BACK TO SCHOOL - DRIVE SAFELY
Many students in the Chino Valley Unified School District start back to school on
Monday, August 31st. That means more drivers on the roads and more kids walking to
school. The City of Chino Hills wants to remind motorists to pay full attention and to be sure
to set a good example by obeying all traffic laws and parking regulations.
"No speeding, no texting, no cell phones, and no u-turns where signs are posted,"
said Denise Cattern, City spokesperson. "That's a good start."
City officials encourage motorists to be alert around schools and to watch for students
crossing the street. With the closure of Los Serranos Elementary School, students may be
walking in new areas and crossing Pipeline Avenue in different locations. Motorists need to
be aware of crosswalks and pay attention to signage that may prohibit left or right turns, uturns,
parking, or stopping.
A "no parking sign" means that motorists may briefly stop to drop off students safely at
the curb but they may not park their car or impede traffic. A "no stopping" sign means that
motorists may not even stop to drop off students.
City officials also want to remind high school students to obey the "walk" and "do not
walk" signs that coincide with green and red traffic signals. If student pedestrians ignore the
signals and block the flow of traffic that has a green light and the right-of-way - complete
gridlock can occur. Tickets can be issued to students, and sometimes their parents, for this
type of violation.
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Page Two - Back to School, Drive Safely
"The City of Chino Hills and the School District often work together to address safety
concerns related to school traffic," said Steve Nix, City Engineer. "When student drop offs
are prohibited or "no left turn" signs are posted, they were placed to address safety concerns
caused by those actions."
Parking in some school neighborhoods is limited to residents with permits. A permit is
required to park in neighborhoods near Litel Elementary School and Chino Hills High School
between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Permits are available for neighborhood
residents. On-street parking on Eucalyptus Avenue is limited to two hours except for vehicles
that display a permit, which is issued through Litel Elementary School, to parents and others
who have business with the school.
"These neighborhoods requested the permit system because the on-street parking
was filling up with student vehicles that parked all day," said Ms. Cattern.
Ayala students need to be aware that parking at the Government Center is reserved
for Government Center visitors and the City will begin the school year with an educational
effort to ensure that students do not start parking at the Government Center According to Ms.
Cattern.
"By the end of last school year in June, approximately 60 students' cars were parked
in the Government Center parking lot," she said.
Parking in the City's parking structure is limited to two hours between 6:00 a.m. and
noon unless the vehicle has a parking permit issued to employees of The Shoppes at Chino
Hills or the Government Center. Motorists driving within the Government Center should not
stop and block traffic within the travel lanes.
According to Ms. Cattern, Ben Montgomery, the City's Neighborhood Services Division
Manager, and Police Sergeant Gary Stewart met with Ayala Principal Diana Yarboi in August
to review school traffic issues and plans. The City and District are working together on the
outreach effort. The City will provide flyers that Ayala High School will distribute to students
who request Ayala parking permits.
"During the first week of school, Code Enforcement officers will start their day in the
Government Center parking lot passing out flyers to students to make them aware that school
parking isn't allowed," said Mr. Montgomery. "After that educational period, our Police
Department will begin issuing $30 tickets to students who park in the lot."
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Page Three - Back to School, Drive Safely
Many businesses along Peyton Drive, including the Post Office and several churches,
prohibit student parking and drop offs because their parking lots were built to accommodate
their customers, not students.
Ayala students will also find the gate closed at Chino Hills Community Park in the
morning to prevent student parking and retain parking for daytime events scheduled there.
"The City experienced significant impacts several years ago when students were
allowed to park at the former Community Park location," said Ms. Cattern.
Ms. Cattern offered some back-to-school advice for parents and students - try to get
to school 15 to 30 minutes before school starts. Beat the crowd! With hundreds headed to
the elementary schools, thousands headed to junior high, and several thousand headed to
high schools - there is no way around school traffic. Drivers who plan strategies that will
reduce the stress they feel because of school traffic will actually help improve safety for
students and motorists in the area.
"Motorists need to remember that posted signs are not just suggestions," said Ms.
Cattern. "If you don't follow the rules, you might get a ticket."
"Our goal is to prevent accidents," said Sergeant Stewart. "Right-of-way violations and
stopping violations cause a majority of accidents in school zones. If motorists give
themselves enough time to get to school, and are courteous to other drivers, our City streets
and school zones will be a lot safer."
On the bright side, the City is planning to restripe Boys Republic Drive in October to
create a student drop-off area from City Center Drive to Peyton Drive. The striping will create
a wider lane that will allow drivers travelling on Boys Republic Drive from Grand Avenue to
pull over on the north side between City Center Drive and Peyton Drive to drop off students.
"Drivers will need to get used to travelling from Grand Avenue to turn south on Boys
Republic Drive to access the new drop-off area," said Ms. Cattern. "And remember, after
they are dropped off, students must use the crosswalk to safely cross the street, and no uturns
are allowed."
The restriping work is part of the City's annual slurry seal project. The work was
expected to be complete before school started but the bids were rejected, the project has
been delayed, and new bids requested. Work is expected to start in October.
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