Dear editor,
I was very pleased to see the Culver City Unified School District announcement of the new traffic flow pattern around Culver City Middle School, Culver City Adult School and Farragut Elementary School [Culver City News, Sept. 8, “School drop-off process turns a corner”]. This was exactly the proposal made by the PTA Farragut Traffic and Safety Committee some eight or so years ago when I was a member of that committee, when my daughters attended Farragut and I was active in PTA activities.
I vividly remember speaking with then-Culver City traffic engineer Max Petzold and one of his engineers in front of Farragut about the circular plan. The Farragut PTA Traffic and Safety Committee also backed a one-way traffic zone around Coombs Park, with the possibility of having the park be a drop off for Farragut students (A Coomb’s Park citizen’s petition had previously been circulated with 100% approval of the one-way traffic pattern. I believe I still have a copy of it.) Both suggestions were advanced to try to tame the unruly, unsafe traffic conditions around the education complex corner of Elenda Street and Farragut Drive.
While the circular traffic pattern and one-way traffic around Coombs Park were quashed, the Farragut Traffic and Safety Committee did achieve some successes. The committee made contact with the administration of the Julian Dixon Library regarding Farragut Elementary School and Child Development student morning drop-off at the parking area of the library. This proposal was immediately and graciously approved by the very understanding chief librarian. Farragut children could then be dropped off in the morning behind the Julian Dixon Library and enter Farragut Elementary without facing any traffic.
Additionally, a handicapped curb was created at Coombs Avenue and Farragut, as well as a painted pedestrian traffic crossing where none had existed before (amazingly, the Culver City Traffic Division also did not believe it necessary to have a painted pedestrian crosswalk at Garfield Avenue and Elenda, where massive student foot traffic still exists and jaywalking in the middle of the street is common). A four-way traffic stop sign was installed on Garfield at Coombs after the city did an extended traffic pattern analysis (before the instillation, Petzold and I observed zooming cars race non-stop from Culver City High School to Overland Avenue, which almost obviated the need for a study, but one was done anyway).
Additionally, the no-parking signs on the north side of Farragut, in front of Farragut Elementary were changed from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. (when parents were dropping off their children – and receiving tickets while walking their children to class) to 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also a “Do Not Enter” sign (school days only) stopped alley traffic between Franklin Avenue and Farragut.
The safety and traffic abatement measures were achieved through the efforts of the PTA. Culver City traffic and street engineers aided the abatement efforts through traffic data analysis.
This new drop-off area adds a huge measure of safety and traffic benefits for CCMS, OCD and Farragut children. I hope parents who drive their children to school are willing to support such measures and that any kinks or quirks of the new system can be quickly solved. It is really wonderful to see the city and CCUSD working together as they attempt to solve very serious traffic and safety issues for Elenda and Farragut residents, Culver City students and their moms and dads.
Roger Maxwell,
Culver City
