the choices are. Ask your students as a group the question "How did you arrive at school today?" Read each answer and record the number of students that raised their hands for each. Place just one character or number In each box. Follow the same procedure for the question "How do you plan to leave for home after school?° Please conduct this count regardless of weather conditions (i.e., ask these questions on rainy days, too}. Step T. Fill in the weather Step 2. Ask students "How did you arrive at school today?" and "How do conditions and number of you plan to leave for home after school?" (record number of hands for students in class each day. each answer) Weather Number Family Carpool Other s= sunny °f Students Vehicle (riding Transit (skate- board, R= rainy (in class Walk Bike School (only with with (city bus, scooter, o= when gus children children subway, inline overcast count from your from other etc.) skates sn=snow made) family) #amilies) , etc. SAMPLE ' $ , _ 2 ~' 4 _ 12 1 I ;. - 7, 3' ;: - ~' . - Q. Tues AM ~ F Tues PM ~ ~ ! Wed AM s I i Wed PM ~ i t ~ ~ i i Thur AM i i Thur PM i F Comments (List disruptions to counts or any unusual (ravel conditions toffrom the school on fhe days of the tally): v Thank you for helping gather this information! 23-4 r Traffic/Safety Around Schools Proposal #2 Proposal Number Cost each Hours Total Cost Traffic Safety Consultant 1 $32 per hr 950 hrs $30,400 Move existing Crosswalk/Relocate 1 $32,000 this Crosswalk/develop curb lines Placement of no Right Turn sign ~ 1 $300 Placement of no Left Turn Sign 1 $1,900 Striping of Roadways/Parking Lot Several areas DPW $4,500 Placement of Knockdown poles 10 $7,000 Placement of Crosswalk Knockdowns 3 $2,000 Tfltal: $78,700 23-5 EXHIBIT S BEGIN HERE c~ /5 -~ -08 ~' 2.3 Linda Lagergren From: Quon Phil [Quon Phil@cupertino.k12.ca.us] Sent: Monday, May 05, 2008 4:22 PM To: Dolly Sandoval Subject: Council Meeting -Agenda Item #23 Dear Councilmember Sandoval: I am writing in regard to Agenda Item #23 on the city council agenda for May 6th. There are many competing needs for School Safety funding. Certainly traffic and the safety of students going to and from school is always an important concern. However, using the funding to support improvements primarily at the Tri-School area does not seem like the best option. For several years the two school districts have partnered with the city to provide an additional School Resource Officer to serve all of the schools within the city. The report clearly outlines the benefits that are known and documented as a result of this added officer. On the other hand, the benefits of all the signage and costly traffic control measures proposed at Lincoln are less certain. Although both are desirable, the district feels strongly that the continuity of the added school resource officer is the most effective means of assuring a safer environment throughout the district and should be the number one priority. As noted in Option #2, this would still allow some funding to be used for limited traffic modifications and further study in the Tri-School area. I encourage you to approve Option #2. Thank you for your careful consideration on this item. Sincerely, - Phil Phil Quon, Superintendent Cupertino Union School District 10301 Vista Drive Cupertino, CA 95014-2091 408-252-3000 X200 quon phil(~cupertino.k12.ca.us