Chapter 10.68 — ADULT CROSSING GUARDS

AN INITIATIVE ORDINANCE REQUIRING ADULT CROSSING GUARDS AT DANGEROUS INTERSECTIONS

THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH DO ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:

SECTION I. PURPOSE

 In recognition of the serious hazard posed to elementary school children in going to and from school, it shall be the policy of the City of Long Beach to maintain adult crossing guards at school crossings designated as hazardous during the hours when school children are required to cross the street.

SECTION II. FUNDING

 The School Crossing Guard Program as herein established shall be funded by revenues available to the City of Long Beach from fines and forfeitures under the California Vehicle Code.

SECTION III. DESIGNATION OF INTERSECTIONS AS HAZARDOUS

 An intersection utilized by at least twenty (20) children per hour in coming to and from elementary school shall be deemed hazardous for purposes of this Section, if special problems exist and it is deemed necessary to assist children in crossing a street, such as where the intersection is unusually complicated, presents a heavy vehicular turning pattern or high vehicular speed, where the sight distance is less than a reasonable stopping distance from the crosswalk, or where any one (1) of the following conditions exist:

a) Uncontrolled crossings on the route to school Where there is no controlled crossing or grade separation within six hundred feet (600') of the location where a request for an adult crossing guard is made and one (1) of the following conditions exist:

1) Where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds the rate of three hundred (300) per hour during the time school children are required to cross while traveling to or from school; or

2) Where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds the rate of two hundred seventy-two (272) per hour and the posted speed limit is thirty-five (35) to and including forty-five (45) miles per hour; or

3) Where the vehicular traffic volume exceeds the rate of two hundred fifty (250) per hour and the posted speed limit is fifty (50) miles per hour or more.

b) Stop Sign-controlled crossings on the route to school Where the vehicular traffic volume through the crosswalk children must use on an undivided roadway of four (4) or more lanes exceeds the rate of five hundred (500) per hour during any period when children are required to go to or from school.

c) Signal controlled crossings on the route to school At traffic signals where potentially conflicting vehicular turning movements through the crosswalk children must use exceed the average rate of ten (10) vehicles per minute of signal green time, taken over a period of at least fifteen (15) minutes of signal green time, during any period when children are required to go to or from school.

SECTION IV. PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

 A committee shall be established, entitled the PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, which shall determine whether any intersection utilized by children in coming to and from school poses a special problem of safety requiring the installation of an adult crossing guard, and which shall advise the City Council of its findings and recommendations.

a) Composition of committee The PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE shall be composed of one (1) representative from each Council district, who shall be nominated by the respective Councilperson of said district and appointed by the City Manager of the City of Long Beach; one (1) representative from the Long Beach Unified School District, who shall be appointed by the Superintendent of the Long Beach Unified School District; one (1) City Traffic Engineer, who shall be appointed by the City Manager; one (1) representative of the nonpublic schools of the Long Beach area, who shall be appointed by the City Manager; and the President of the Parent Teacher Association of the Long Beach Unified School District or a designee thereof.

b) Meetings of the committee

1) Special meetings: The committee shall meet within ten (10) days at the request of the City Manager, the chairperson of the committee or any two (2) members of the committee.

2) Regular meetings: Notwithstanding Section IV(b)(1), the committee shall meet regularly not less than twice per school year. Prior to the commencement of the fall semester, and prior to the commencement of the spring semester.

c) Committee organization The committee shall adopt rules for its own organization and conduct and shall select its own chairperson.

SECTION V. ACTION BY CITY COUNCIL

Within twenty (20) days after receiving the findings of the committee recommending the installation of a crossing guard at a designated intersection, the City Council must:

a) Initiate the installation of an adult crossing guard at the designated intersection; or

b) Place the committee's recommendation on the agenda of a regular public Council meeting within forty- five (45) days. The Council may, by a majority vote at such regular meeting, reject the committee's recommendation upon its finding that the designated intersection does not present a potential hazard to school children; or

c) If such finding is not adopted as set forth in Section V(b), the guard shall forthwith be installed pursuant to the recommendations of the PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

(Ord. C-5490, 1978)