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Traffic Guidelines

TRAFFIC/PARKING: GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES

Drop-off and pick-up at Strawberry Point School (SPS) is often very congested, and as a result, can be very dangerous for all pedestrians entering and exiting the school.  PLEASE KEEP OUR PARKING LOT AND CROSSWALKS SAFE!

 

Use extreme caution when dropping off or picking up students from school. Drive slowly and watch for children/pedestrians on and off the crosswalks, be considerate to other drivers, observe all road laws and be respectful to our traffic volunteers AT ALL TIMES. Please adhere to the guidelines and procedures below when entering and exiting the school parking lot. In order to guarantee the safety of our children and all pedestrians, EVERY DRIVER, even occasional drivers such as babysitters and friends, needs to be aware of our traffic guidelines.

When dropping off or picking up students to and from school, you may

  • Park in the parking lot in marked stalls (apart from those designated for faculty)
  • ‘Drop, Don’t Stop’ (mornings only) at the curb
  • Park off site and walk into school.

  • As you proceed into the parking area, please follow all instructions given by the traffic volunteers, and observe the safe and legal rules of the road at all times. Please use extreme caution! ALL passengers being dropped off or picked up must use designated walkways and crosswalks.  The maximum speed in the parking lot is 5 mph

     

    Please Do Not:

    • Park, stop or UNLOAD in the RED ZONES or block the FIRE LANE
    • Park in CROSSWALKS
    • Park in marked FACULTY/STAFF parking stalls during school hours (8:00am – 3:30pm)
    • Leave your vehicle unattended in the YELLOW CURB ZONE during drop off and pick up times (8:00am – 9:00am / 1:15pm – 3:30pm)
    • Double park and/or block entry or exit lanes
    • Use cell phones or text while driving in the parking lot

    • Before you leave home, make sure that children have their bags with them in the car, not in the trunk ● The DROP OFF LANE is located in the YELLOW CURB ZONE in front of the school
    • To ensure student safety, and facilitate traffic flow, drop off ONLY at the YELLOW CURB ZONE
    • Do not leave your vehicle unattended in the YELLOW CURB ZONE during DROP OFF AND PICK UP times (8:00am – 9:00am / 1:15pm – 3:30pm)

    Please adhere to the "Follow the Leader" plan during drop-off in the morning: Page 1 of 2

    • Drive your vehicle single file to the drop-off lane (YELLOW CURB ZONE)
    • The traffic volunteers will direct you to move down the Yellow Curb Zone as far as possible
    • Once you have moved as far down as possible, stop directly behind the car in front of you. PLEASE DO NOT GET OUT OF YOUR CAR. Traffic volunteers will be on the curb to assist your children.
    • Have your child open the door ON THE PASSENGER SIDE ONLY and exit the vehicle onto the curb. PLEASE DO NOT GET OUT OF THE CAR TO ASSIST THEM. This is a safety issue, as you will be exiting your vehicle into moving traffic.
    • Once your passengers have safely exited your vehicle, carefully pull away from the curb into the drivelane and exit the parking area, giving right of way to pedestrians and vehicles pulling out in front of you.

  • PARKING OFF SITE AND WALKING TO SCHOOL

    It is often much easier to park off site, and walk to school. However, please respect our neighbors by not blocking their driveways or access. Please view this map for alternate parking locations for SPS. If crossing East Strawberry Drive, follow all directions by the crossing guard. Always use the crosswalk when crossing East Strawberry Drive.

     

    FOR STUDENTS WALKING/BIKING/ROLLING TO SCHOOL – THE GREENER ALTERNATIVE!

    • GET OFF your bike/scooter and WALK when using the CROSSWALKS and entering school grounds
    • Be respectful and follow the traffic volunteers’ directions at all times
    • Do not ride your bike, scooter or skateboard on school grounds during school hours (8:00am –3:30pm)
    • Lock your bike/scooter/skateboard to the bike racks located in front of the Multi Purpose Room

       

    TRAFFIC VOLUNTEERS

    • It is the responsibility of EVERY CLASS to provide traffic volunteers for a designated period of approximately two weeks each year
    • Four volunteers are required each morning and two are required every afternoon
    • ALL FAMILIES are expected to sign up for at least three ‘Traffic Volunteer Duty’ time slots when it is your class’ turn. Without volunteers, the program does not work, and the safety of everyone, especially our children, is compromised.
    • Room parents will be responsible for sign ups and you will be notified in advance.
    • Volunteer Guidelines will be distributed by room parents, and are available on the SPS website

Traffic Duty Volunteer Guidelines

Revised June 2022 

GENERAL INFORMATION  

Morning Traffic Duty:   7:50 ‐ 8:15 am 

Afternoon Traffic Duty:  2:25 ‐ 2:45 pm (M,T,Th,F) or 1:40 ‐ 1:55 pm (Wed)

All Volunteers: 

  • Wear a Reflective Vest : Drivers and pedestrians need visibility of who's in charge. 
  • Use the Stop Sign and Hold It High :  Provide good visibility for drivers. You exude more authority with cars when the sign is held high.  When holding pedestrians from crossing, hold it lower as a barrier.   
  • Pedestrians Can Wait : We have more cars than ever flowing through the lot. In order to keep the lot and E. Strawberry Drive from gridlock, make pedestrians wait for cars to pass if it means keeping the cars in the lot moving. 
  • No Riding in the Crosswalk : Make sure all bikers and scooter riders get off and walk in the crosswalk. 
  • Direct Traffic : Volunteers should direct traffic to keep cars moving. Don’t be shy, make eye contact with drivers, and use big, visible gestures to direct drivers.   
  • Review Guidelines for Your Position : These procedures were developed from the thousands of times parents have driven through the lot over many years.  
  •  No Children Allowed on Duty : If you have small children on the days that you're volunteering, please find someone who can watch them, even on the playground, for the time that you're working. 
  • Set Up the Cones Along the Red Area : Do not let drivers discharge or pick up students in the red zone. And say something to them if they do. Same goes for parents who try to drop off at the corner of the driveway.
  • Be 100% Present as a Traffic Volunteer : This is a time to focus on the job. Do not talk on your phone, check messages, or chat with friends. 
  • Enforce Rules : No driver is to leave their car in the yellow zone during drop‐off or pick‐ up. No one is allowed to drop‐off in the red zone. No cell phone use in the parking lot. When wearing the yellow vest, you are in the position to enforce the rules. Please do so balancing compassion and authority.

Traffic Volunteer Duties

These traffic positions are listed in order of importance and should be filled in that order.  The first two people to show up fill the crosswalks by the entrance and exit of the parking lot, etc. 

  • Position 1 ‐ At the crosswalk nearest the school gate, just after cars enter the parking lot
  • Position 2 ‐ At the crosswalk by the exit of the parking lot 
  • Position 3 ‐ At the crosswalk at the far end of the drop‐off zone 
  • Position 4 ‐ Along the drop‐off zone (the yellow curb) 

    • In the morning, stand on the north side of the crosswalk (in the middle of the lot) with your back to the approaching pedestrians, facing oncoming traffic. This naturally forces pedestrians to be physically behind you so that drivers can trust that you're stopping pedestrians.   
    • In the afternoon, stand on the school side of the crosswalk with your back to the school so that pedestrians leaving the school are behind you.   
    • Direct incoming cars and hold pedestrians. 
    • Keep traffic flowing so that it doesn't back up onto E. Strawberry Drive. Double cars up, sending them down the line to pull over to the right later.   
    • Make pedestrians wait if there are cars approaching and there is space for them to move into the lot. 
    • The more cars we have in the lot, the fewer cars there will be on E. Strawberry Drive and the faster cars can leave the area. 

    • In the morning, stand on the north side of the crosswalk (farthest from the school) so that pedestrians walking onto campus will approach you from behind.   
    • In the afternoon, stand on the school side of the crosswalk (in the middle of the lot) so that pedestrians exiting the school will wait behind you to cross. 
    • Look to both the left (cars ready to enter crosswalk) and right (cars ready to exit the lot) and keep the area between the crosswalk and E. Strawberry Drive full as much as possible.  
    • This position has the potential to make the lot back up or to run somewhat more swiftly. Please do your part to keep traffic moving. This means holding pedestrians more. Also, because the cars approaching this crosswalk are already moving slowly in the lot, drivers are more aware and less likely to drive dangerously. 
    • This position has the most people thanking you for crossing them safely. Enjoy it.  

    • Stand on the school side of the crosswalk at the end of the drop‐off zone so that exiting pedestrians will stop behind you, and you will also be visible to cars driving through the lot.   
    • Cross pedestrians across the crosswalk ‐ don’t forget to hold your sign high! 
    • Wave cars all the way down the drop‐off zone to get cars to pull as far as possible down the yellow curb before stopping. 
    • Encourage drivers to merge at the end of the drop‐off zone past the second crosswalk. It's fine to make two lanes of traffic  and have drivers merge at the curve. 
    • If no one is crossing, open doors along the drop‐off zone to let kids out.   
    • Enforce the rule of parents not getting out of their cars, or especially leaving cars in the drop‐off zone, gently but firmly! 

    • Stand on the curb at the drop‐off zone 
    • Wave cars all the way down the drop‐off zone to get cars to pull as far as possible down the yellow curb before stopping.   
    • Open doors along the drop‐off zone to let kids out.    
    • Enforce the rule of parents not getting out of their cars, or especially leaving cars in the drop‐off zone.

    • The most effective way to enforce traffic rules is to do it firmly but compassionately. 
    • Many parents don't realize they are breaking rules and simply need to be educated. Telling them of the rule they are breaking in a respectful and calm manner makes all the difference in the world. 
    • Other parents know the rules and don't seem to mind "bending" them to suit their needs. It's these parent drivers who can be the most frustrating to traffic volunteers.  
    • If you see a parent clearly breaking a rule (talking on a cell phone or texting while driving, parking in the drop‐off zone and leaving, etc), please notify Cathy in the office, and Mrs. Russell will follow up.  The safety of all the children and families in our parking lot is our highest priority.  This applies anytime ‐ not just when you are on traffic duty. 

    • Obey traffic volunteers 
    • Come early ‐ the lot doesn't back up until after 8:00 am 
    • Stay in your vehicle 
    • Say goodbyes at home, not on the curb, and have all belongings (backpacks, lunches) in the car ready to go (not in the trunk) 
    • Do not open doors on the driver's side. NEVER let children out on the driver's side.
    • If you park, wait to leave until the back‐up is over. 
    • If walking your child into the school, consider parking off‐site and walking in. 
    • Do not leave your car at any time during drop‐off or pick‐up in the yellow zone.

    In order to keep our children safe as they enter and leave school, parents from every classroom at Strawberry Point will take a turn during the year doing Traffic Duty in the parking lot.   Without your help, our parking lot would be a dangerous place for our children.

     

    Thank you for helping to keep our community safe!

     

  •  If you choose to park off campus, here is the Strawberry Neighborhood Parking Map.