from Kathy Griswold to boe@aaps.k12.mi.us [multiple other parties] date Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 5:30 PM subject Change Order Needed for Thurston School Driveway -- Planned Design Unsafe Trustees and TSC attendees; During public commentary on May 26, I spoke on three topics: the Thurston School driveway redesign, the King School crosswalk and the 2001 Comprehensive Transportation Safety program. All three topics were discussed by the Transportation Safety Committee (TSC) on June 8, and I want to publicly thank Randy Trent for acknowledging that the established process for review and input was not followed and for providing an opportunity to review the Thurston driveway redesign at the TSC meeting on June 8. Based on that review, I recommend that the district immediately authorize a change order to eliminate the vehicle - pedestrian conflict in the current design, submit for DELEG approval (expedited approval available) and complete the construction this summer. (There would be a net savings from the change order due to the elimination of a driveway and fence.) Relevant comments from the TSC meeting: 1. This design was not strongly supported, but considered a compromise. 2. The traffic engineer was not aware of a similar two-loop design at any other elementary school anywhere. 3. The design calls for the students to be dropped off from personal vehicles on a concrete slab with a chain link fence, then cross the dedicated bus lane to enter the school. However, the procedure for controlling traffic when the buses are not present was not finalized and suggestions were not practical. 4. The existing situation in the Thurston driveway and parking lot is very dangerous and the proposed two-loop design is an improvement. 5. We cannot delay this project. If there are problems with the two-loop design, we can modify the driveway later. 6. The City engineer, a member of the TSC, was non-comital, but attempted to direct the conversation to a one-loop drive with the buses assigned to a specific section of the driveway curb. My response is that we cannot compromise on the safety of our students and we can construct a safer driveway this summer to address the extremely unsafe conditions that exist now at Thurston. In addition to the safety of our students, this design has three other major flaws. 1. Marketability and curb appeal -- A chain link fence across the front of a school in a neighborhood without chain link fences, except two on side yards, is not appropriate. 2. More money than common sense -- The over-engineering and separate driveway dedicated to four buses twice a day does not accurately convey the financial position of the district. 3. Negative impact on future sinking fund campaigns -- I aggressively campaigned for the initially 2002 sinking fund and the renewal in 2004; fiscal conservatives throughout the state could use this project to make a case for wasteful spending in public education. As I asked at the May 26 board meeting, why is a design that is not good enough for King School acceptable for the Thurston community? And, what if a child is injured with this non-standard design that was already abandoned at King School? Trustees, please authorize a change order for a driveway where all children can exit at the school curb without crossing vehicular traffic as I believe they do at every other AAPS elementary school. Thank you, Kathy Griswold ========== from Randy Trent to Kathy Griswold, [multiple parties] date Thu, Jun 10, 2010 at 10:02 AM subject Re: Change Order Needed for Thurston School Driveway -- Planned Design Unsafe Thank you for supplying your comments to the committee and the project engineer. As the procedure states the design must be by traffic engineer, Your comments as well as any others that we pertain to design will be considered by the project engineer. If changes are incorporated by the traffic engineer, a change order would be issued as we do with any of our summer projects. Thanks, Randy ========== from Patricia Manley to Kathy Griswold cc boe@aaps.k12.mi.us [multiple parties] date Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 8:50 AM subject Re: Change Order Needed for Thurston School Driveway -- Planned Design Unsafe Good Morning, To Ms. Griswold and All who were copied: Please read the attached pdf in response to your request for a change order. We, the Thurston Community, stand strong in our belief that the present design is the one we want. Have a good day. Patricia A. Manley, Principal Thurston Elementary School ========== from Kathy Griswold to Patricia Manley cc boe@aaps.k12.mi.us [multiple parties] date Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 11:25 AM subject Re: Change Order Needed for Thurston School Driveway -- Planned Design Unsafe Hello Pat Manley, I share your goal of constructing a school driveway this summer and will continue to work towards an ideal solution. This is consistent with the statement in the letter attached to your email signed by you and over 30 community members. "If an ideal solution is found this building season and supported financially, great we're for it." (Although it differs from your cover email.) Towards that goal, on Thursday, June 10, 2010, I contacted DELEG and spoke with Todd Cordill, Chief, Plan Review Division, Bureau of Construction Codes about my concerns that this plan did not meet the DELEG code. (My followup email to Todd Cordill is copied below.) I remain confident we can achieve an ideal solution this summer. Kathy Griswold ========== Griswold to DELEG Thurston Driveway Redesign Plan Violates Code, Please Rescind Approval and Expedite Change Order Hello Todd Cordill, This email is a followup on our phone conversation on June 10, 2010. The Thurston Elementary School driveway redesign plan recently submitted by the Ann Arbor Public Schools (AAPS) was approved by your staff. However, it is in direct violation of your code as listed below. Therefore, I request that you immediately rescind your approval and request that the AAPS submit a plan without a conflict in pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic. The existing situation in the Thurston School driveway is very dangerous and it is critical that the construction be completed this summer, but with a design that has all students being dropped off at a curb and entering the school without crossing vehicular traffic as in the current driveway redesign plan. Therefore, I request that you expedite any revisions to ensure construction this summer. "On-Site Traffic Patterns Roads Pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic shall be separated for the protection of pedestrians... " from http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dleg/dleg_bcc_school_site_plan_review_reference_guide_265768_7.pdf Thank you for addressing this oversight so we may have the safest possible driveway for our young students. Kathy Griswold ========== from Brad Mellor to Jim Valenta cc Patricia Manley , boe@aaps.k12.mi.us, [multiple parties] Kathy Griswold date Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 2:42 PM subject Thurston School Driveway I have reviewed the plan for the Thurston School paving project this summer. As Director of Transportation, I am satisfied that the design is safe and meets applicable codes ie: > Drop-off and Pick-up Areas > A school bus drop-off and pick-up area shall be physically separated > from other traffic. Bus > queuing shall be sufficient to accommodate the number of busses > > > required to transport the > designed student population. Provide a student drop-off and pick-up > area for private motor > vehicles that is physically separated from a school bus drop-off and > pick-up area... I also would like to take this opportunity to commnd the Thurston School Community and their Principal, Pat Manley, for the collaborative and productive manner in which the design parameters were reviewed and defined. As far as the Transportation Department is concerned, we are completely satisfied with the project as finally approved by the engineer. Bradford M. Mellor Director of Transportaiton ========== from Kathy Griswold to Brad Mellor cc Jim Valenta , [multiple parties] date Fri, Jun 11, 2010 at 3:18 PM subject Re: Thurston School Driveway Brad, I am in agreement regarding code compliance for bus and car separation. However, the design is not compliant with the following code (in bold) due to the pedestrian-vehicle conflict in the bus loop. "On-Site Traffic Patterns -- Roads Pedestrian and motor vehicle traffic shall be separated for the protection of pedestrians. Roads for one-way traffic shall be clearly marked and not less than 20 feet in pavement width. Two-way roads shall not be less than 24 feet in pavement width. All roads, drives and parking shall not be closer than 10 feet from any building." http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dleg/dleg_bcc_school_site_plan_review_reference_guide_265768_7.pdf Given the district's questionable history with traffic engineering projects, including the King School parents strong objection to a similar plan in 2008, and the ADA litigation over the Huron and Pioneer driveway projects, I recommend that the district immediately seek a second opinion from another traffic engineering firm. Kathy