Left Turn Restrictions on Ripley & Felton at Adams Middle School

Item H17: April 7 Agenda Item was pulled and will be discussed another day

Background: School-related traffic near Adams Middle School is often problematic for approximately 30 minutes in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon on school days, which may lead to heavy congestion during these periods. As part of the School Area Traffic Safety Program study, staff presented the Adams Middle School Traffic Safety Evaluation in August 2018 with the intent to reduce congestion to the lowest degree possible, provide more orderly loading and unloading activities adjacent to the school and create an environment that increases safety and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists. As part of the evaluation, the City Council authorized staff to implement several traffic calming and traffic control features which included high-visibility crosswalks and LED-imbedded flashing stop signs.

More recently, additional modifications were considered to potentially enhance traffic safety along Ripley Avenue. Input from the school Principal was critical in the development of the recommendations to ensure that daily observations of issues are addressed and requests are incorporated to the degree possible. At an August 2019 joint meeting, which included the Principal, Council Members Loewenstein and Horvath, Redondo Beach Union School District board representatives and Beach Cities Health District representatives, the Principal emphasized the need to restrict left-turning movements from westbound Ripley Avenue onto the Adams Middle School valet parking entrance due to added congestion as vehicles were waiting for appropriate gaps to enter the school site.

The attached photo isn’t the latest decision from the Public Works Commission but it is close. The updated plan will be presented when the item returns for Council approval.