Submitted By
Bill McKenna, Village Engineer
Reviewed By
CLP
Agenda Item Title
Title
A Motion to Concur with the Transportation Commission’s Recommendation to Adopt the Proposed Washington Irving School Transportation Safety Plan
End
Overview
Overview
The Transportation Commission met on July 9, 2018 and recommended approval of the proposed Washington Irving School Transportation Safety Plan. The recommendations are in response to safety concerns around Washington Irving Elementary School during arrival and dismissal times as expressed by Washington Irving School administration and parents of Washington Irving School students. The recommendations resulted from a series of meetings between key stakeholders which took place to discuss safety issues, develop alternatives and come to an agreement on the measures included in the school’s Transportation Safety Plan.
Body
Staff Recommendation
The Transportation Commission reviewed this item at its July 9, 2018 meeting and voted unanimously to recommend (1) change parking restrictions on south side of Harvard Street between Ridgeland and Cuyler Avenues to NO PARKING, LOADING/DROP-OFF ZONE, 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS, (2) authorize District 97 (Washington Irving School) to temporarily close Harvard Street to westbound traffic between Cuyler Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue two times per day on school days, (3) change parking restrictions on Cuyler Avenue from Harvard Street to northern handicap parking space to NO PARKING, LOADING/DROP-OFF ZONE, 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS, (4) change all parking restriction time periods from 8AM - 4PM, MON-FRI to 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS, and (5) test a temporary neckdown on Cuyler Avenue at Fillmore Street.
Fiscal Impact
Staff estimates it will cost less than $5,000 to install signage, test equipment and related pavement markings; and provide barricades to Washington Irving School to enhance safety around the school during arrival and dismissal time periods. There are available funds in the FY2018 General Fund, Public Works - Street Services, account no. 1001-43740-761-550634 for this work.
Background
In January 2018, Village staff was contacted by the principal of the Washington Irving School as well as parents of Washington Irving School students. An injury accident occurred at the intersection of Harvard Street and Cuyler Avenue on January 17, 2018 involving a vehicle and a pedestrian (Washington Irving School parent) during the arrival time period. Information on this crash as well as a collision diagram for the Harvard Street and Cuyler Avenue is explained later in this section of the report. As a result, school administration and parents wanted a review of the drop-off and pick-up operations and possible changes to improve safety during the arrival and dismissal time periods.
A stakeholder meeting was held in February 2018. Attendees included Washington Irving School personnel, Washington Irving School PTO representative, parents of Washington Irving School students and Village staff. Personnel from the Police Department, Parking and Engineering Divisions were in attendance for the Village. The primary area of concern is the intersection of Harvard Street and Cuyler Avenue and the interaction between pedestrians, bicyclists and vehicles as students are arriving or leaving school. Other concerns included vehicles not obeying STOP signs and vehicles not stopping for pedestrians.
Village staff watched operations during arrival and dismissal time periods at Washington Irving School over the next few weeks. See Attachment A for the existing parking restrictions and traffic control devices around the Washington Irving School. See Attachment B for a copy of the Washington Irving School Safe Walking Routes to School map. A subsequent stakeholder meeting was held to discuss Village staff observations as well as various options available based on the physical layout of the area. From these possible options a Transportation Safety Plan could be developed for Washington Irving School.
Some of the issues staff noted were: severe vehicle congestion on Harvard Street as some vehicles are traveling through while other vehicles park or double park on either side of the street to drop-off or pick-up a student; hesitation at the Harvard/Cuyler intersection due the large number of users (pedestrians and vehicles) trying to travel through the intersection at essentially the same time resulting in risky decisions due to frustration; a sizable amount of street frontage adjacent to Washington Irving School on Cuyler Avenue restricted for bus loading zone was unused.
As a result of the stakeholder meeting, additional review of drop-off and pick-up operations took place and another stakeholder meeting was scheduled. At the third stakeholder meeting, a set of proposed changes were agreed upon. See below for the listing the proposed changes and the issues they are anticipated to mitigate.
A. Subject to approval of a pending IGA successor agreement between D97 and the Village, deploy a crossing guard at the intersection of Harvard Street and Cuyler Avenue during arrival and dismissal time periods. [Any request for a new crossing guard must be submitted to District 97 for consideration and approval as District 97 is financially responsible for the crossing guard.] Implementation of a crossing guard at this intersection will help to mitigate confusion as to who has right of way at the intersection and thus enhance safety as frustration and risky maneuvers will decrease.
B. Creation of a new vehicle drop-off/pick-up zone on the south side of Harvard Street between Ridgeland Avenue and Cuyler Avenue (traveling eastbound) via changing the parking restrictions to NO PARKING, LOADING/DROP-OFF ZONE, 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS. This modification should increase safety since students will be able to exit the vehicle curbside and access school property without having to cross the street.
C. Deploy a DO NOT ENTER barricade on Harvard Street to prohibit westbound traffic during arrival and dismissal time periods between Cuyler Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue. This option will discourage parents from parking on the north side of Harvard Street and crossing their child mid-block to school. It will also decrease congestion as the volume of traffic on the block will be reduced as westbound traffic is essentially prohibited.
D. Encourage a clockwise vehicle traffic pattern adjacent to Washington Irving School property (eastbound on Harvard Street and southbound on Cuyler Avenue). This suggestion is anticipated to increase safety as the student can exit the car curbside (south side of Harvard Street and west side of Cuyler Avenue) and access school property without having to cross the street.
E. Change bus loading zone on Cuyler Avenue between Harvard Street and the northern handicap parking space to NO PARKING, LOADING/DROP-OFF ZONE, 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS. This change will provide additional frontage adjacent to school property for individual drivers to use for drop-off and pick-up of students along Cuyler Avenue. This modification will enhance safety as students can exit or enter the vehicle curbside from school property without having to walk in the street.
F. Deploy a STAFF ONLY barricade at entrance to the staff parking lot. Parents have used the staff parking lot to drop-off or pick-up students. This will help to prevent parents from driving across one of the crosswalks adjacent to school property. This crosswalk is heavily used by students and other pedestrians traveling to or from Washington Irving School. As a result, a possible conflict point between pedestrian and vehicle may be eliminated.
G. Change all parking restriction time periods from 8AM - 4PM, MON-FRI to 7AM - 4PM SCHOOL DAYS to reflect when school is in session. This modification is administrative in nature.
H. Send request for a school speed zone on Ridgeland Avenue adjacent to Washington Irving School to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for consideration since Ridgeland Avenue is an unmarked state highway. This request, if approved by IDOT, is expected to lower vehicle speeds on Ridgeland Avenue in the area of the school.
A neighborhood meeting was held on June 6, 2018 at Washington Irving School to present the proposed Washington Irving School Transportation Safety Plan to parents of students and neighbors of Washington Irving School. See Attachment C for the proposed Washington Irving School Transportation Safety Plan, items A through H. The public meeting was attended by seven school neighbors or student’s parents as well as Village staff and the Washington Irving School principal. Response from the audience was generally positive with some feedback provided.
A collision diagram for the intersection of Harvard Street and Cuyler Avenue was generated using crash reports from the 36-month time period of May 1, 2015 through April 30, 2018. Please see Attachment E for the collision diagram. The 2016 crash involved a car traveling southbound on Cuyler Avenue sideswiping a parked car south the intersection. The 2018 crash involved a vehicle traveling eastbound on Harvard Street turning right, southbound, onto Cuyler Avenue struck and injured a pedestrian that was walking eastbound in the crosswalk across Cuyler Avenue (south leg of the intersection). The driver stated that she did not see the pedestrian in the crosswalk because her passenger side windows were still frosted from the cold weather.
The Transportation Commission reviewed the proposed Washington Irving School Transportation Safety Plan at its July 9, 2018 meeting. The Commission listened to staff’s presentation and public testimony. See Attachment D for written public testimony related to this item. See Attachment F for the draft minutes for the July 9, 2018 Transportation Commission meeting.
The Transportation Commission not only recommended A through H that were part of the original proposed Transportation Safety Plan for Washington Irving School but added the following recommendations:
I. Refresh existing pavement markings at all intersections adjacent to Washington Irving School property including Fillmore Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
J. Test temporary neckdown on Cuyler Avenue at Fillmore Street for the upcoming school year.
K. Send request to IDOT to install an in-street pedestrian crossing sign on Ridgeland Avenue at Fillmore Street for consideration since Ridgeland Avenue is an unmarked state highway.
Please see the Citizen Advisory Commission Action section and the comparison matrix (Attachment G) for the complete listing of recommendations.
Alternatives
Deny the Commission’s recommendations and the existing parking restrictions and traffic control devices remain without change; and thus issues noted by the school and other stakeholders remain.
Previous Board Action
None.
Citizen Advisory Commission Action
The Transportation Commission recommended the following:
A. Deploy a crossing guard at the intersection of Harvard Street and Cuyler Avenue during arrival and dismissal time periods. [Any request for a new crossing guard must be submitted to District 97 for consideration and approval as District 97 is financially responsible for the crossing guard.]
B. Creation of a new vehicle drop-off/pick-up zone on the south side of Harvard Street between Ridgeland Avenue and Cuyler Avenue (traveling eastbound) via changing the parking restrictions to NO PARKING, LOADING/DROP-OFF ZONE, 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS [MOTION]
C. Deploy a DO NOT ENTER barricade on Harvard Street to prohibit westbound traffic between Cuyler Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue during arrival and dismissal time periods. [RESOLUTION]
D. Encourage a clockwise vehicle traffic pattern adjacent to Washington Irving School property (eastbound on Harvard Street and southbound on Cuyler Avenue).
E. Change bus loading zone on Cuyler Avenue between Harvard Street and the northern handicap parking space to NO PARKING, LOADING/DROP-OFF ZONE, 7AM - 4PM, SCHOOL DAYS. [MOTION]
F. Deploy a STAFF ONLY barricade at the entrance to the staff parking lot. Parents have used the staff parking lot to drop-off or pick-up students.
G. Change all parking restriction time periods from 8AM - 4PM, MON-FRI to 7AM - 4PM SCHOOL DAYS to reflect when school is in session. [MOTION]
H. Send request for a school speed zone on Ridgeland Avenue adjacent to Washington Irving School to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for consideration since Ridgeland Avenue is an unmarked state highway.
I. Refresh existing pavement markings at all intersections adjacent to Washington Irving School property including Fillmore Street and Ridgeland Avenue.
J. Test temporary neckdown on Cuyler Avenue at Fillmore Street for the upcoming school year. [MOTION]
K. Send request to IDOT to install an in-street pedestrian crossing sign on Ridgeland Avenue at Fillmore Street for consideration since Ridgeland Avenue is an unmarked state highway.
The motion passed unanimously with a vote of five to zero.
Recommendation C requires Village Board approval of a resolution. Because this is the last meeting prior to the start of the new school year, the resolution is a separate item on tonight’s agenda.
Recommendations H and K need IDOT approval for the Village to implement the particular request. This is because Ridgeland Avenue is an unmarked state highway adjacent to Washington Irving School property.
Anticipated Future Actions/Commitments
Subject to consensus of the Village Board, staff will submit a resolution to the Village Board of Trustees for approval authorizing District 97 (Washington Irving School) to temporarily close Harvard Street to westbound traffic between Cuyler Avenue and Ridgeland Avenue two times per day on school days. [Note: Because this is the last available Board meeting prior to the start of the new school year, subject to approval of the motion, the street closure will be done temporarily under the administrative authority of the Police Chief and subjequently, the resolution will be presented to the Board for consideration in September.]
It is anticipated that a successor IGA for crossing guard services will be presented to the Board in September as well as a contract for services for crossing guards.
Intergovernmental Cooperation Opportunities
• Village staff worked with Washington Irving School administration to enhance safety for students and others traveling to Washington Irving School during the arrival and dismissal time periods.
• The Village and District 97 have an intergovernmental agreement with regard to the financial responsibility of crossing guards deployed at District 97 schools.
Performance Management (MAP) Alignment
N/A.