CC MEETING: December 1, 2015
DATE: November 19, 2015
TO: Leonard Martin, City Manager
FROM: Cesar J. Molina, Jr., P.E., Director of Engineering
Title
Discuss Newman Smith High School Crosswalk Enhancements.
Body
BACKGROUND:
This item has been presented at the request of Councilman Babick to discuss enhanced warning of the north crosswalk at Newman Smith High School on Josey Lane.
History:
Newman Smith High School was built in 1975. By 1992 its enrollment had reached 2,400. Due to insufficient on-site parking, sophomores and juniors were required to park in the parking lot of the First Baptist Church. At that time, the high school had about 750 on-campus parking spaces with 190 spaces reserved for teachers and staff and the balance available for students. About 300 students parked at the First Baptist Church and walked across Josey Lane.
In response to driver complaints over uncontrolled students crossing Josey Lane, especially during the morning rush hour, the school district and city developed a plan. The school district built additional parking spaces under the Oncor power lines and paid the city to place two off-duty police officers to staff the marked crosswalk in the morning and afternoon of school days.
From about 1993 to 2004, CFBISD paid a fee to the city equivalent to the cost of placing two off-duty police officers for two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon in an effort to better manage students crossing at this location. In 2004, the school district approached the city asking to allow CFBISD security personnel to staff the crosswalk instead of off-duty police officers. The city was receptive to this idea and in May 2004 the City Council modified the city code to allow this. From the fall of 2004 until the spring of 2013 CFBISD security personnel staffed this location.
Starting in the spring of 2013, the school district piloted an idea of leaving the crosswalk unmanned. After a successful pilot, the...
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