Parking Times Altered at White Oak School

In response to concern about traffic flow during peak drop-off and pick-up times at White Oak Elementary School, the Westlake Village City Council voted unanimously to alter times that cars may be parked curbside, and added a third crossing guard to the school’s force.

City Manager Ray Taylor said an annual evaluation of parking and traffic flow near the campus determined that existing parking restrictions should be adjusted for the safety of the students and to improve traffic flow.

“We have a lot of people who come at the same time,” Principal Dorothy Penney said. “We wanted to be sure that all the kids get dropped off and picked up, and that the traffic keeps flowing.”

Although the new zoning restrictions have been instituted, the council had to formally adopt the new policy.

The area in front of the kindergarten classroom on the north side of Village School Road has become a five-minute parking zone--down from 30 minutes--with parking allowed only for getting kindergartners to their classes.

The area directly in front of the school on the same side is a five-minute passenger loading and unloading zone, rather than a parking zone as it had been.

The council also voted to add a crossing guard on Lakeview Canyon and Watergate roads at a cost of $7,500 per school year. Recent restriping of the intersection makes it more visible to motorists, and it was determined that a crossing guard will make it even safer.

Under state law, cities are no longer required to provide crossing guards, but many have continued to pay their wages.

“I think this is a very good investment,” Councilman James Henderson said. “I’ve seen kids standing there with their bicycles, waiting and wondering when anyone is going to stop.”