Working together to ensure the safety of our students on the roads in front of the school
KSAT News was out at Brandeis HS today shooting a spot that aired tonight on the news. You can watch it on their website.
Reporter, Patty Santos, interviewed one of our own, Lori Rivero, who did a great job talking about the problem. And the story provided a useful update on changes that have already taken place and changes that are in the works.
Five days after our community meeting, the SA Police Department started a ticketing blitz to cut down on speeding in the school zone. And just one week after that, today, the school zone speed limit has been reduced to 20 mph, as we requested.
The 20 mph speed limit is what Safe Kids Worldwide recommends for school zones (15-20 mph is the recommendation). Their materials state: “The National Transportation Safety Board reported in July 2017 that… in 20 mph speed zones [that were reduced from 35 mpg], the number of traffic accidents decreased by 60 percent, and child pedestrian fatalities and child cyclist fatalities were reduced by 67 percent” (Sensible Speed Limits Action Plan).
These two action steps are the two that could be done most quickly. And given the urgency of the problem, we appreciate the Councilman, the city and the SAPD are not just listening and making promises. They are taking action.
And, we’re not done.
Councilman Pelaez’s office today sent out a PDF document containing questions and answers from our Brandeis community meeting last week. I am posting it here verbatim for those who aren’t on the office’s email list (and because I don’t see it on their website). If you would like to get on their list (or if you have questions), see Number 19 below for their contact info.
To give you some context, participants at the community meeting were invited to write questions onto index cards before we entered the room. The Q&A below lists the councilman’s office’s answers. Many of these topics were discussed during the meeting, and we received more clarity from the representative from TCI (Transportation and Capital Improvements department) – particularly questions 5, 6, 10, 21, 22, and 23. See my notes from that meeting for more info.
Below is the content of the Q&A document.
1. What can be done right away? Especially for the “band” intersection?
Regarding the obstructed view at the band intersection, the D8 council office has contacted the representative for the property owner next to Brandeis and requested they clean up the brush that is obscuring the visibility. (Anything inside the property must be addressed by the property owner.) After initial discussions, the owners have agreed to trim the brush closest to the band entrance. They will work with engineers in the near future to determine what trees, if any, can be removed per the city’s tree ordinance.
2, The intersection at the Band Hall exit needs to be addressed first.
The D8 council office is not prioritizing one exit over another. Both are high priorities. The accident data is currently being reviewed for both exits.
3. Do you agree there is a safety issue at the north entrance?
Yes, the D8 council office agrees and we are working closely with the school administration and city departments to help resolve the issues.
4. How can we as parents ensure the safety of our high school students walking home?
Discussing safety issues with your children, the school administration, and our council office is a great start for ensuring we are all working together to keep our students safe. Our office is happy to list some safety recommendations, including:
For more information visit Vision Zero Initiative at: https://www.sanantonio.gov/TCI/Vision-Zero
5. Lower speed limit to 20 mph in front of the school.
The D8 council office has made this request to *TCI and we are awaiting their traffic study.
6. When will the light be installed? Will there be stop signs placed at the interim?
The D8 council office does not have an exact date, yet, as to when the light will be installed. The funds were approved and secured last week. Next – a design and bid must be approved. This could take up to 18 months; however, Councilman Pelaez requested this be done sooner. Stop signs are also being considered at the request of several parents. We will make sure to inform the school and parents when the work will begin.
7. Will sidewalks be added going towards Hausman?
TCI is currently evaluating the possibility of extending a portion of the sidewalk.
8. There are 3 issues concerning the safety at the north entrance. Obscured view, speeding motorists, dangerous crosswalk. How will a traffic light signal at the main exit/entrance help this situation in any way?
Currently TCI is exploring options to address the concerns at the north driveway. There have also been incidents and concerns at the south driveway and those issues will be addressed by the traffic signal at the south driveway.
9. Can there be a sign/warning sign of some kind added before the blind curve going south on Kyle Seale?
The D8 council office has sent this request to TCI and will monitor progress.
10. Can we have some way for students to have a protected way to cross the street?
The traffic light will help students cross the street safely once it’s installed. The D8 council office has also requested that the crosswalk at the north entrance be moved. We have also requested flashing LED lights be installed.
11. What are the plans to alleviate traffic problems at Kyle Seale and Champions Gate?
Skyhawk Dr. and Champions gate? Currently, SAPD is monitoring the area and has been ticketing drivers. Could you please provide additional information regarding the traffic problems that are being experienced so that our office can pursue additional solutions?
12. Who owns and/or is responsible for maintenance of concrete fence along Woller creek subdivision?
According to TCI, the HOA is responsible for the maintenance of the fence. At the request of the HOA, the D8 council office is inquiring further.
13. How many complaints? How many years aware? How do studies get initiated?
Our office has recently received approximately 30 complaints. We know traffic has been a concern for many years. Our office has been working on this concern since November 2017, and the Brandeis high school administration has been working on this for the past 8 years. Studies are initiated by calling the city’s 311 call center or by contacting the D8 council office.
14. Per the Councilman, a light will be put in at the school. Will there be a light at one or both entrances off of Kyle Seale?
One light will be installed at the south (main entrance) next to the marquis.
15. How many accidents so far? Who has the right-of-way at crosswalk?
Within the last two years there have been: 2 motor vehicle/pedestrian accidents and 9 motor vehicle accidents. While there is some ambiguity to Texas Transportation Code chapter 552, TCI has confirmed: -If a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, approaching vehicles must yield to the pedestrian until they have cleared their lane of travel. In some cases it may be required that a vehicle stop in order to yield to a pedestrian. -However, it is up to the pedestrian to make sure it is safe to cross before stepping into the roadway.
16. Will a sidewalk be built behind Igo Library and Bonnie Conner Park easement from Woller to Kyle Seale?
The D8 council office has sent this request to TCI and we will monitor progress.
17. Will sidewalks and a protected crosswalk be put in at Corian and Woller?
The D8 council office has sent this request to TCI and we will monitor progress.
18. Can high school students ride the Stinson bus?
This question is outside the city’s jurisdiction and therefore, we have referred this question to NISD. We will update parents once we receive a response.
18. How will we be kept up to date on the progress?
We are happy to send updates along the way via Next Door and through this email list. You can also call or email our office for a progress report. Our number is 210-207-0943. Our email is district8@sanantonio.gov.
20. Cars are running the red lights at Kyle Seale and Hausman. Can an officer be posted at this location?
The D8 council office has requested SAPD presence at this location.
21. Flashing crosswalk signs on Champions gate and Kyle Seale both crosswalks? Trim the trees in front of the road signs on Champions Gate and lower school speed limit on Kyle Seale.
The D8 council office has sent this request to TCI and we will monitor progress.
22. How difficult is it to make sure this signal is consistent with the main traffic light when letting pedestrians know it’s safe to cross?
TCI is requesting more clarification to properly answer this question.
23. Is it possible to open all entrances opened to the school?
This question is outside the city’s jurisdiction; therefore, we have referred it to NISD.
24. Can we have police or crossing guards at the intersections during peak times?
This question is outside the city’s jurisdiction; therefore, we have referred it to NISD.
*TCI – Transportation and Capital Improvements Department
About 50 people gathered for the community meeting that was held by Councilman Pelaez at Brandeis HS on Thursday night (9/13/18).
Among the participants were families who have been affected by auto accidents on Kyle Seale Parkway.
And there were many who have been pressing for weeks or months for something to be done to make the road safer. Some have been in conversation with school leaders, others with district leaders, others with the councilman’s office, some with SAPD and others with city officials.
Now, we are coming together with a common voice and had a valuable opportunity last night to talk through different options before us.
Also at the meeting were our SAFE officers, the NISD Chief of Police, Principal Dr. Berger, Superintendent Dr. Woods, the BHS PTSA president, public affairs staff from NISD and SAPD and many members of the councilman’s staff.
Councilman Pelaez led the meeting, making it clear that he wanted to make sure the city was doing what it needs to do so that school leaders can focus on running the school, rather than the school having to work around issues because the city wasn’t doing its job.
He invited Arthur Reinhardt, Assistant Director of SA Transportation and Capital Improvements, up front to discuss possible road and signage options. The dialog gave him a chance to get feedback and get a better idea of who uses the parking lot when.
Councilman Pelaez first reported on the budget action that the city council had just taken earlier in the day. The budget has $10 million for the city to take care of streets and sidewalks that need attention. And it adds more SAPD officers. It also includes money for a new stoplight in front of the school (see detail below), which was proposed following a traffic study that was conducted at the request of BHS and NISD.
The long, long range plan for Kyle Seale Parkway in front of the school is for it to be a four-lane road. The land is already accounted for. Some of the previous decisions about the original school zone speed limit of 30 mpg, etc., are based on that plan.
Following are highlights of the different strategies and ideas we discussed.
– Long Term: The city will fast-track the installation of the stop light. The process usually takes 18 months, but it will be ready in early 2019. “Design will start tomorrow,” Reinhardt said.
– Interim: The city can install stop signs (which of course will be in effect 24/7 rather than just during peak traffic times).
► The city can move the crosswalk to the other side of the driveway and extend the sidewalk, which will prevent students from having to cross the driveway traffic (without a crosswalk) in order to get the crosswalk.
► The city can install vertical delineators in the center of the road pretty quickly. This would prevent left turns in and out of the parking lot at the “band entrance.” Mr. Reinhardt acknowledged that this could potentially impact school operations. There was consensus that this would cause new problems. For example, traffic flow in the parking lot would be even more congested before and after school.
► The city can install a flashing crosswalk sign, called a HAWK beacon. These lights are used to stop road traffic and allow pedestrians to cross safely. The group liked this idea, since it would finally give students a protected way to cross the street.
► The city is already in conversations with the owner of the property at Kyle Seale and Hausman. The recently were able to get the vegetation trimmed back. The property is now for sale, which could open up some options for the city to be able to straighten out the road, create a turn lane or at a minimum install a sidewalk (actually the sidewalk may still be possible depending on the property line).
► The city can reduce the school zone speed limit to 20 mph. City ordinance sets school zones at 20, 25 or 30 mph based on the size of the road, etc. Since Kyle Seale is not yet four-lanes, it makes sense to lower the limit. (Note that the school and district got the speed limit reduced from 30 to 25 earlier.) The consensus in the room last night was that going to 20 mph is a no-brainer.
► At the group’s request, SAPD will patrol the area more often, especially in the next few weeks, to watch out for speeders and drivers who run the red light at Hausman and Kyle Seale Parkway (thus, more tickets to enforce the safety laws).
► SAPD does not have the personnel available to have an officer direct traffic. Off-duty officers may be available, but the district would be responsible for hiring someone. (Note that crossing guards cannot direct traffic.) Dr. Woods stated that if the city takes some actions, the district will commit to hiring an off-duty officer (no timeline for this was discussed).
► Red light cameras are not an option. San Antonio does not have any, and the Governor just announced his intention to ban them anyway.
► Regarding the stop light at Hausman and Kyle Seale and having to sit through several cycles when there’s no traffic coming the other way, this is a maintenance issue with the default timing system. You can call 311 (or use the city’s new app) to let them know, and they’ll fix it.
► Adding another exit from the parking lot onto Champions Gate isn’t a workable option for a variety of reasons.
► The SAPD representative clarified the law regarding driver responsibilities at crosswalks.
► Dr. Berger took a moment to share just some of the ways the school has been pro-actively working to protect the students. In the first week of school, juniors and seniors are brought together to review the being a responsible of teen driver. Student parking permits are suspended when there is a concern. Working with the PTSA and booster organizations. She is communicating with teachers, meeting with safety ambassadors, and working with the councilman’s office and with NISD (see post on September 11).
► Councilman Pelaez will provide updates by email. Contact his office to get on his email list or to ask questions: 210.207.0943 or laura.garza@sanantonio.gov.
► Brandeis HS will post news on the school website.
► I will continue to post news on this blog. If you have news, please comment on this or upcoming posts.
Brandy Lint volunteered to spend her evening at the San Antonio City Council meeting tonight to speak on our behalf about the dangerous intersections in front of the school. She also had a conversation with a representative of the SA Transportation and Capital Improvements Department, who will be at our community meeting tomorrow. Below are her remarks.
Thanks, Brandy for representing us!
Good evening,
Mr. Mayor, Council Members. I appreciate the opportunity to address you tonight, not as a business person in the community, but rather as a concerned parent speaking on behalf of other concerned parents, looking to our city leaders to take action.
For two years now, I’ve made the daily trek to drop-off children at Brandeis High School. Over that time, I have observed a daily traffic nightmare that can only be described in one word – DANGEROUS.
I’m not here to point fingers at a design flaw or talk about what could have been done in the past, what I am here to talk about is what SHOULD and MUST be done to protect the thousands of students who enter that school each day and the thousands more who will follow.
The reality is there are simply no safe exits when leaving the parking lot of the school. The one road to enter and exit the building has become one of the busiest roads in our area – Kyle Seale.
This has become a thorough fair for not only students but thousands of community members who live in the area trying to access 1604 from the surrounding neighborhoods. In doing so, many of these drivers have complete disregard for the school zone.
On any given day, people speed through the 25 mile an hour zone going 30, 40, even 50 miles an hour to get to their destination. They zip around the line of cars waiting to turn in or turn out and many have absolutely no idea there are two poorly labeled crosswalks the students are trying to across from to get to school.
The thru traffic does not have so much as a stop sign they are required to abide by so that a student can safely cross, and one of the crosswalks – where the sidewalk ends and forces students to cross – is coming off a blind curve in which many times you can’t see the student until it’s too late. Unfortunately, we saw how dangerous these crosswalks are this past Friday when a 9th-grade student was trying to walk home from school. He was hit by the car and while banged up and transported to the hospital, he survived. My fear is that the next student will not be as lucky.
I was told just minutes before this meeting began that the installation of a traffic light is a budget item to be considered at your meeting tomorrow. I applaud this effort and ask you not only vote in favor of this item but that you push to have this light installed quickly. While we all know this can take more than a year, sometimes up to 18 months to complete – I ask that you order the temporary installation of flashing stop signs to better control traffic and protect our children.
While I appreciate the effort to place a flashing sign in front of the school on Monday to tell folks not to TEXT AND DRIVE, we need more than that to save a child’s life. Thank you.
And tell your friends. It’s clear to everyone that the Brandeis community wants something done soon. But we have to work together to find the best solution.
Councilman Pelaez just sent out this notice about a community meeting on September 13 at Brandeis.
Hello Neighbors,
Following Friday afternoon’s harrowing motor vehicle-pedestrian accident involving a student in front of Brandeis High School, Councilman Manny Pelaez has organized a special community meeting to address concerns.
Please join Councilman Pelaez, his staff, SAPD, the City of San Antonio Transportation and Capital Improvements Department, and representatives from NISD on Thursday, September 13 at Brandeis High School.
The meeting will be in the LGI Room at 6 pm.
Please bring your concerns and questions.
Below are updated maps that show both intersections that are concerns, per my conversation with Dr. Berger and the news from Councilman Pelaez’s office.
The south entrance is where the stop light is in the proposed city budget. The north entrance is where the accident occurred last week.
🙂 I’ll also stop referring to the entrances as east and west since they are really north and south. (Thanks to a reader for pointing that out gently.) #sleepdeprived
See the news story by Emily Baucum, News 4 San Antonio: School crosswalk will get traffic light after student is hit by car.
One of the warning signs they mention is already there. I saw it around 8:30 tonight.
Less than 24 hours after I launched this blog Saturday, Dr. Geri Berger, principal of Brandeis High School reached out to me, and we had a phone conversation on Monday. I am sharing the notes of that conversation with you below, which she has reviewed at my request.
• First, Dr. Berger enthusiastically welcomes the wellspring of community voices that are coalescing. She has been pressing the City and working with the district for over six years trying to get this issue addressed. Here is an overview:
• She and her staff have steadily provided lots of quantitative data to the city about things like numbers of accidents and police reports, etc.
• She’s been in conversations with city officials many, many times. And she met with Councilman Pelaez shortly after he moved into office. When they first met and he asked what her concerns were, safety on the street in front of the school was the first thing she told him. Since then, she’s had multiple communications with his staff.
• Three surveys have been conducted over the years. (We don’t need another one.)
• So far, BHS has been able to get the school zone speed limit reduced to 25 mph and to get the crosswalks installed. But that’s clearly not enough.
• Both intersections are a concern, not just the east entrance to BHS.*
• The situation has worsened with the opening of the Kyle Seale Parkway connection to the east of the school and with the new construction on Bandera & 1604.
The ball is in the City’s court, so to speak. That’s where we will need to direct our calls and letters. As I learn more specifically who to reach out to, I’ll let you know.
I must also add that the passion that Dr. Berger has for the Brandeis students and community and for their safety was overwhelmingly clear! She will not give up – nor will we!
*I stand corrected on my previous statement that the proposed light at the west entrance is not useful.
Councilman Pelaez is listening. He posted today on his Facebook page that he is setting up a community meeting. Once he has the details set and shares them, I’ll post them here. Be sure to follow this blog to get the info (see right-hand column).
I had a really good conversation today with Dr. Geri Berger, BHS principal. I’m typing up my notes and will post them here soon.
Safe Roads For Brandeis High School 