From: Jennifer Cline
Sent: Thu Sep 24 11:35:01 2015
To: Rod Lucich
Cc: Dan Huff; Darren Penni; Nicholas Lennartz
Subject: FW: Leroy Avenue............
Importance: Normal
Hi Rod,
Are you aware of this?
Dan,
I agree, the school legally cannot close public right of way without an approved traffic control plan. They have never requested this from me and until I was unaware this was happening. To close a street encompasses advanced signing (preferably at Toliver and Main in this case).
According to our TSP, “Leroy is currently a major North-South route between Toliver Road and Main Street”. This is still true today. It is the west most connector in the City limits before reaching OR-213. With increasing growth in Molalla and the close proximity to the school, the intersection is recommended to become signalized when reaching a LOS F.
In addition, Leroy is identified as a Major Collector in the TSP, pg. 84 Table 12. Closing Leroy during peak AM traffic flows will adversely affect the connectivity of the transportation system.
In conclusion, I do not recommend approving a traffic control plan for closing Leroy specifically for bus access. This is not a residential or neighborhood street.
Jennifer Cline, P.E. | Public Works Director
Licensed in OR, WA
117 N Molalla Ave. | PO Box 248 * |Molalla, OR 97038
O: 503.759.0218 | F: 503.829.3676
From: Darren Penni [mailto:dpenni@cityofmolalla.com]
Sent: Thursday, September 24, 2015 11:06 AM
To: Dan Huff <dhuff@cityofmolalla.com>; 'Jennifer Cline' <jcline@cityofmolalla.com>
Subject: Leroy Avenue............
Dan,
I am wondering if I can get some clarification on an issue I had on Leroy Avenue this morning while trying to get to highway 211 so I could run a water sample to Alexin Analytical????
I was stopped by a lady that jumped out in front of me with a hand held stop sign that said “you can’t go through here.” There was not a single vehicle in front of the middle school and only two buses that were both turning onto West Lane. When I asked her why I couldn’t go through she said “we don’t allow cars through here in the morning.” When I asked her what she wanted me to do she told me to back up and that I had to go through the school parking lot – I did so and was then stuck in the lot with 12 other cars that were there dropping kids off at school, I was on a time line to get to Tigard and although I made it, this didn’t help.
I know there is a set up there in the afternoon where the buses are parked side by side and the entire South bound lane is blocked and you cannot get through there – for some reason they also shut down the North bound lane in the afternoon even though that lane is clear. I guess I’m wondering how they can do this? What if I was “joe citizen” trying to get to or from work and was told I can’t go through there???? There is no signage indicating the road is closed during these times at either the highway end or the Toliver end…. You don’t know about this until you have already turned onto Leroy Avenue.
A few years ago I was at a meeting in front of the middle school with Dean Madison, Mike Penunuri (who had concerns about their set up from a response to an incident at school stand point); A lady from the bus barn, schools facilities guy at the time and I believe the old Superintendent was there as well. When asked by Dean Madison (Public Works Director at the time) why they don’t do what the used to do and pull into their own lot and pick up/drop off kids around back and pull out other side like they did for years the response was that their asphalt was so crumbled that it could no longer handle the weight of the buses – isn’t this their issue and not that of all of the people that are simply trying to drive down a public street in town and are told they can’t?
Anyway….just curious, I have had countless people ask me about this over the years and it really does seem unreasonable that their asphalt issues are now everybody’s issue two time s a day. If you would like to see what a mess this creates in the afternoon and apparently morning, I’d be happy to take you on a field trip some time.
I also noticed that this particular lady did not have on a safety vest and I’ve noticed that in the past too, not always but on occasion no vests….have they been to flagging classes etc????
Thanks,
Darren