Marbrook School Traffic Safety Meeting 10 AM Thursday 18 July 2019 Rhode Island Ave. / Centerville Rd

Centerville - Rhode Island Ave  Marbrook School Zone Improvements -

Note: Marbrook School Traffic Safety Meeting 10 AM Thursday 18 July 2019  Rhode Island Ave. / Centerville Rd

On behalf of the Brookland Terrace Civic Club I would like to thank all of you for your efforts in regard to Marbrook School traffic & pedestrian safety  

this has been a decade long effort for many of you  . 

We look forward to seeing many of you 10 AM Thursday 18 July to look at the Rhode Island Ave. / Centerville Rd location together .

The situation for student pick up has evolved in the last decade with 8-10 buses & 80-100 in the car pick up drop off line at the school 

Currently to 4-5 buses & 250 in the car pick up drop off line at the school . 

While there have fortunately not been any tragedies , as we have spoke with may of you there has been a real emphasis on the many close calls .

We are one distracted driver or a child not paying attention away from a tragedy , I believe we can all agree we need to do every thing we can to avoid this & that this is All of our Goal .

We greatly appreciate the Trees being cut down by Del-Dot At Centerville & Rhode Island this substantially opened up the sight lines at the intersection  .

We were also disheartened when the news that these request approved in May of 2019 by Del-Dot were again under review .    

1. Request No Parking Signs on South Bound Centerville Road on the Marbrook Parcel .

As far as No parking signs on South Bound Centerville Road on the Marbrook parcel  this had been requested from NCCPD & the school  .

We are one distracted driver away from a tragedy . 

Our NCCPD Comunity Service Officer Officer Reynolds observed children crossing between cars & students getting into cars on driver side on Centerville Road . 

Principal Phillips & the PTA have strongly encouraging parents to use the established student pick up lane in the back of the school , As well strongly discoursing any student pick up on Centerville Road .

At Marbrook picking up students on Centerville goes against the school guidelines & there is a established supervised car pick up in the parking lot .

 In attempting to address the safety concerns at Marbrook Elementary School regarding parents dropping off and picking up students on Centerville Road,

 I am requesting that No Parking from 8 - 9 am and 3 -4 pm Signage be installed SB on Centerville Road adjacent to Marbrook. 

 If we could please have the signs installed before the start of school on August 27th I feel it would help us to enforce our policy of having all car-riders accessing cars only in the parking lot.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Melissa Phillips, Principal
Marbrook Elementary School

“I also support this request if it will make it safer and encourage parents to drop off within the parking lot.

J. Larry Mitchell
State Representative”

Most if not all of the alternative car pick ups are students that are assigned walkers  . 

“Typically, parking restrictions have a ripple effect and motorists find alternative spaces to park once an area is restricted. However, restricting parking on northbound Centerville Rd or within the community would impact several residential properties."

While we acknowledge that there might be ripple effect we have several miles of parking available between  8-9AM and 3-4PM  in Brookland Terrace . 

I think we can all acknowledge that parking in Brookland Terrace is while not optimal a much safer option as opposed to students embarking & disembarking on Centerville Road . 

2. Request No Turn Signage to Marbrook Main Entrance  updated to 8-9AM and 3-4PM and 3-4PM from current 7-8AM and 3-4PM to reflect current school start time 

Minimal change in signage simply reflect the current school start times ,  We would think this is a total no brainer .

3. Request No Turn Sinage to Rhode Island Ave ( the same as the Marbrook Main Entrance )

The Request for No Turn Signage to Rhode Island Ave 8-9AM and 3-4PM would seem easy to justify and a simple equation  

Street 22’ - Parked Cars 12+’ = Less Then 10’ for Traffic & Pedestrians - Less then 10 Feet is not enough space for Two Cars 

Normally at 8-9AM and 3-4PM there are cars parked on both sides of the first block of Rhode Island Ave  .

There is no side walk on Rhode Island Ave. so students need to walk in the street .

The street is 22' wide parked cars on both sides take up 12+’ leaving less then 10’ for traffic and pedestrians . 

10 Feet is not enough room for Pedestrians & Two Way Traffic Between 8-9AM and 3-4PM on the first block of Rhode Island Ave in Brookland Terrace .

‘' For the turn restriction, preventing motorists from making a right or left turn onto Rhode Island Ave from Centerville Rd would impact all the residents of Brookland Terrace and force them to use alternative routes, such as Vermont Ave or Maryland Ave, to gain access to the community. This could have a ripple effect as well to the residents that live directly on Rhode Island Ave or along alternative roadways that don’t see the additional traffic today’

Again we can see your point & if Brookland Terrace was a loops & lollipops suburban style cul-de-sac development with limited entrances we might agree .

Brookland Terrace is a urban grid type development with ELEVEN different entrances to the neighborhood , Besides Rhode Island there are TEN different entrances available for Brookland Terrace Six on Centerville Road alone . 

       Going a block out of your way for two hours Monday - Friday does not seem too much to ask for student safety , the residents of Brookland Terrace accept the limited impact of the closure we voted on it and requested the above change  . 

       4. Again requesting enhanced  traffic enforcement from NCCPD 

      We are again requesting enhanced traffic enforcement from NCCPD, in 2012 in conjunction with updated signage this went a long way in setting a good tone in regard to traffic & pedestrian safety at Marbrook School .  

Again We are one distracted driver or a child not paying attention away from a tragedy , I believe we can all agree we need to do every thing we can to avoid this .

BTCC President - Charles C. Stirk Jr

Brookland Terrace Civic Club
200 Hillside Ave Wilmington Delaware 19805
 President - Charles C. Stirk Jr       

      302.463.2239  brooklandterrace@gmail.com

      Vice President-Treasurer - Larry Horrocks

302.545.7877  lgha1@aol.com

Secretary - Elsie De Prisco 

302.377.3999 elsiez24@yahoo.com

 Serjeant-at-Arms - Charlie Farrall

 Chaplain - Elizabeth K. Stirk 
302.999.7733   ekstirk@yahoo.com

Board Of Directors

- Elsie De Prisco 
302.377.3999  elsiez24@yahoo.com

- Sharon Davis
302.994.1642   hotwhips@netzero.com

- Debbie Hawke 
302.994.6606

- Pierre De Prisco

302.377.3999 padnr13@yahoo.com

- Brian A Covenko

484.325.1200 bcovenko@gmail.com

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Above Email is in response to this .....

Peter Haag, P.E., PTOE

Traffic Studies Manager

Delaware Department of Transportation

Office: 302-659-4084 Peter.Haag@delaware.gov

There were two concerns relayed to DelDOT Traffic for the location: (1) extend parking restrictions along Centerville Rd and (2) install no left and right turn restrictions on Centerville Rd at Rhode Island Ave

1)      For the parking restriction, if parking was restricted along the school property (i.e. southbound Centerville Rd) it may present a future concern along northbound Centerville Rd or internal to the community which aren’t restricted today. Typically, parking restrictions have a ripple effect and motorists find alternative spaces to park once an area is restricted. However, restricting parking on northbound Centerville Rd or within the community would impact several residential properties.

2)      For the turn restriction, preventing motorists from making a right or left turn onto Rhode Island Ave from Centerville Rd would impact all the residents of Brookland Terrace and force them to use alternative routes, such as Vermont Ave or Maryland Ave, to gain access to the community. This could have a ripple effect as well to the residents that live directly on Rhode Island Ave or along alternative roadways that don’t see the additional traffic today. We have already completed observations between 7-8AM and 3-4PM since these times are reflected on the existing signage. Summary of data is below. After providing the data, the School pointed out the timeframes don’t reflect their operations (doors open at 8:45AM and school starting at 9AM). At minimum, if we were to change anything the timeframes on the existing signs should likely be extended to include their morning period (7AM to 9AM). Nonetheless, our main concern we want the community to be aware of is the impacts a time of day turn restriction has on residents and motorists trying to obtain access to the community and may create internal concerns in the future due to motorists utilizing alternative routes to gain access. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss these aspects further.  

o   No vehicles were observed using the Centerville Rd shoulder to park during the morning hours

o   Vehicles using the shoulder as parking during the afternoon hours

§  Southbound Centerville Road South of Rhode Island Ave- 15 (1 was crossing guard)

§  Northbound Centerville Road South of Rhode Island Ave- 1

§  Southbound Centerville Road North of Rhode Island Ave- 5 (1 was crossing guard, 1 in NSSP zone)

§  Northbound Centerville Road North of Rhode Island Ave- 1

o   Turning Vehicles from Centerville Road to Rhode Island Ave

§  Unrestricted movements today:

·         Morning northbound Right Turn – 6

·         Afternoon northbound Right Turn – 5

·         Morning southbound Left Turn – 1

·         Afternoon southbound Left Turn – 2

§  Restricted movements:

·         Morning northbound Left Turn – 3

·         Afternoon northbound Left Turn – 6

·         Morning southbound Right Turn –0

·         Afternoon southbound Right Turn – 2

o   Vehicles were parked on Rhode Island Ave to pick children up from school during the afternoon hours.

o   When vehicles stop to make the left turn into the correct school parking lot, other vehicles travelling northbound on Centerville Road pass on the right shoulder

Thank you,

Peter

Peter Haag, P.E., PTOE

Traffic Studies Manager

Delaware Department of Transportation

Office: 302-659-4084 Peter.Haag@delaware.gov