Local streets, especially those near schools, will see increased traffic as schools open for the new year.

By Mary O’KEEFE

School districts are welcoming students back to school, including Glendale Unified School District, and that means back-to-school traffic.

Law enforcement will be out in force to make certain drivers are following traffic laws and pedestrians are safe. In the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County-La Crescenta Montrose that means drivers will be seeing units from the California Highway Patrol.

“Give yourself enough time to get where you’re going,” advised Officer Keller, CHP.

That may seem like a simple task but every year law enforcement officers see drivers racing to drop off their children or letting them out of the car into traffic in order to beat the school bell. But it’s not just those dropping off and picking up their children at school that need to factor in the need for more driving time; those who have been driving to work or running errands all summer need to remember that due to additional traffic those tasks will take longer. Drivers may forget school has started, which means a lot more cars on local streets.

For those who are dropping students off drivers are advised to not only give themselves enough time but to also make sure they know the drop off procedures for all schools.

Elementary schools have specific drop off and pick up areas where students can get safely to and from school.
In the Crescenta Valley most elementary schools are in a neighborhood and drop off points are on smaller streets; however, there are some exceptions. For example, La Crescenta Elementary is on La Crescenta Avenue (a very busy street) and especially during drop off times traffic can be especially challenging.

CHP advises drivers to be aware of drop off/pick up procedures at local schools.

At Rosemont Middle School the issue is the same as elementary schools except there are more students being dropped off and picked up. The school is in a neighborhood that includes driveways leading to homes along Rosemont Avenue. Complaints from residents around the school include driveways being blocked and in a few cases people have actually parked in residential driveways to drop off their child.

Rosemont has two drop off/pick up areas at the school on Rosemont Avenue: in front of the school and at the back of the school on Raymond Avenue.

“There are some drivers [who] drop off in red zones,” Keller said.

Red zones, or fire lanes, do not allow cars to stop or park at any time.

Keller said there is a concern on Ramsdell Avenue near Altura Avenue at Crescenta Valley High School.

“I have stopped [drivers] on Ramsdell for dropping off [students] in the red zone and another vehicle will pull up behind them,” he said.

On Community Avenue in front of Crescenta Valley High School, there are posted signs that restrict U-turns; however, drivers continue to make U-turns, often in front of the school – and in front of CHP Officer Bay.

Both Keller and Bay said often the excuse heard from a driver who violates the vehicle code is that “they have been doing it ever since they went to school there” or “everyone else does it.”

Neither of those excuses will stop a driver from receiving a citation if they do not obey the traffic laws.

There are other concerns including distracted driving and speed, which is why law enforcement stressed that drivers need to give themselves enough time to get to school or to work.

“[Drivers] need to pay attention to posted signs and crosswalks,” added CHP Officer Shanelle Phillips.

Phillips added that pedestrians need to be aware of their surroundings as they are walking to school.

“You see a lot of students [with] their heads down [looking] at their phone,” she said. She said that can be unsafe as students are unaware of vehicles that are around them.

Clark Magnet High School have several buses going to the school. They travel from central and south Glendale to far north Glendale, where Clark is located. This means there are more buses on the freeway and on local streets.

There will be extra law enforcement near schools for at least the first few weeks as drivers and students get used to school schedules.

CHP will have several officers, including traffic safety volunteers, in the Crescenta Valley area as school begins.

“It is all about safety,” Bay stressed.

  Mary Okeefe, robin goldsworthy