TO: Chair and Members of the City Traffic Commission
THRU: Larry Tay, City Traffic Engineer
FROM: Maria Flores, Assistant Engineer
1. Subject
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Installation of a school bus loading zone on the north side of E. Jordan Avenue adjacent to Jordan Elementary School.
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2. Summary
The City received a request from the Orange Unified School District to establish a designated bus loading zone adjacent to Jordan Elementary School to improve traffic flow during student pick-up and drop-off times.
3. Recommended Action
recommendation
Approve the installation of a school bus loading zone on the north side of E. Jordan Avenue adjacent to Jordan Elementary School between S. Esplanade Street and S. Hewes Street.
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4. Fiscal Impact
None.
5. Strategic Plan Goals
Goal 5: Improve Infrastructure, Mobility, and Technology
6. Discussion and Background
At the request of the Orange Unified School District (OUSD,) a new school crosswalk is scheduled to be completed on Jordan Avenue, at the S. Schug Street intersection in front of Jordan Elementary School, in time for the new 2025-2026 school year. In anticipation of the parking impacts related to said crosswalk, and to optimize school site circulation, OUSD proposes an adjustment to Jordan Elementary’s pick-up and drop-off operations that would require the installation of a bus loading zone on Jordan Avenue.
Currently, school buses enter the parking lot and utilize the on-site circulation system for student drop-off and pick-up, while private vehicles rely on the Jordan Avenue school frontage. The new operation would do the reverse, with private vehicles entering the school parking lot instead (and school busses using Jordan Avenue.) To facilitate this change, OUSD has requested designating a 75-foot-long section on the north side of Jordan Avenue (between S. Schug Street and S. Esplanade Street) as a bus loading zone from 7AM to 4PM on school days. Doing so would ensure the curb space is available for school busses and any violations of the curb restriction are enforceable.
Jordan Avenue is a local residential street with light traffic volumes. The proposed loading zone spans approximately 75 feet and lies along the 800-foot school frontage. Parking demand in the surrounding neighborhood is low, and the establishment of a bus loading zone is not anticipated to impose any hardship on area residents. Outside school hours, the loading zone will remain available for general parking. Additionally, the proposed change is expected to ease parent drop-off congestion.
In addition to the 75-foot bus loading zone, staff will install an additional 10 feet of red curb along the westerly exit driveway of Jordan Elementary to provide an increased buffer between the school busses and nearest driveway.
7. ATTACHMENTS
• Letter of Request
• Area Map
• Site Sketch
• Notification Letter