The Cupertino Courier
Education
Gridlock, frayed tempers at middle school
By ERIN HUSSEY
During a rainy week in April, two Santa Clara County sheriff's officers watched cars drop off and pick up students at Kennedy Middle School as other cars tried to fight their way past the school traffic. Traffic was backed up for more than an hour before and after school. Cars were using the bike lanes to pass each other. Intersections were blocked. Driveways were used for illegal U-turns. Cars trying to make a left-hand turn into the school parking lot caused backups more than 25 cars long.
The traffic survey has resulted in a decision by the sheriff's office to limit left-hand turns into the school's parking lots on Bubb Road and Hyannisport Drive.
No left turns will be allowed on northbound Bubb into the Bubb parking lot or into the west Hyannisport lot. New signs and cones will be in place and more officers will direct traffic, said representatives of the sheriff's office at a recent community meeting. The sheriff's office called the meeting in order to share and gather suggestions for a solution to the traffic jams.
The change, though, might not be permanent.
A month-long trial will determine whether the action helps relieve traffic jams and stress. "The community is impacted the most because they are there day-in and day-out," said Sgt. Don Ray. "We have started looking for solutions, but the community is part of the solution."
Susan Camilleri, who has lived behind Kennedy for nine years, believes a bigger solution is necessary.
"We need to get more cars off of our feeder streets," Camilleri said. Feeder streets are classified as being wide enough for only two lanes of traffic, parked cars on each side and are without turning lanes.
"Perhaps we could use some vacant land, like Measurex, Linda Vista Park or Blackberry for a park-and-ride to truly spread the traffic farther out," Camilleri said.
She also suggested Monta Vista High School, Lincoln Elementary and Kennedy look into increasing the gap between each of their start times to decrease the gridlock. Camilleri believes organizing a planning meeting with members from the community, PTAs, the sheriff's office and school district members is the next step to finding a solution.
Other suggestions that were offered at the meeting included painting intersections with "Do Not Block" signs; working with crossing attendants so they cross larger groups of children versus one or two; reducing the number of children at the school; using buses and making biking/walking more attractive.
May Koski of the Bicycle Pedestrian Commission for the city of Cupertino and parent of a Kennedy sixth grader, thinks if more kids biked it would really help the problem. She is also trying to start an incentive program through Street Smarts, an organization that helps educate motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians on travel safety and being considerate.
"We have talked about doing an incentive program to get kids inspired about biking," Koski said. "Encouraging students to walk or bike a certain number of times per month and then entering them in a contest to win prizes likes gift certificates to Jamba Juice or iTunes or movie passes. It brings it back into their mind set."
But until a permanent solution is found, drivers are encouraged to remain patient during high traffic times and to continually check their surroundings for children.
LaNae Avra is a member of the Tiger Tracks program at Mountclaire Elementary. The program works with the school and Los Altos to ensure safe traveling for students to and from school. Avra offers important tips for all parent motorists:
*Leave early and park the car on a quiet street, then walk your child the last few blocks
*Slow down
*Hang up the phone
*Stop and watch for pedestrians before you get to the crosswalk
*Do not proceed through the crosswalk until all pedestrians have safely reached the curb.
If you have a comment, concern or suggestion regarding the traffic around Kennedy Middle School, please contact Ray at don.ray@sho.co.santa-clara.ca.us or call 408.808.4400.
