East Sacramento Preservation Offers a Possible Solution to SHPS Traffic Problem

There is a possible solution to this problem

Square footage is the crux of the Sacred Heart Parish School traffic problem. The new school is built on a very small area in the middle of two of the busiest streets in East Sacramento. The school’s designers did not plan for the traffic problems that now beset the neighborhood.

Problem

Chronic gridlock and traffic congestion on 39^th between J and H, caused by Sacred Heart Parish School parents dropping and picking up school children.

Possible Solution

• Ask Sacred Heart Parish Church to provide its parking lot as a student zone for morning and afternoon drop offs. The parking lot has adequate spaces for waiting parents. Employ a crossing guard to help children cross J Street safely.
• Ask Catholic Health Care West to extend the Mercy Hospital community van service to pick up and drop children from the school loop to the church parking lot.
• Convene a parent meeting to stress the need for car pooling, biking and walking to school, and offer a small but attractive tuition reduction to parents who pledge to drop their children at the church.
• Teach and emphasize bike safety in PE and encourage walking.
• Ask parking control and the SPD to patrol the area at the drop-off time and ticket red zone and double parking violators to reinforce your policy.
• Close the traffic loop to pick up and drop off during morning and afternoon drop off times once the new system is in effect, unless there is an extenuating circumstance.

These ideas use resources already in place and help SHPS address and try to solve its problem.

How would you solve this problem? Let East Sacramento Preservation know.