Turning restrictions at Bay Laurel Elementary to get a trial period

By Michael Picarella Acorn Staff Writer

A vehicle accident near Bay Laurel Elementary School in Calabasas that left a fourth-grade boy with severe injuries last year motivated many residents to call for traffic measures. The Calabasas City Council last week approved new turning restrictions at the Parkway Calabasas and Paseo Primario intersection.

The new laws are in effect during peak school traffic hours and it’s hoped the restrictions will also relieve gridlock.

Traffic signs will restrict left turns from northbound Paseo Primario onto Calabasas Road and restrict U-turns on westbound Parkway Calabasas at Paseo Primario between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m. and between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays. According to Calabasas Traffic and Transportation Manager Robert Yalda, signs were to go up this week and should stay there at least for the remainder of the school year as a trial.

"If this pilot doesn’t work, then we have to go back and revisit investigation studies because there is a lot of concern about a traffic signal," Yalda said in an interview. "But at the same time, there’s concern from parents about students’ safety."

The intersection warrants a traffic signal, according to traffic reports completed by city staff. But some people don’t want a signal.

Calabasas Park Homeowners’ Association president Helene Regen said on behalf of the board of directors that they don’t want a traffic signal there—not just for aesthetic reasons, she said in an interview, but also because it seems unnecessary. She made her comment knowing that it disagreed with recommendations of city staff.

The only traffic collisions in that area have been caused by driver errors, according to Regen. She’s hopeful, she said, that the left-turn restrictions will help reduce traffic congestion so that a traffic signal won’t be necessary.

Only time, Yalda said, will tell. If the turning restrictions don’t work, an alternative solution might be an option before a signal would be considered—unless no other option is available, said Yalda.

Safety is the ultimate concern, he said.

"Since 1994, my top priority has been the school safety committee," Yalda said. "We have definitely improved access to schools. We have an agreement with the school district to open the school a half-hour earlier so that children’s parents can get in. But unfortunately, I don’t understand why the parents wait to the last minute."

Almost all traffic arrives, he said, in the last five minutes before classes start.

Streets are less congested 30 minutes before school begins, according to Yalda. And school staff, he said, can watch students before classes commence, so parents shouldn’t worry about unsupervised children.

To help keep vehicles off the streets, the city has developed a "Walking Warrior" program that awards students for walking to school. They get gift certificates for Barnes and Noble, according to Yalda.

"I can repeat that all year long. That’s not a one-time deal," Yalda said. "We do have a lot of children that participate, but I definitely need more."

In addition to turning restrictions, the city plans to paint a red curb at Paseo Primario to handle vehicles that are dropping off and picking up kids. It causes traffic to build up in the vicinity, according to Yalda.

The city also hopes to get a shuttle to transport students from Park Estrada neighborhoods to and from the school. Otherwise, students must cross Parkway Calabasas––a very busy street.

The shuttle would bypass the Parkway Calabasas/Paseo Primario intersection and go through upper Paseo Primario to reach the campus.