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| Redmond High School |
UPDATED: City Council modifies LW School District's Redmond High School plan to construct two building additions, three portables, and additional parking. Passes amended Ordinance 2608 approving RHS remodel. (6-1, Cole opposing).
The district is required to impliment and maintain detailed management plans for "event parking" and "daily operating parking".
It's a known fact, traffic is bad on 104th Street and 166th Avenue when school is in session. During the July 19th city council meeting on the proposed Redmond High School (RHS) building additions, even Council President Richard Cole said he avoids driving these roads whenever possible. Richard has this luxury; his kids graduated years ago.
Susan Wilkins, a mother of two RHS students, unfortunately doesn't have this option. In the July 26 permit Hearing, she bravely spoke for almost 10 minutes on district traffic study omissions and school project costs. City and district lawyers and officials listened intently.
"With 500 more potential parent drop-offs of 9th graders, traffic will be horrible" Wilkins said. "I can't even get on 104th Street without making an illegal left turn". She said her "kids had to walk on Avondale just to get on a bus, just so the District could get paid [for that route]." Wilkins advised that a state law goes into effect this September giving eligibility for busing only to those kids living outside a one mile radius from school (not counting twists and turns). She concluded, "It's better to drive my kids".
Ms. Wilkins focused her argument on severe lack of school and Metro bus ridership stating:
"Only 300 ride the bus to RHS, of 1450 students. That's less than 20% of the population. At Lake Washington High School almost 1000 students or, 50% ride of the kids ride the Metro bus".
She said the District needs to provide more buses or give Metro incentives. Unfortunate for Ms. Wilkins and her supporters, Council didn't address busing. A traffic planning ordinance (TMP) and lack of documentation appeared to limit Council on the issue.
What the District committed was Read More >>
to monitor traffic on 104th and Avondale (cost of ~$13,000) by changing the signal timing at this intersection. Wilkins countered, "with considerable delays at the four high school entrances and exits, the light won't help traffic around the school.' Traffic mitigation at 104th and 166th wasn't addressed.
Council's deliberation focused on gridlock from parking shortages. District plans to reduce on-site student parking by 22 spaces appears to exacerbate the problem. However, Councilmember Hank Myers argued in favor of the District's parking plan saying, "I live in a District [Bellevue] where parking was reduced successfully and with a far better way of getting kids to school. It created a far better traffic flow...then simply continuing kids parking habits at school..." Councilmembers Hank Margeson and John Stilin openly agreed with Myers.
Council member Kim Allen suggested parking mitigation language that earned the praise of President Cole. Ms. Allen recommended "parking management plans (1) be required to incorporate off-site event and daily parking to include formal agreements with area schools, churches, and adjacent parking."
The Ordinance approving the RHS building permit with conditions, passed 6-1 with Cole opposing. President Cole warned the 500 additional 9th grade drop-offs "will flood those neighborhoods and I don't think this can be mitigated." The remodel is scheduled for completion by September, 2012 at a total cost of $18,600,000. (The school district attorney avoided responding to Myers' request for a break-down of levy vs. state spending on the project).
Council member Stilin cautioned that "Changes [reconfiguration] at one school with have a ripple effect in transportation to other schools. 6th grade elementary classes will shift to RJH while 9th grade classes move to Redmond High. Rejiggering the way transportation moves in the city will have a ripple effect in transportation unlike any organization." Read More >>
Council member David Carson chose not to deliberate on this Ordinance. He is running in the November, 2011 election against challenger Sue Stewart.
Reported by Bob Yoder
Internet Photo.
(1) Parking Management Plans: "To mitigate future parking and traffic impacts, the Lake Washington School District shall update its Transportation Management Program (TMP) for the high school, establishing the goal and measurement that will be used to ensure that parking and demand meets the on-site parking supply. The TMP shall include specific actions the District will take to actively implement and maintain a program to achieve this goal on a continuous basis. Actions may include options such as parking pricing, commuter clubs for both staff and students (*financial incentives) or similar actions that support effective balance of parking demand and supply. The TMP shall also contain at least two contingency measures that shall be implemented if the goal is not met or maintained for two consecutive years. The TMP shall be approved by the City’s Transportation Demand Management Division prior to the issuance of any building permits for the project."
*"financial incentives" was striked from the amendment on request of the District.
--excerpt from ORD. 2608 (AM)
Ms. Susan Wilkins, an engaged and dedicated resident and district volunteer spent untold hours of research and study on this - effectively arguing for improvements to the project during the CUP Hearing.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will give Susan your thanks for the parking imporvements when you see her around town.
The 1-mile bus radius seems not to take altitude into account. It's not called Education Hill for nothing! It is a serious slog to walk up the hill from Avondale to RHS, and drawng a 1-mile radius circle on a map does not take that into account.
ReplyDeleteIt is also not taken into account when comparing RHS to, say LWHS.