CLEARLAKE — Konocti Unified School District (KUSD) is looking to implement its new bus route plan for the remainder of the school year beginning May 21. Implementation of the plan is expected to result in increased pedestrian traffic during times when students are traveling to and from school.
District representatives met Wednesday with city personnel to discuss how the entities can work cooperatively to best ensure the safety of the students and inform the public of the anticipated increase in foot traffic. The entities discussed road conditions, at-large dogs in the city, lighting, alternative walking routes, signage and other related concerns.
KUSD Superintendent Bill MacDougall said collaborative efforts to address the issues that limit pedestrian travel in the city would ultimately benefit both entities and the community as a whole. “I think it would behoove the city and the school district to mitigate all these concerns to the point where we could feel safe with our kids walking to the schools,” he said.
KUSD is looking to fill a $1.2 million gap in transportation funding in academic year 2012-13. The bus reconfiguration plan is to be implemented in four stages aimed at reducing costs and services. Ultimately, the district will be reducing its bus routes from 13 to six with consideration of board policy.
Board policy states that kindergarten through eighth-grade students are not to be picked up within a mile of their school site. High school radius is two miles. KUSD Classified Services Director Dana Moore originally intended to configure the new bus stop locations under a three-quarter mile radius for elementary school students. However, during the meeting he said he reworked the plan to place bus stops in such a way that students will have no more than a half-mile to travel either to school or a bus stop. KUSD Board Trustee Mary Silva, who has voiced many concerns for safety in relation to the reconfiguration, said she was pleased with Moore”s effort to decrease walking distances for the district”s students. She said her highest concern is for the lack of safe walking paths within the city.
City Engineer Bob Galusha said that there are currently several Safe Routes To Schools (SR2S) projects occurring in the city including, but not limited to, one in the vicinity of Burns Valley School (BVS) and another in the area of Dam Road and Lake Street. He said construction on the projects is anticipated this summer. While SR2S projects are expected to assist in increasing safety within the project areas, concerns remain regarding expected travel paths to district schools such as use of Pomo Road, which is a narrow, highly-traveled roadway leading to Pomo School. Encouraging students and parents to use adjacent roads was discussed. The possibility of limiting Pomo Road and Pine Street, which fronts BVS, to one-way traffic was discussed as well. While Galusha indicated that the option was not likely the discussion proceeded to the point where the possibility of allowing school personnel to direct one-way traffic on Pine Street when children are going to and from school, could be explored.
MacDougall said public, parent and student education are going to be key in developing a successful plan. Use of the district”s automated messaging system to remind parents of the increase in foot traffic was suggested as an option along with aggressive media outreach. Signage details are to be worked out between the district and the city as well. Moore said 25, yellow “Caution Children Walking” signs were purchased and several sandwich board caution signs. The district will work with the city to place the signs in compliance with applicable regulations. The group, MacDougall, Moore, Silva and her husband, Ray Silva; and city representatives Joan Phillipe, city manager; Galusha, Doug Herren, Public Works supervisor; Craig Clausen, interim police chief; and Mayor Joey Luiz, will meet weekly as the new transportation plan is implemented.
