The city approved the signs today. Finally some relief for our neighborhood.
November 3, 2016
Final supporters
Bumper to bumper traffic and excessive school commutes along residential, winding, narrow, 2-lane collector Reliez Valley Road in Lafayette has become unbearable. Those of us living on the 1300 to 1600 blocks of Reliez Valley Road have cars idling in front of our homes for a few hours Monday - Thursdays mornings (Fridays are somewhat lighter) and we have extreme difficulty getting out of our driveways. We worry about our air quality from the smog exhaust coming from idling cars. We worry about emergency responders being delayed. Those of us living along the 1600 -2000 blocks must endure extremely long commutes to work and school. School buses are picking up children earlier and earlier and arriving to school later and later and tardy on several days. A 3 mile trip to Acalanes High School can easily take 40+ minutes and students are leaving at 7:10 for an 8:00 start time, a distance of 3 miles, in order to try and get ahead of the traffic. Tardies and missed first periods are becoming commonplace. Stressed teenage students are seen driving erratically and passing cars on the wrong side of the road to try and make it to school on time and avoid tardies and missed classes. Out of town commuters and WAZERS are routinely dodging around school buses without regard for our school children and are disrespectful and unapologetic about not allowing residents access out of their driveways and onto Reliez Valley Road. There are no other safe/efficient alternatives for north Lafayette school kids to commute to school.
We know that the WAZE app is sending commuters from outside our area, from places as far away as Antioch and Fairfield, down residential Reliez Valley Road, so as to avoid intended regional thoroughfares such as four lane arterial Taylor Road south and 680 south, making it unbearable for the residents who live in this neighborhood. Out of area commuters are saving 2-3 minutes using Reliez Valley Road versus PH Rd., but this influx causes an increase of 20+ minutes for Reliez Valley Road residents. Reliez Valley Road is not meant or equipped to become a major thoroughfare. This is a residential street, 2 lane collector, for hundreds of homes and students who need to get to their respective schools: Spinghill Elementary, Stanley Middle School and Acalanes High. Acalanes High went to a later bell schedule, 3 days a week, and the problem still persists. Most k18th grade students take the bus to school and those that don't are carpooling.
We would like to propose our own solution to address traffic on our residential street and argue that the following traffic calming efforts for our 2 lane collector street and school route be prioritized, as per regional priority would dictate:
We would like the Contra Costa County authorities to approve the installation of the following restricted movement signs at the following locations to reduce cut-through traffic volumes along residential Reliez Valley Road from 7 a.m - 8:30 a.m. M-F (except school buses) at the following intersections to hinder out of area commuter accessibility to Reliez Valley Road:
"NO LEFT/NOTHRU signs at the intersection of Reliez Valley and Grayson Roads
"NO RIGHT TURN at the intersection of Gloria Terrace and Taylor Roads
"NO RIGHT/NO THRU at the intersection of Withers and Taylor Roads
We believe signs erected at these intersections will make a considerable difference to our quality of life and safety and well being of our children.
It should be noted that we are not asking for regular enforcement of these signs. By placing lawful restrictions at these three intersections during school commute hours, WAZE and other traffic apps will be forced to take Reliez Valley Road off their algorithms. This should help considerably. Also, a greater majority of people respect signage, whether enforcement is present of not, in comparison to those that do not.
We ask for Lafayette City advocacy, guidance and support on this matter too since it affects Lafayette/Acalanes District school students and parents and Lafayette constituents.
We ask for for inter-jurisdictional expeditious support on this matter.
THANK YOU.
-- Reliez Valley Residents for Reduced Traffic (RVRRT)
Updates
October 15, 2016
The momentum is undeniable. It is clear that our neighbors are finally tired of the gridlock.
Reached 100 supporters
October 15, 2016
38 Comments
Growing up on the border of Lafayette I have always been forced to wake up earlier than my classmates. I usually have to leave for Acalanes at around 7:10 to be able to get a parking spot for school which starts at 8:05. On wednesdays we leave at 7:30 for school wich starts at 8:35. The commute to school has gotten longer every year. I hope that installing these signs on withers, gloria terrace and grayson can help minimize the traffic!
I live off Reliez Valley Road. The time, which would usually take only two minutes to take my children to school, sometimes takes more than 20 min.. The drivers often speed past the speed limit, as if they own the road. There are too many children walking on the side walk, who should not be exposed to reckless drivers.
I run early AM from McGraw off Reliez to Briones and back again. Last week fellow Springhill moms and myself were laughing that I was able to run the 1 mile incline from Baywood to Silverdell way faster than several friends stuck in traffic... Daily I bike the 3/4 miles to school with my kids for the same reason...it is completely out of control.
The stop sign at Reliez Valley Rd. and McGraw Lane are often overlooked. It takes my kids 25-30 minutes to go 2 miles to Acalanes. There is also an issue at the end of the day turning into the tennis court lot off Pleasant Hill Road to pick up kids (over 10 minutes - constant flow of traffic going north) as well as turning right out of the lot North on Pleasant Hill Road to get back home or to appointments.
As a nearby resident and a teacher at Springhill Elementary school, I completely agree with theses suggestions. The undue traffic in the area from non-residents is ridiculous. We need to worry about our town and its children, not commuters from out of the area.
We need help!
Please help reduce traffic on Reliez Vally Rd traffic between the hours of 7-8:30am so our children to get to school on time without having to wake up with the roosters!
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The city approved the signs today. Finally some relief for our neighborhood.
November 3, 2016
Final supporters
Bumper to bumper traffic and excessive school commutes along residential, winding, narrow, 2-lane collector Reliez Valley Road in Lafayette has become unbearable. Those of us living on the 1300 to 1600 blocks of Reliez Valley Road have cars idling in front of our homes for a few hours Monday - Thursdays mornings (Fridays are somewhat lighter) and we have extreme difficulty getting out of our driveways. We worry about our air quality from the smog exhaust coming from idling cars. We worry about emergency responders being delayed. Those of us living along the 1600 -2000 blocks must endure extremely long commutes to work and school. School buses are picking up children earlier and earlier and arriving to school later and later and tardy on several days. A 3 mile trip to Acalanes High School can easily take 40+ minutes and students are leaving at 7:10 for an 8:00 start time, a distance of 3 miles, in order to try and get ahead of the traffic. Tardies and missed first periods are becoming commonplace. Stressed teenage students are seen driving erratically and passing cars on the wrong side of the road to try and make it to school on time and avoid tardies and missed classes. Out of town commuters and WAZERS are routinely dodging around school buses without regard for our school children and are disrespectful and unapologetic about not allowing residents access out of their driveways and onto Reliez Valley Road. There are no other safe/efficient alternatives for north Lafayette school kids to commute to school.
We know that the WAZE app is sending commuters from outside our area, from places as far away as Antioch and Fairfield, down residential Reliez Valley Road, so as to avoid intended regional thoroughfares such as four lane arterial Taylor Road south and 680 south, making it unbearable for the residents who live in this neighborhood. Out of area commuters are saving 2-3 minutes using Reliez Valley Road versus PH Rd., but this influx causes an increase of 20+ minutes for Reliez Valley Road residents. Reliez Valley Road is not meant or equipped to become a major thoroughfare. This is a residential street, 2 lane collector, for hundreds of homes and students who need to get to their respective schools: Spinghill Elementary, Stanley Middle School and Acalanes High. Acalanes High went to a later bell schedule, 3 days a week, and the problem still persists. Most k18th grade students take the bus to school and those that don't are carpooling.
We would like to propose our own solution to address traffic on our residential street and argue that the following traffic calming efforts for our 2 lane collector street and school route be prioritized, as per regional priority would dictate:
We would like the Contra Costa County authorities to approve the installation of the following restricted movement signs at the following locations to reduce cut-through traffic volumes along residential Reliez Valley Road from 7 a.m - 8:30 a.m. M-F (except school buses) at the following intersections to hinder out of area commuter accessibility to Reliez Valley Road:
"NO LEFT/NOTHRU signs at the intersection of Reliez Valley and Grayson Roads
"NO RIGHT TURN at the intersection of Gloria Terrace and Taylor Roads
"NO RIGHT/NO THRU at the intersection of Withers and Taylor Roads
We believe signs erected at these intersections will make a considerable difference to our quality of life and safety and well being of our children.
It should be noted that we are not asking for regular enforcement of these signs. By placing lawful restrictions at these three intersections during school commute hours, WAZE and other traffic apps will be forced to take Reliez Valley Road off their algorithms. This should help considerably. Also, a greater majority of people respect signage, whether enforcement is present of not, in comparison to those that do not.
We ask for Lafayette City advocacy, guidance and support on this matter too since it affects Lafayette/Acalanes District school students and parents and Lafayette constituents.
We ask for for inter-jurisdictional expeditious support on this matter.
THANK YOU.
-- Reliez Valley Residents for Reduced Traffic (RVRRT)
Updates
October 15, 2016
The momentum is undeniable. It is clear that our neighbors are finally tired of the gridlock.
Reached 100 supporters
October 15, 2016
38 Comments
There is clearly something wrong with the way traffic flows (or rather does not flow) on Reliez Valley Road on weekday mornings. The issue continues to get worse, which requires prompt action or people will simply move, property values decline and local tax revenue with it.
Growing up on the border of Lafayette I have always been forced to wake up earlier than my classmates. I usually have to leave for Acalanes at around 7:10 to be able to get a parking spot for school which starts at 8:05. On wednesdays we leave at 7:30 for school wich starts at 8:35. The commute to school has gotten longer every year. I hope that installing these signs on withers, gloria terrace and grayson can help minimize the traffic!
I live off Reliez Valley Road. The time, which would usually take only two minutes to take my children to school, sometimes takes more than 20 min.. The drivers often speed past the speed limit, as if they own the road. There are too many children walking on the side walk, who should not be exposed to reckless drivers.
I run early AM from McGraw off Reliez to Briones and back again. Last week fellow Springhill moms and myself were laughing that I was able to run the 1 mile incline from Baywood to Silverdell way faster than several friends stuck in traffic... Daily I bike the 3/4 miles to school with my kids for the same reason...it is completely out of control.
The stop sign at Reliez Valley Rd. and McGraw Lane are often overlooked. It takes my kids 25-30 minutes to go 2 miles to Acalanes. There is also an issue at the end of the day turning into the tennis court lot off Pleasant Hill Road to pick up kids (over 10 minutes - constant flow of traffic going north) as well as turning right out of the lot North on Pleasant Hill Road to get back home or to appointments.
As a nearby resident and a teacher at Springhill Elementary school, I completely agree with theses suggestions. The undue traffic in the area from non-residents is ridiculous. We need to worry about our town and its children, not commuters from out of the area.
We need help!
Please help reduce traffic on Reliez Vally Rd traffic between the hours of 7-8:30am so our children to get to school on time without having to wake up with the roosters!
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There is clearly something wrong with the way traffic flows (or rather does not flow) on Reliez Valley Road on weekday mornings. The issue continues to get worse, which requires prompt action or people will simply move, property values decline and local tax revenue with it.