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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 08 - School ZoneITEM t'' -- MEMO TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: ROGER NELSON, CITY MANAGEReV/ MEETING DATE: DECEMBER 21, 2004 SUBJECT: SCHOOL ZONE REMOVAL ON MUSTANG DRIVE RECOMMENDATION: City Council consider adopting an ordinance amending Section 23-27; Speed limits — Schedules of additional school zones, relative to the removal of the school zone on Mustang Drive from Timberline Drive to 1500 feet east of Timberline Drive and take any necessary action. BACKGROUND: School zones are typically installed to minimize conflicts between motorists and school going pedestrians. The most common locations for school zones are immediately adjacent to schools where large numbers of school children are crossing the street or at locations where there are no sidewalks. A school zone typically extends 500 feet on either side of a school crossing and is characterized by a reduced speed limit and flashing yellow lights. The school zone on Mustang Drive was originally installed to provide a safe separation for school children walking along Mustang Drive to and from the Timberline Elementary School, Cross Timbers Middle School and Grapevine High School. Mustang Drive was a two-lane street at the time and had no sidewalks. As part of the widening of Mustang Drive to four lanes, a five-foot side sidewalk has been constructed on both sides of Mustang Drive. The sidewalk is also separated from the roadway by five feet of landscaping, thus providing a safe separation between the motorists and pedestrians. In addition, Mustang Drive has a straight alignment along this section, so there is little likelihood that vehicles will veer from the roadway. There is currently no connecting school zone on the portion of Timberline Drive from Mustang Drive to Stone Creek Lane (located immediately north of Timberline Elementary School). Field observations reveal that: Approximately fifty children walk along Mustang Drive from the various apartments (along Mustang Drive) to and from the school in the afternoons. Only about 20 children walk to school in the morning. A majority of the children are walking to and from the Cross Timbers Middle School and not the Timberline Elementary school. December 15, 2004 (9:22AM) • The middle school children are walking along Mustang Drive between 3:20 and 3:40 pm, when the school zone is no longer active. Vehicles are traveling at normal speeds during this time and no conflicts or potential conflicts were observed between vehicles and pedestrians. • Only two kids actually crossed Mustang Drive in the afternoon and five kids crossed in the morning. The children were all middle school kids and crossed at the Mustang Drive and Timberline Drive signal. Staff has received- requests from citizens inquiring as to the necessity of the school zone. The school zone unnecessarily inconveniences motorists by lowering the speed limit to 20 mph while providing little safety benefit to pedestrians. Therefore, Staff recommends removal of the school zone. -- RC/rc O:\agenda\12212004\agmemo.School zone removal on Mustang drive.doc December 15, 2004 (9:22AM) AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS AMENDING THE GRAPEVINE CODE OF ORDINANCES BY AMENDING CHAPTER 23 TRAFFIC, SECTION 23-27 SCHEDULES OF ADDITIONAL SCHOOL ZONES; AUTHORIZING THE ERECTION OF TRAFFIC REGULATION SIGNS; REPEALING CONFLICTING ORDINANCES; PROVIDING A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS ($200.00) FOR EACH OFFENSE AND A SEPARATE -OFFENSE SHALL BE DEEMED COMMITTED EACH DAY DURING OR ON WHICH AN OFFENSE OCCURS OR CONTINUES; PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE; DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS: Section 1. That Chapter 23 Traffic, Section 23-27 (a) Speed Limits --Schedules of additional school zones, of the Grapevine Code of Ordinances, is hereby amended by removing the following location: "Mustang Drive, 1,500 feet east from the intersection of Timberline Drive" Section 2. That the City Manager, or his agent, is hereby authorized to have the proper traffic signs erected, constructed, and placed at such points along said highways, streets or alleys, or portions thereof under construction, maintenance, or repair, so that travelers will be reasonably notified of said traffic regulations. Section 3. That all ordinances or any parts thereof in conflict with the terms of this ordinance shall be and hereby are deemed repealed and of no force or effect provided, however, that the ordinance or ordinances under which the cases currently filed and pending in the Municipal Court of the City of Grapevine, Texas shall be deemed repealed only when all such cases filed and pending under such ordinance or ordinances have been disposed of by a final conviction or a finding of not guilty, nolo contendere, or dismissal. Section 4. That any person, firm or corporation violating any of the provisions of this ordinance shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction in the Municipal Court, shall be fined in an amount not to exceed the sum of Two Hundred Dollars ($200.00) for each offense and a separate offense shall be deemed committed each day during or on which an offense occurs or continues. Section 5. If any section, article, paragraph, sentence, clause, phrase or word in the ordinance, or application thereto any person or circumstance is held invalid or unconstitutional by a Court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance; and the City Council hereby declares it would have passed such remaining portions of this ordinance despite such invalidity, which remaining portions shall remain in full force and effect. Section 6. The fact that the present ordinances and regulations of the City of Grapevine, Texas do not adequately regulate the traffic within the City creates an emergency and the preservation of the public health, safety, and welfare requires that this ordinance take effect immediately from and after the date of its passage. PASSED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GRAPEVINE, TEXAS on this the 21s1 of December, 2004 ATTEST: FTAI -• -a DWAy 2 1 Is]�- ORD. NO. 2 �. 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