Minutes of July 13, 2004 Murdock Neighborhood Assoc. Traffic Committee Meeting

[Personal email addresses, street addresses, and telephone numbers have been omitted from the MNA-website rendering of this document. Any questions about this document can be emailed to mna-information@murdockna.org and will be promptly referred to the appropriate committee member.]

Meeting was opened at 7:05 p.m. at the home of member Steve Chell,...

1. Review of Harli's meeting with San Jose City Neighborhood Traffic Management Dept.
   
   
   1. Harli picked up a copy of two traffic studies done 12/11/03 and 3/304. The raw data indicates only the speed of and number of cars on Johnson Avenue, Ora Street, Huntingdon, Wunderlich and Castle Glen within a 24-hour period. This study doesn't address the problem of traffic patterns, parking and congestion.
      
      
   2. Most importantly, it was learned that it is not legal for drivers to block access to a street or to driveways while waiting in line (as when children are being dropped off).
      
      
   3. School busing must be from school sites.
      
      
   4. Representatives from this agency are available to help as soon as we ask. They advise as to coordinate a meeting as soon as possible, given that Murdock-Portal School begins August 12^th.
      
      
2. Steve Chell recommends that Murdock-Portal Principal Leslie Mains be advised of our desire to meet as soon as she returns from her vacation. She and the appropriate district office staff member should be contacted to let them know that the city will be involved.
   
   
3. Cheryl Pace provided copies of traffic information for parents of Murdock-Portal School, some newsletters, map of the school grounds and a copy of the June 8, 2004 CUSD School Board meeting.
   
   
4. Traffic committee members and contact information:

   Steve Chell:

   Concern is traffic congestion from Murdock-Portal School

   Harli Rabow:

   Concern is traffic congestion from Murdock-Portal School and traffic and parking at Murdock-Portal park

   Trixie and Doug Johnson:

   Concern is traffic congestion from Murdock-Portal School

   Mori Mandis:

   Concern is traffic congestion from Murdock-Portal School

   Cheryl Pace:

   Concern is to slow traffic on Castle Glen with speed bumps and stop signs and traffic congestion from Murdock-Portal School

   April Winchester:

   Concern is traffic calming and safety on Lynbrook High School end of Castle Glen

   David Bratman:

   Concern is traffic calming on Huntingdon and Castle Glen

   Murray Hartman:

   Lisa Foldvary:

   Louise Wong:

   Ernie Sealey

   Bob Eggers:

   Bob Fanjoy:

   
   
5. Brainstorming

   Steve Chell noted that, during his tenure on the Cupertino School Board, the board and the district staff always considered CUSD schools to be GUESTS in their respective neighborhoods and that everything possible was done to ensure that CUSD schools were assets, not liabilities, to their respective neighborhoods. The MNA hopes that that philosophy remains alive within the district, and that it and Murdock-Portal Elementary School will be able to work constructively to solve problems that have arisen in the neighborhood as a result of the schools' reopening.

   With that, committee members brainstormed thoughts regarding the traffic and parking problems they have observed:

   1. Bus children to Murdock-Portal School from the CUSD office or other school site
      
      
   2. Require organized carpooling
      
      
   3. Require Murdock-Portal School parent patrols (as is done at other schools?)
      
      
   4. Have a flow of traffic that is totally counterclockwise: Traffic bringing children to school goes from Johnson Avenue down Castle Glen Avenue to Wunderlich Drive and leaves on Wunderlich in the direction of Bollinger Road. This plan prevents cars from turning left into the school.
      
      
   5. Have crossing guards/traffic monitors
      
      
   6. Put crosswalks at Ora and Wunderlich and at Wunderlich and Castle Glen
      
      
   7. Have additional staggered drop-off and pick-up times
      
      
   8. School events and night meetings need to be divided into more than just primary and upper grade evenings in order to limit the traffic and parking impact on the neighborhood.
      
      
   9. A neighborhood camera patrol will monitor and take pictures of traffic violators on the first day of school – August 12^th
      
      
   10. Police will be present and will ticket traffic violators on the first day of school – August 12
       
       
   11. Faria and Meyerholz School traffic is controlled by parent volunteers. (This needs to be confirmed.)
       
       
6. Other issue

The Murdock-Portal sign is still not correct and is referred to as Portal School "at the Murdock Site."

Action items

1. David Bratman will review the letter distributed to parents by the school and will draft an improved version for the school’s consideration. It will consider traffic safety laws as well as efficient access.
   
   
2. Steve Chell will contact the district office and the principal regarding the formation of the Murdock Neighborhood Association and the traffic committee regarding the organization’s intention to work with the district and the City of San Jose Traffic Management Dept.to find more acceptable solutions for the traffic and parking problems that came to light during the school’s first year of operation.
   
   
3. Cheryl pace will get a copy of Faria’s traffic control plan and Harli Rabow will get a copy of Christa MacAuliffe’s traffic control plan.
   
   

NEXT MEETING:

Wednesday, August 11 (evening before school opens)

7:30 p.m.

Home of Steve Chell,...

Respectively submitted,

 

Harli Rabow, chair

MNA Traiffic Committee