January 21, 2009

Dear Martin Luther King Parents and Guardians,

The pattern of traffic flow within the King parking lot will change beginning with the first day of the new semester, January 26.  Keeping in mind that safety and security are an integral part of educating your student, these changes were not made arbitrarily but were developed with input from traffic engineers from the City of Riverside and were based on assessments conducted by our district under the direction of Dr. Kirk Lewis, Assistant Superintendent of Operations.

Please review the new traffic flow pattern in order to ensure a smooth transition to the proposed changes.  A map is also attached to further clarify the new patterns.  In summary, here is the new plan:

• Upon entering the school lot at the signal, traffic will continue to proceed west.  At the first intersection, however, there will no longer be a left turn.  All traffic will continue straight towards the pool area and girls’ locker room.  Students will be allowed to turn right if they wish to park in the outer (north) lot.

• Once at the end of this lane, a left turn followed by another left turn (adjacent to the MPR) will lead vehicles to the newly designated student pick-up/drop-off area (formerly designated as “Bus Only”).  This area has clearly-posted signs and a yellow curb indicating that it is permissible to utilize it for its intended purpose.  Do not “park” here and wait as this will defeat the purpose of continual traffic flow.

• At the end of the new pick-up/drop-off lane, all traffic will be directed to the right (South) towards the flag poles in front of the school. No stopping or student pick-up/drop-off will be permitted along this lane or in the flag pole area.  The curb is painted red and there are clearly posted signs as well. 

• At this point, vehicles will be allowed to either proceed through the “flag pole turnaround” and return to the signal for exit, or make a left turn and proceed past the visitor parking area to make a right turn onto Wood Road (South). 

Again, the intent of the new plan is to provide a quicker, more efficient, and, most importantly, a safer traffic flow pattern.  Critical to success of the new plan is ensuring you follow these changes.  Additionally, it is imperative that if you need to park your vehicle for any length of time that you utilize available spaces in the various parking lots to allow the traffic to flow.  We also greatly appreciate your attention to and compliance with the school personnel assigned to ensure the safety of your student.  This includes our administrative team, campus supervisors, and School Resource Officer Mark Reddick.

For the first several weeks of the implementation of this new plan, the Riverside Police Department will be on hand to assist us with the flow of traffic just as they were when we changed the crosswalk in front of the school at the beginning of this school year.

The administration at King realizes that change can create apprehension.  However, working together we hope that this change will be a positive step toward improving the effectiveness and safety of how we operate within our school lot.  We understand and appreciate the fact that you entrust your students to our care during the school day.  We trust that you will adapt to this change and realize its value in due time.

Sincerely,

Mike Rhodes,
Assistant Principal
951-789-5690 Ext. #62204